nature – Page 2 – Things I've Learned Along The Way

The mountain’s perspective

The mountains offer not only comfort, but also perspective on the never-ending cycle of life and death.

We see the man daily on our walk. He holds the leashes in his right hand, two black dogs walking close beside him. In his left hand, he holds a book, his head bent over the pages. As we pass by, I wonder. Does the book contain the scent of jasmine? In its pages doesContinue reading “Open book”

A small gesture for a grand planet

I headed out into the cool morning down roads I have never traveled, towards a destination I had never seen, to gather with people I have never met to help make the earth a slightly better place. I saw a sign a few weeks ago during a hike at San Felasco Hammock Preserve State ParkContinue reading “A small gesture for a grand planet”

Wild

When I go to the woods, I discover Tiny purple flowers, Bird songs, Bones. I find equanimity, Communion, Calm. When I go to the mountains, I leave behind Businesses, Meetings, Phones. I shed expectations, Worries, Fears. When I go to the wilderness, I take A water bottle, Rain clothes, Boots. I bring resilience, Wonder, Joy.Continue reading “Wild”

Memories in bloom

A simple bouquet grows a garden of memories.

Beach time

Bare feet sink in the sand. Small grains fall over toes. The air thunders with crashing waves in a timeless rhythm. An occasional seagull cry cuts across the cerulean sky. Shells pepper the line between sand and sea. Small shells, large, shells, brightly colored shells bleached shells; the small jewels rock back and forth asContinue reading “Beach time”

An ordinary day

My father would have been 77 this week, but he passed away almost 23 years ago when he was 54. The suddenness and swiftness of his death left the whole family bereft, and we still miss him. Although he died relatively young, my father did a great many things, and some of those things IContinue reading “An ordinary day”

On running

I wake up at dawn, put on a t-shirt and shorts and double-knot my running shoes. I step into the clear morning air and listen to the birds chime the first welcome of the day. I start slowly, allowing my limbs to shed the last bits of sleep. Then I fall into a rhythm. MyContinue reading “On running”

TMB Part 11: The ladders and beyond

We had hiked 100 miles, and on this day, we would only hike about four more. But the trail guide suggested it would take us about three hours, all of it straight up another mountain. And we would have to climb ladders. I had seen images of the ladders – narrow, metal-runged contraptions rising verticallyContinue reading “TMB Part 11: The ladders and beyond”

TMB Part 10: The Hustle

After passing back into France, we only had two nights left. We descended 3,000 feet into the top part of the Chamonix Valley to Tre-le-Champ and the Auberge de la Boerne, a small inn that looked as if it had been around for several hundred years. The auberge sported wooden beams, low ceilings and narrowContinue reading “TMB Part 10: The Hustle”