Well, after spending the winter months wondering if Winter would actually be making an appearance at all, Mother Nature decided to celebrate the first day of March with a nice little snowfall. My hubby and I headed into the hills for a fun hiking day and a little snow play this last weekend. Now, with the second day of March being the birthday of beloved children’s author, Theodor Seuss Geisel, I could not help but stash in my pack a silly Seuss hat, hoping to capture a photo or two to illustrate some of my favorite quotes in celebration of the occasion.
“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so…get on your way!”
Dr. Seuss day holds a special place in a wee one’s world and what self-respecting early childhood educator with access to an actual Seuss hat would pass up this kind of photo opportunity? My sweet hubby was such a good sport, humoring my silly antics and reluctantly joining in on the fun. Though between you and me, I strongly suspect he secretly enjoyed the nonsense. After all, that Dr. Seuss had a special way of finding humor in the everyday.
With the work week coming to end, Evan and I were looking forward to getting out for a nice little hike. We wanted to stay local and close to home, so we planned to hike nearby Owens Peak. It’s been years since I’ve been up there and I remember it being a fun jaunt. It is short and sweet…but pretty darn steep (unfortunately, I had forgotten about that part). Sometimes I really enjoy a simple, local hike, with a leisurely start to the day, a short drive, plenty of time and no need to rush. We slept in, concocted our respective breakfast bowls and went about our individual puttering. Checking the weather forecast we began to wonder about the rain…maybe we should hike a little closer and keep the elevation lower? I’m not usually the one to say: Hey, it’ll be okay. What’s a little rain? Let’s just go for it…but for some reason I did. I guess I was experiencing an unusually adventurous moment. We headed up into Indian Wells Canyon toward the trailhead for Owens Peak. It was a little further back than I remembered, a little higher up than I thought and it was beginning to look like it might snow. And sure enough, just as we parked the car, a light little snow flurry began to fall.
It did feel good getting out on the trail and we reminisced about the early days in the area and our first few hikes up this path. I remember looking out at our new home, this valley we have come to love so much, and wondering what adventures were in store. We walked peacefully along and as we got a little higher the snow began to fall a little faster and I suddenly myself thinking: Well hello Winter, there you are. We’ve been waiting for you!
It felt so good to be out for the day, enjoying a little snow play and I was definitely feeling that playful Seuss spirit.
“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
Though I was enjoying the winter weather and the spirit of the moment, it slowly began to dawn on me that this trail was steeper than I remembered. And there were lots of rocks. And they were slippery in the snow. And there was that one section up a little higher that suddenly didn’t sound like fun. But we walked a little longer, hiked a little higher, until the not-so-adventurous one among us cried “uncle”. Undoubtedly, we could have made it to the summit, had I personally been in the mood to brave the storm. But I really just wanted to have fun. Ah well, you do what you do, enjoy what you can and find the beauty in every situation.
The snow was really a treat. The cool crisp air was invigorating. And greeting Winter on the first day of March…well, that was kind of beautiful.
On the way down we veered off the trail to a hunt for some pictographs that we had yet to find. I do love discovering those desert treasures, so I was thrilled that we chanced upon these. We will certainly be back to search for more. They are said to be there, nestled somewhere among the many boulders on the hillside…but that is a venture for another day.
“So be sure when you step. Step with great care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.”
People often say I have a way with the kids. And it’s true, I do. Because I am very much in touch with my Inner-Seuss…and you should be, too.
“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Every day from here to there, funny things are everywhere.”
Seek a Little Solace 