Oh, the Majesty! I inhale deeply enjoying the beauty of my day. I get swept up in the sights, sounds, and the smell of nature, and hold that thought as I look over the scene before me. I yearn to press the pause button, but instead, I stop and reflect on how fortunate I am to be able to enjoy this moment.

I look around at the almost empty park today. The scenery is resplendent, so much to look at, so little time. Most people know intuitively, at least to some degree, that the privileges and good things they enjoy in life are given to them and that they are meant to be grateful for what they have, or what they do. I always feel that way when I am doing something that is out of my normal day. I walk or exercise almost every day, but, to drive over to the mountains is out of my normal range of things to do when I have time kind of thing. I love nature and spend as much time enjoying Mother Nature as I can. She gives without asking, the perfect kind of relationship.

I have no idea why, but it never occurred to me that there were so many black bears in Shenandoah National Park. The Park Rangers approximate that there are 1 to 4 bears per square mile. They keep track of sightings and I showed him off. I was so stunned at seeing this old boy that I could hardly take a picture of him. He kept looking back at me, three steps, look back. Three steps, look back. As if I was going to follow him. Sorry for the not so great picture, the last thing I wanted to do was get closer than I already was. Realistically, he is more afraid of you than you are of him and he was happy to leave me.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail, a section at a time. Only seven miles this day, but, in fairness, the average mileage is about eight miles a day as the terrain is uneven, rocky, and somewhat challenging at times. Of course, we were fresh and hadn't been hiking for days and days and days, so that was a distinct advantage. I keep a log of where we were and how far we went, and we all hike it together when we can meet up. It is fun to do it as a team, although many people I meet are doing it by their alone. Males/Females, it doesn't matter. If you need help, there is always someone on the path to help. I met up with someone who poked a hole in his head with a broken branch and gave him first aid. We chatted for a while and we went our separate ways, his whistling bringing a smile to my face as he wandered deeper into the woods.

In this reflective space, I have focused beyond what I can see, feeling so small, as I stand here in the wide open. But as I stand and contemplate, I can see new possibilities out there, just waiting for me to find them. It's what happens when you are looking through a different lens. Now and then I like to change my focus.

All I have are my words, armed in my mind, written in pen, stand by stand. Oh, yes. Still by hand. It has a different feel. Altered not by keys, backspace, and delete, I write, erase, tear it to pieces and start all over again. And again.

The Naming of Cats

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.

TS Elliot