good day
I really love to drive. And I especially love to drive in the mountains ... it is one of my favorite things. The trees, the sky, the clouds, the winding roads ... the whole experience makes me happy. (With the exception of my car ... I hold nothing but affection for my little '93 Civic, but it is worthless on those hills.)
I ran a few errands this morning and then headed for the hills, which were somewhat hazy today and would've reminded me of the San Bernadino Mountains in CA, except that the haze wasn't brown. Ick. I drove up into the mountains, towards the clouds, through the rain, past the clouds and then I took a right on some random dirt road (one of the few that didn't have a "no trespassing" sign on its fence) and drove awhile until I saw a meadow/hillside that looked interesting.
I parked the car under some Aspens, grabbed my bag (journal and bible and Nalgene) and started trekking across marshy, stream-wet grass thinking happy thoughts about my decision to forgo flip-flops in favor of my chacos this morning. Wandered up a hill, pausing to pick the tiny flowers that can survive our altitude, glancing at the various scat and footprints in my path and hoping I wouldn't end up in the middle of a moose napping zone (which I think I did, incidentally, but there were no moose). By the time I plopped myself down underneath an aspen, the wind had picked up and was blowing most of the bugs away and I was able to just sit in the sun and think and write and read. (Why don't I do this more often?!)
And then some guys on ATVs started driving up and down the road and after awhile I was sure they had seen me and were trying to figure out a way to reach my secluded hideaway, so I packed up my stuff and headed back down the hill, lost my smashed-grass path, ended up struggling through scratchy willows and scaring some poor little animal, fell into my car and tore off down the road. As I passed the ATV guys, I saw that they were not, in fact, looking to impugn my honor but were taking naps, in the sun, on the side of the road.
So, aside from the scat-scare and the ATV guys, it was a really good day. It was quiet and I had some time to think.
I forget that I need days like these ... by myself, away from everything ... they're good for my soul. I think I may go out again later this week.
I ran a few errands this morning and then headed for the hills, which were somewhat hazy today and would've reminded me of the San Bernadino Mountains in CA, except that the haze wasn't brown. Ick. I drove up into the mountains, towards the clouds, through the rain, past the clouds and then I took a right on some random dirt road (one of the few that didn't have a "no trespassing" sign on its fence) and drove awhile until I saw a meadow/hillside that looked interesting.
I parked the car under some Aspens, grabbed my bag (journal and bible and Nalgene) and started trekking across marshy, stream-wet grass thinking happy thoughts about my decision to forgo flip-flops in favor of my chacos this morning. Wandered up a hill, pausing to pick the tiny flowers that can survive our altitude, glancing at the various scat and footprints in my path and hoping I wouldn't end up in the middle of a moose napping zone (which I think I did, incidentally, but there were no moose). By the time I plopped myself down underneath an aspen, the wind had picked up and was blowing most of the bugs away and I was able to just sit in the sun and think and write and read. (Why don't I do this more often?!)
And then some guys on ATVs started driving up and down the road and after awhile I was sure they had seen me and were trying to figure out a way to reach my secluded hideaway, so I packed up my stuff and headed back down the hill, lost my smashed-grass path, ended up struggling through scratchy willows and scaring some poor little animal, fell into my car and tore off down the road. As I passed the ATV guys, I saw that they were not, in fact, looking to impugn my honor but were taking naps, in the sun, on the side of the road.
So, aside from the scat-scare and the ATV guys, it was a really good day. It was quiet and I had some time to think.
I forget that I need days like these ... by myself, away from everything ... they're good for my soul. I think I may go out again later this week.