I’ve recently returned from visiting a beautiful part of Washington state called the Icicle Valley.

hiking above the village of Leavenworth
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Icicle Creek
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These snapshots don’t do the place any kind of justice, but hopefully they convey a bit of its flavor.

It is truly a special area on our planet and visiting there always makes me reflect on how fortunate I am to live relatively near such a place.

And I always return to the city, quiet and contemplative.

And I return appreciating anew how much we humans need silence. How much the white noise of our cities works to push aside our calm—perhaps even our compassion.

And I come back realizing how easy it is to forget important things. Like how my greatest responsibility in this life is to care about, and care for, my world and my fellow travelers.

Below I’ve included two items that remind me of important things. The interconnectedness of everything, how much we have yet to do, and that it isn’t hopeless—we can make progress when we try.

I recommend checking out both of these with the audio off.

In the second item, the soundtrack contains interesting information, and I enjoyed listening to it once. But I find the visual oddly compelling without the audio and have watched it that way a few times so far.

Here you’ll find a sobering look at one aspect of our planet’s health.

And this video offers a hopeful look at one facet of the solution.
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Wishing you a peaceful day with some quiet in it.
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[video via ecogeek]

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