“Each morning we are born again, what we do today is what matters most.”
-Buddha
From The Outside Looking In
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I Am Here
“Where are you? Here
What time is it? Now
What are you? This moment.”
―Dan Millman
I saw this quote and I thought that this was exactly how I felt this morning as I headed out on my hike. Total immersion in the now.
It’s About Time!
“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in an office or mowing the lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.”
– Jack Kerouac
All week long the weather folks have been promising us that we were in store for a beautiful day today. With temps in the high 60’s, it hasn’t been this nice in a long, long time. After a winter of nor’easters, snow and freezing rain, I firmly believe that we were owed a day like today. Ignore the fact that tomorrow the high is supposed to be 38 and they are saying we might get some sleet, I’ll take a day like today anytime I can.
Starting at just around 6:20 am, the temperature was an incredible 52 degrees and the sky was devoid of any clouds. There is really nothing I can say to describe just how glorious it was! I can’t think of to many other things I would have rather been doing this morning.
My first critter sighting of the new hiking season. He came within a half of a step of going to froggy heaven.
My new friend giving me the peace sign after not losing his life.
My trusty pack and poles resting on one of the rocks where I take breaks.
Happy Hiking!!!
Hike #3-7.1-16.3
Disrupt
Every day I walk into class and I think today’s the day.
All of my students sitting attentive, waiting for the fray.
Pencils out, minds alert, I’ve seen it all before,
I think that they are ready to learn, history, maybe more.
But one or two they can’t sit still and it drives me kind of crazy,
The fact that they disrupt my class strikes me as just a little bit lazy.
But the rest of the class, they make me smile,
They want to learn, they tell me so, and they go the extra mile.
Another Sunrise
“Rest but never quit. Even the sun has a sinking spell each evening. But it always rises the next morning. At sunrise, every soul is born again.”
-Muhammad Ali
“There is always a way and always hope in the next sunrise, and in the next second, and in the next minute.”
-Ziggy Marley
As you well know, I am a sucker for a good sunrise or sunset. Today proved to be one of those days where I had to stop a few times to get photos as I made my way into the building. A start to the day like this means it should be a good day…(and it was)
Floppin’
The other day I walked into my daughters room and her rabbit was sitting there minding her own business. All of a sudden, she just flopped on her side and laid there, not moving.
Horrified, I immediately thought that I had just witnessed the end of our beloved bunny. Thankfully I could see her breathing so instead of panicking, I took a picture. Shortly after taking this photo, I got on my laptop and Googled “Why did my rabbit just flop on its side?”
Expecting the worst, I was incredibly surprised to learn that this was actually a good thing. Here is what the internet says: “Very relaxed rabbits will roll onto their sides or even on their backs. A favorite way to do this is to first twist one’s head sideways, then fling the rest of the body into line so that the feet fly out to the side. This is called a “flop” and indicates a very happy bunny.”
This is one awesome bunny!!!!
To Rhyme Or Not To Rhyme…
People have asked why do your poems rhyme?
I search for an answer, one that takes time.
So I think and I think but I can’t offer a clue,
Why do my poems rhyme? Oh what should I do?
There must be a reason why I like words to have cadence, a smooth mellow flow,
I think that they focus me and help me create each tale of woe!
Thwart
They said that spring was in the air and I believed that to be true.
But the days they pass and nothing changes, I’m ready for something new.
Winters chill is hanging on, refusing to let go.
So every day I open the door and hope there is no more snow.
But springs arrival keeps being thwarted, this we know is fact,
To expect some warmer days and greener grass we have to make a pact.
Let’s agree here and now, by decree or proclamation,
That spring has sprung and is here to stay and to all else fire and hell damnation.
Early April Sunset
“The time is now, the place is here. Stay in the present. You can do nothing to change the past, and the future will never come exactly as you plan or hope for.”
―Dan Millman
If you have had a chance to look through The Zen Hiker, you’ll know that I love sunsets (who doesn’t?) and naked trees. I think that we can all agree that the reasons to love a sunset are plentiful and obvious. Naked trees, however, might be a harder sell.
So, the pictures below have those two things together. As the sun started to set this evening, my daughter remarked that the colors were much darker than usual. Grabbing my camera, I went outside to get a picture of the sunset. Here’s what I got.
The view from my backyard. Naked trees and a sunset!!
After I took this picture, I turned around to change my lens and saw the sunset on the trees behind me. It had an eerily calming effect on me as I prepared to take another picture.
A very cool view of the trees behind my house.
This third and final picture was taken about 15 minutes after the first one. The only thing that could have made taking these photos any better was if I had been out camping and was able to get the same shots.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge (3)
Since I have worked in a high school for 20 years, I thought it would be interesting if I included an entry representing where I have spent almost a third of my life. The photo was taken when I get in at 6:30 am and I always say that it is the calm before the storm!
The Zen Hiker 