Dirt beneath my boots, shadows on rocks, warm sun on my face, wind whispers in my ear, a crisp autumn chill and the company of my favorite friend…these things I love. This is the stuff to pause for. Breathe it in. Soak it up. In this season of gratitude we express our appreciation for the things we have, the people we love and the moments in life that fill our hearts with joy. It is moments like these, for which I am most thankful.
As autumn begins to creep toward winter, our high altitude adventures go into hibernation mode as snow begins to dust those granite ridgelines. And so begins our desert season. This time of year, our explorations take on a whole new vibe. Desert dunes displace Sierra summits, Jeffrey pines give way to Joshua trees and skycapes stretch far beyond what the eye can see.
This little blog adventure of mine is proving to be a very fun and surprisingly satisfying endeavor. I have no idea what I’m doing, to be sure. I have absolutely no computer skills. This online entity, the internet, it completely baffles me. My social skills are somewhat lacking, so staying connected…are you kidding me? But this little space, this mysterious place, my own tiny corner of this massive web, is slowly growing on me.
Today was a beautiful day. Autumn seems to be getting comfortable, blessing us with its presence and promising to stick around this time. It was a perfect day for a picnic and a delightful day out for the doggies.
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I struggle with this season of change, or rather, this season that stubbornly refuses to change even though Mother Nature claims it should be so. Feeling hot, ornery and uninspired, I allow myself to become absorbed in the business of everyday tasks and I forget to stop and enjoy the moment of sunset. So, lately I have been making an effort to be mindful of those moments whenever they happen to present themselves. And looking back, I have discovered a small collection of skyscapes too lovely not to share.
August. How did that happen? My slower summer pace is quickly picking up, the To Do lists are accumulating, my space is overrun with school supplies. It appears I have once again entered that other dimension where I continually search for the ever elusive Time. When I sat down to write about our last Sierra trip I was surprised to realize that two weeks have come and gone since we climbed Pip Squeak Spire. I could have sworn just yesterday I was lakeside, reading a book, hunting for wildflowers and watching the sunrise. Fourteen days have slipped through my grasp since I stood on that rocky ridge gazing out at a sea of granite peaks in a state of amazement. I love those moments. In those moments, Time does not elude. In fact, in those moments Time doesn’t even exist.
My hubby and I have logged quite a bit of trail time over the years. At this point in our bag-packing lives, we are finding it more and more difficult to tolerate the typical trail food. We’ve had more than our fill of dehydrated meals and packaged energy bars! So, lately I have been trying to find fresher, tastier, homemade alternatives to fuel our backcountry adventures.
It is definitely summer in our little desert world. Unfortunately, this time of year our “high desert” isn’t nearly high enough! With a long holiday weekend and temperatures reaching 115 degrees, the hubby and I packed our bags and headed for higher ground.
I do love this season of hiking in the Sierra Nevada. Everything is a wonder to me in this wilderness playground. I am amazed by the simplest things. Traits of a Montessori teacher, I suppose. We are conditioned to see the world from a child’s point of view. Children are fascinated by everything and they notice everything. Observing nature and delighting in it…that so-called “sense of wonder” is innate. It is only natural to feel a connection to that child’s inner sense when roaming these wilderness trails and backcountry.
Seek a Little Solace 