Do not be surprised that the return of the light lifts your spirits. Do not be surprised that warmth on your back calms you and makes you glad. Feel your spirits lift as the sun rises higher in the sky: this is part of you, this snaky gladness, part of who you have been forContinue reading “Around the Campfire”
Tag Archives: hiking
Petals and Patience
“Patience” comes from the same ancient roots as “petals”—to open like a flower, to unfurl, to receive the stroke of a moth’s tongue and the ministrations of a bee. And so we are given “passive” and “patient” and “passionate.” Kathleen Dean Moore in Wild Comfort The flower you see in the photo above is aContinue reading “Petals and Patience”
Remember “The Mountain”
The answer may not be in the mountains, but shouldn’t we at least check? Anonymous As my readers know by now I grew up in Tacoma, Washington with a view of “The Mountain” outside my bedroom window to the east. Everyone referred to it that way, though there were other mountains visible in the nearbyContinue reading “Remember “The Mountain””
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”
The Solitude Trail 