Finally!!

Finally, I went out and communed with nature today. Although, I must admit, the peace and quiet I usually crave was nowhere to be found. I was on the quad, and flying by the seat on my pants. :~) For an adrenaline junkie, it was an extraordinary day!

Dad took me up to an area where he has hunted, and was gracious enough to let me play while he worked crosswords in the truck. What a great dad, huh? :~) I rode for over 20 miles, down logging roads and trails that I have never been down, and was rewarded with some fantastic views. If you look closely at the top photo, you can see the Umpqua River (to the right of the green meadow). The little guy in the middle photo posed long enough for me to snap his picture, then he was off like a shot. The trees, the sun, the wind, the intoxicating scent of the forest...they were all I could have asked for today. What a gift!!

Moments

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

I have always loved that quote. Sometimes, I think I have an easy-to-please soul, one that is mesmerized by the small and simple things. Yet, in my heart, I know that these things really aren't small and simple at all. The moon and stars on a clear, cold night. The rush of a river as it flows on its way. A white egret walking regally along a pond edge. A winter's storm on the coast. A forest muffled and silent by the sound of falling snow...and nothing else. An eagle soaring. There are so many moments in life when I am left breathless, and quite often teary. Most of them involve nature, and serenity, and peace, and allowing myself to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world long enough to allow my heart to feel the wonder that is all around me.

And here is where I have been lacking lately. I haven't taken the time to get out there and experience those feelings, to experience the rejuvenation I feel when I am out in nature. I haven't gone hiking in the snow this year. I haven't gone for a weekend on the coast and listened to the rain, or walked on the beach with a cold wind at my back, or let the incoming waves wash over me til my feet are numb. I haven't grabbed my camera and made my way into the woods, looking for the treasures that are all around me as I walk. I haven't hiked along the Umpqua, and let the white water carry my cares on down the river. I haven't, and I'm not sure why.

Instead, what I have done...

I have let the "busy-ness" of the world take over. I can feel it...I don't feel like the same internally happy, vibrant, contented person that I normally feel like. And I know what I need to do about it. I NEED to reconnect, to feel the clarity and the strength that comes from being in tune with all of God's creations. I NEED to take myself someplace where I can forget everything in life that doesn't really matter, and I can focus on all of the parts of life that really DO matter...love, gratitude, all things spiritual. I need to reassess where it is I'm at, and reaffirm where it is I want to be heading. I need to know that my path is still headed the right direction, that I am being true to my heart and to the plan God has for me. I need a big dose of beautiful, and peaceful, and serene, and fulfilling. I need...MOMENTS THAT TAKE MY BREATH AWAY!