A Haven of Peace

— In today’s hectic world, it can be difficult to find peace or a place to relax and escape the noise and stress. We are constantly bombarded with noise, stress, and anxiety. But it’s important to have a haven of peace, a place where you can go to recharge and rejuvenate.

A haven of peace can be anything from a quiet corner in your home — I often use my backyard for that purpose, for example — to a secluded spot in nature. It can be a place where you can read, meditate, or simply enjoy the peace and quiet. In brief, it is a place where you can escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

For me, here in Austin, if I want a place that is close to home and yet offers tranquility, I go to Copperfield Nature Trail. This small area is a neighborhood trail system that runs by the scenic Walnut Creek. Depending on where you enter the trail system, you can find yourself a wonderful pond, such as what I show in the first photo here. This is, in fact, my go-to place whenever I want to experiment with my photography. Whether it is testing a new lens or simply looking for inspiration, Copperfield Nature Trail offers a myriad of options. I sometimes even mountain bike there.

Back in November 2021, for example, I did a mini-project to document the fall colors in that small area around the pond. I was surprised at how much fall foliage I could photograph in a matter of hours. Last year, in late November 2022, I went back to see what was different. Austin had a superb fall foliage display, and that was clearly present at Copperfield Nature Trail.

One thing I can always count on in this park is the variety of wildflowers I can find at any given time of the year. Here is a sample of what I have found this week and a few weeks ago.

Whether it is a field of Bluebonnets, an isolated Texas thistle, or the vibrancy of Mexican hat flowers, you can find it all in this park. Here are some other wildflower examples I photographed in the park: Four-O’Clock flower, Alamo vine, Spiderworts, Giant Spiderworts, and Fox Glove. Two main areas in the park offer a large display of those wildflowers. The entrances by Yager Lane and Blakeney Lane both have small garden areas dedicated to wildflowers.

If you venture into the southern section of the trails across from Shropshire Blvd., you will have an entirely different area to explore. In that section, the trail is more rugged and closer to Walnut Creek.

Though most of the time the creek is flowing smoothly, if you hike the area after some rain, you can see Walnut Creek flowing more strongly. Many times, I go there and sit down to enjoy the quiet the place offers. Often I am the only person there. It is a great place to reflect and listen to the water slowly trickling down the bedrock. Small waterfalls are everywhere along the creek bed.

There are many different types of havens of peace. Some people find peace in nature, while others find it in solitude. Some people find peace in religious or spiritual practices, while others find it in creative pursuits. At Copperfield Nature Trail I am able to embrace nature and also follow my creative pursuits. Whether I am biking, hiking, or simply contemplating quiet trails, I can find it all there. I can explore trails under a shaded canopy of trees or marvel at the reflections around the pond.

When I read Denzil Nature’s challenge this week was about our haven of peace, I had no doubts in mind that I would feature some of my photos from Copperfield Nature Trail. The park is close to my home (less than 2 miles/3.2 km away). I have been going to that park for nearly 10 years and have made thousands of photos in my walks and rides there. It is a wonderful place for macro photography as well as general landscape scenes. No matter what my goal is, one thing is certain: I will always find peace there.