Grateful for the Trails
The good life gives no warning. It weathers the climates of despair and appears on foot, unrecognized, offering nothing, and you are there. Mark Strand It is Thanksgiving week, so of course it is the time we are officially reminded to be grateful, and many of us come up with a gratitude list. Once aContinue reading “Grateful for the Trails”
An Old Woman Walks the Tightrope
I chose that quote to begin today’s post, not because I am a painter, but because I am broken. So far, like Humpty Dumpty, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t seem to put Colleen together again. As I shared in A Post from Rusty Truck Acres a few weeks ago, IContinue reading “An Old Woman Walks the Tightrope”
Let the Sparkle In
The sun shines not on but in us. The river flows not past, but through us, thrilling, telling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. John Muir As I sit at my desk this morning I am looking out the window as the first snow falls,Continue reading “Let the Sparkle In”
Feeling S.A.D.
There is a crack in everything that’s how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen As I shared in last week’s post, I grew up in western Washington, known for its abundant rainfall. It turns out that is not quite true. Seattle receives less rain than any city on the east coast.* This may be hardContinue reading “Feeling S.A.D.”
Finding the Gift
Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too was a gift. Mary Oliver This morning I built the first fire in the wood stove and watched the flames with awe, surprised by how much I have missed the comforting presence of fire inContinue reading “Finding the Gift”
A Post from Rusty Truck Acres
I woke up still not dead again today. Willie Nelson I walked for twenty minutes today. For this intrepid hiker, that probably seems like no big deal, hardly worth mentioning, but it is indeed a big deal for me today. I will tell you why. A few weeks ago, while walking my dog Lulu onContinue reading “A Post from Rusty Truck Acres”
Yes, They Are Girls
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Dorothy or William Wordsworth If you have never heard of Dorothy Wordsworth it is probably becauseContinue reading “Yes, They Are Girls”
Many Shades of Green
The beautiful forested trail you see above is actually in a county park in eastern Illinois called Forest Glen. I first visited the park several years ago when my husband and I were looking for a place to hold our wedding ceremony. I had always imagined I would get married high in the Bighorn MountainsContinue reading “Many Shades of Green”
More about Old Things
I met my first bristlecone pine tree several years ago when I was on a road trip between my home in Wyoming and Yosemite National Park, where I would be meeting two friends for a few days of camping and hiking. I had always wanted to visit Great Basin National Park, so I planned myContinue reading “More about Old Things”
I Spread
This is a story about an old person visiting an old tree . .a really old tree. It is comforting at my age to be reminded that there are many such “old things” in the world, and I am barely a blip on the radar screen when it comes to embracing what it means toContinue reading “I Spread”
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The Solitude Trail 