Along the Ipswich River at dusk

Massachusetts Audubon's Ipswich River Sanctuary for four hours descending to night (and the river)—meadows, boardwalks, grottos, children, a canoe landing, an observation tower overlooking the wetlands adjacent to the river, and a sunset

"On the field trip I found (blank) beautiful and beauty means (blank) for me." (Skip Schiel, for an assignment)

The two most beautiful moments and scenes from the last two field trips—it’s hard for me to choose one incident and also to separate moment from scene—were the meadow in the Boston Nature Center where I rested while circumambulating the wetlands and the sunset along the Ipswich River at the canoe landing.

Why beautiful? What is beauty? It is when the heart is most deeply stirred, when I pause and contemplate, when I am free from fear, and long to be both isolated and in community. I felt both at the meadow and the river. I was alone at the meadow, wishing I had others to share this with, the moment and the scene; I was with others at the river, wishing I were alone. So I shifted to the observation tower, away from others, and then I missed them because I could not immediately share the moment and scene with them. Until later, when I can share with many others, the meadow and the river, the moment and the scene, thru photographs I made during these two peak experiences. Beauty is a peak experience, a sublime version of orgasm.

"Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary fosters a love of nature," by Alsion Furrier (2017)

Photos about the Ipwisch River Sanctuary by Skip Schiel (2011)

Photos by Skip Schiel & Teeksa Photography

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