Here, the forest is alive with sounds of silence. The flies are the loudest, but if you have the patience to remain still and let them settle, to let them resume about their day, you can hear the wind winding through the trees. You can hear the grass hoppers jumping from blade to blade - hundreds of them, that together sound like rain. Remain still and flying insects pause about their day curiously, maybe more curious than us. Among the sounds of silence are the flutters of the dragon fly's wings and the grazing breath of cattle, thick and hot. Gallop, they do, unlike the movies, and their hooves thunder across the clearing. I sat still and watched as they walked by me. I hear them first, treading hooves and causal brays, slow and gracious. My hear beats loud like their hooves as I hold as still as possible. Wild are these animals, and I, a guest on their lands. I sat low in the grasses, watching mother and calf, undetected...until I moved. My footsteps echoed loud. I'd never known grass to be so loud. The mother cow stood tall, ears perked and face tense and I tried my best to tell her I meant no harm. I lowered my eyes and slowly walked away; I looked back only when I heard hooves hitting the ground, hard thumps in quick succession. I ran. I looked back to see, thankfully, the mother and calf running the opposite direction from me. Hooves beating to the sounds of silence as we ran away from each other. #secretplaces #traveloregon #backpackingviews #backpackingstories #backpackerstyle #backpackerstories #backpackertales #womenwhowander #womenwhoexplore #girlsvsglobe #adventureseekers #sonya7rii #natureheals #naturefilm #ospreypacks #traveldrops #traveldeeper #naturephotographer #instatraveller #instapassport #travelphotographer #travelbloggerlife #travelblog #hikingislife #hikers #hikeoregon #hikelikeagirl #hikersofinstagram #hiketheworld (at Secret Places) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVcJafl7Tt/?igshid=a11ivbegljy4