Triumph in the trees

from my trip to Sequoia with my mom, summer 2010
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I am walking briskly, breathing deeply and can feel my pulse is going at a pretty good rate of
maybe two beats per second. I practice what I learned from Susan Powter about breathing, forcing in and out too much air, so that I can burn as many calories as possible.
I am not out for my health or for fitness, I realize that if I finish this walk today, as planned, I will probably be hurting in a lot of places.
I am about a destination, for now, over five miles away and two thousand feet higher. it is a lot to do in a short time, but I have forgotten, conveniently, how out of shape I may be. I have chosen to imagine that I can do all things because I want to do them. I have rolled the dice and figured that IF I can get to the top of this trail I will have enough strength and endurance to get back down in time for dinner.
I wriggled myself out of a warm sleeping bag at about six, and slurped one strong cup of coffee and put my lunch and a few other items in a sack with a couple quarts of water. I hit the trail at a quarter to seven with plenty of light in the sky, but no sun on the tree tops yet.

( my starting place is Lodge Pole campground in Sequoia National park at 6600 feet elevation, or 2011 meters in Canadian - no drugs were involved other that over the counter Naproxene. )

In a few minutes I will have an experience that changes not WHO I am, or What I am, but seems to alter HOW I am, and how I fit into my world. It is something I was not seeking because I did not know it existed. I did not think to look for something buried inside of me to set me free, since I thought that a teaching or practice or discipline outside of me would have to be learned, gained or embraced to find this thing for which I do not yet have a name.
( I will temporarily name it the Z factor.)

next up

the hiking bug has bitten me badly and I have an opportunity
to do a favor for a friend, so I am climbing Mt. San Gorgonio
on Wednesday and Thursday.  I am very happy and excited for this trip.
It means I must work very hard tomorrow, get to sleep EARLY
and then leave my home before light on Wednesday
I like to hike in the cool part of the day.
It wil take all day to reach the top, and then come part way back down
to make camp, I will be sure to take pictures.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for myself and my family.

higher trails

i need to go back to my teens
when I followed men up trails away from asphalt
and away from phones, up into forest thick
and streams running clear

I feel the pull of high places, uncrowded spaces
lacking nothng, but wanting more
i will walk a dusty trail, wade a shallow stream
and go back to the days of Tang and powdered eggs
back to empty canteens but full vistas of monolithic granite
I will retrace the steps of my fathers best days
and give to myself the gift of a thousand moments full of grandeur

Today begins my plan and packing. within a month i shall be ready
to walk for a week in the company of small trees and giant rocks
to revel in the blending of my past and present
to recreate, and to regenerate.
if another strong soul wants to walk along, I welcome that.

a day at a time

time is more precious to me now
so I won't throw away big blocks of it.
I want to know what is happening in my own heart
and in my world ( i say that to delineate it from THE world)

I used to mark the calendar with future events
( and that still has its merits) but now I find I am
wanting a calendar marked with
"Amazing things that happened today"
like a diary, but simpler.

This blog is a possible starting place for a non paper reminder
of what is going on around here.

I wish to never take for granted the grace and amazing love of God toward myself and my family. I am going to be very active in first living the best life I can, by His enabling, and then capsulize a few of the days highlights for myself ( mostly) so that I am reminded of His great love and power. When it got dark last evening, i did not turn on the lights right away, letting the fire in the wood stove be the only man made light in the room.
The day had progressed perfectly, and I wanted it to last. Lunch was amazingly beautiful to see and delightful to taste. I wish I had a picture of the lime green Jello mold full of fresh fruit, it was "electric" and so refreshing with the spinach salad, grilled tuna and butternut squash. A cup of fresh hot coffee gave mom just enough Go-power to make the walk to the end of the street. When we made it back home - she sat by the fire, warmed a bit and then took a long nap.
She is becoming sweeter, and more appreciative each day, and only struggles a bit ( don't we all) with bouts of grumpiness or self criticism. I do my best to remind her that she is doing just what she should be, as we approach her 90th birthday. When we get out her 3 prescriptions I voice my wonder that she is so drug free, when others have ten or more pills a day to keep them going. We have a happy healthy mountain lifestyle, which means we slow considerably during the cold and snow season, but spring is on its way! Thank you, creator of all, for Saturday, I could not wait any longer to lock some of it in to this part of my written memory bank.

Lakeside

I think these are willows.
with the first fuzzy buds
telling me its near-to-spring.



the remains of last years"weeds" make a lovely dried arrangement in front of our ski slope mountains.

Too often I neglect to get out and appreciate my wonderful mountain valley. Not this week.

I also posted a picture or two here.
and MTR has a new post on Great Minds
Thank you for all your support.

friday fidget

I had a great walk the other night - it was late when there were few cars out and even less people.
Only a few dogs barked at me as I walked the empty streets under a star-filled sky.
I found something about walking that was neat: you think different thoughts that when you are driving. Take for instance I never looked at my fuel gauge and thought about how soon I would need to fill up and how it costs WAY too much to do so.

As I walked I noticed the feeling in my legs ( ouch) of stretching muscles and felt the warmth generated by the burning of calories. I noticed this most on slight uphill slopes. I could hear my breathing and the chirping of bats that flew overhead collecting insects.

I thought about my life, and how it's going, and that I seem more in control than I can recall in the recent past. ( This delusion could be from the strain of walking ) maybe its not MY control that I am sensing so much as my tuning in to the concept of order. Happy Friday!