-Buddha
I have used this tree to guide me into my parking space for the last 18 1/2 years. It is true that I usually don’t need it, but during the winter months when we have snow, it does come in handy. I know that all I need to do is center my Jeep on the tree and all is good for the day.
As you can see by the picture, you can sometimes get a glimpse of a decent sunrise.
Every day now before I step into the building to start my day I casually turn around to take a look at the sky. If it looks promising, I take a picture with my cellphone just to remind myself of what is out there. The possibility, the hope.
The view right before I entered the building.
(As always, please excuse the grainy quality. I have a really bad cell phone!)
“Good morning-Start your day with a smile and positive thoughts.”
My view just before going into work.
After a couple of inches of snow last night we headed out for a pretty early run to The Home Depot. It seems that the sunrise after a snowy evening is much more brilliant than every other day.
Every minute of every day passes most times without us even noticing the beauty that surrounds us. Unfortunately this beauty is just a snapshot, a moment in time that is temporary.
“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.”
-Jim Rohn
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
The best thing about coming to work at this time of the morning (6:20 am) are the sunrises that I get to see on a daily basis, especially this time of year. With the clocks falling back just about a couple of weeks ago, the timing is perfect to watch the sun come up as I am getting out of my car in the parking lot. Although I deeply mourn the loss of daylight in the afternoon, I do cherish the quality sunrises that I get to experience on a daily basis. Every day I hope that it sets the tone for the rest of the day…
Have a great day!!!!
“The main thing to understand is that we are imprisoned in some kind of work of art.”
-Terence McKenna
When I pulled into the parking lot at work yesterday, the clouds were the color of cotton candy. Hovering above the building was a huge pink mass that appeared to be motionless. Even with the lack of motion and the beauty of the clouds, the photo conveys more in that single moment than I could ever put into words on this page.
When I am lucky enough to see a sunrise such as this, the Terence McKenna quote at the beginning of this post makes perfect sense. Would being trapped in either photo be such a bad thing? An interesting quote to think about….
It was an excellent way to start the day!
“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.”
-George Washington Carver
This is why we hike…
A Halloween sunrise!!!
The tree in the first picture taken a few minutes later.
Mornings like today are the reason why people love to hike. Just as the sun was coming up the temperature was a crisp 44 degrees and a slight breeze was making its way through the woods. You could still see the evidence of a really nasty rainstorm that had moved through the area all day Sunday into Monday morning. Tons of twigs, small limbs and fallen trees now litter the trail as compared to just a few days ago.
Besides the abundance of debris on the trail, the only difference as the days progress is the continued loss of leaves from the trees. Every hike that I do now in Ward Pound Ridge serves as an awakening to the coming winter months. The trees are much barer and the woods have opened up, telling an entirely different story than the one I have been used to all summer.
A happy place, either before or after a hike.
Happy Hiking!!!
2017 Mileage:
10/31/17-3.6-304.52
“I slow down when hiking. The rhythm of nature is more leisurely. The sun comes up, it moves across the sky, and you begin to synchronize to that rhythm.”
-John Mackey
It was another beautiful morning in the Hudson Valley. I would really love it if it were about 15 degrees cooler, but that’s ok, it’s just good to get outside. As you can see below, the sunrise was spectacular and an outstanding way to start today’s hike.
The most important thing that I have come to love about Ward Pound Ridge Reservation is the flexibility that you have in determining the length of hikes. With the marked trails and the plethora of connector trails, you never have to do the same hike two times in a row. Going in the opposite direction of what you are used to also adds to the diversity of what the reservation offers.
So to mix things up today I traveled the initial mile on the Red Trail and then made a right turn on a connector trail. This trail took me to the Leatherman’s Loop Trail which I stayed on until it returned to the Red Trail. Almost immediately after getting back on the Red Trail, another connector trail veered off to the left and traveled through the woods until it came back again to the Red Trail. You then stay on the Red Trail until the finish.
Happy Hiking!!!
2017 Mileage:
9/24/17-7.1-241.22
Hike to feel the wonder
Hike to hear the crushing of leaves under your feet
Hike to feel the curve of the trail and the soft dirt kicked up from your boots
Hike to feel the cool morning breeze rushing over you
Hike to see the sunrise
Hike to witness a sunset
Hike for the views
Hike because you can
The Zen Hiker 