Trailing Thoughts

I was planning to bike—not hike—today.

But then I was jarred this morning by the unexpected, and very sad news, that a friend's husband had passed away. I was shaken and distracted; when my first, second, and third route plans were thwarted, I decided that the universe was telling me to stay off the bike.

I made a sandwich, traded biking attire for hiking attire, and headed for a suitably challenging trek—one that I imagined he might have enjoyed.

Up the hill I went, at an especially slow pace: stopping often to examine whatever caught my eye.

I discovered a clearing I don't recall noticing before, and perched on a log to enjoy my lunch. (After ensuring there were no hidden snakes sharing the space.)

I had seen a few elusive butterflies fluttering about, which I knew were Sara Orangetips. Some butterflies will linger on a host plant; others, like these, rarely seem to alight for more than a second. I rounded a bend on the trail and suddenly found a slew of them busy with some yellow flowers. With a little patience, and plenty of blurry misses, I was able to get some decent shots.

I'd figured I'd turn back at the trail junction, but stopped short of that when I considered how much time I'd need to hike back down.

Hiking over 7 miles (round-trip) made my body suitably tired and soothed my soul.

It was a day to appreciate the privilege of being here, to see and hear and feel the world around me.

Take nothing for granted: not one single day.