slow gold

8.15.2018


Last Saturday morning, my husband and my sister kayaked around the lake as I tried to escape the heat on the trail through the trees.  Not much has escaped the heat here, though.  Some bright green grass is still around, and tree leaves are mostly still green (though losing their brilliance), but the rest of the landscape is slowly beginning to turn gold.  Sun-bleached and dry, but still present, still an element of the composition. 

The happiness I feel walking a trail alone, exploring and taking slow time to listen and observe, is immeasurable.  Solitude in nature.  Feeling alone but not alone.  Feeling the waxing and waning life forces all around - some seen, some unseen.  

jubilee

8.07.2018



We recently went to Jubilee Lake in the Umatilla National Forest.  Upon stepping out of the car, the overwhelming scent of pine and woodsmoke immediately filled me with an aching nostalgia (and my eyes with tears) for all our forest hikes of years gone by.  The campground was full at this peak summer time, and happy voices - human and canine - echoed all the way around the lake.  According to my tracker, the trail is somewhere between 2.5 and 3 miles, and it is beautiful.  It exceeded our expectations.  We can't wait to get back there with our kayaks.

Summer has been treating us well.  A few weeks ago we took a quick trip to Hawaii.  We did early morning snorkeling (I could become obsessed with this activity), afternoon walking, and and took evening dips in the gloriously warm and stunningly turquoise water.  

I have been tending to the family garden out at my sister's place with my Dad, and I can't think of too many things that I've enjoyed so much in a long time.  It's so wonderful to spend that kind of time with my Dad.  The garden has given an abundance of corn, zucchini, yellow squash, beets, beans, potatoes, chard, eggplant, basil, kale, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and more that the family all shares.  We are currently waiting on cantaloupe and pumpkins!  

Yoga and running nearly every day have become habit over the last many months, and I feel like I've finally found what my mind/body needed in the balance between those two things.  The summer garden diet of very fresh fruits and veggies at every meal on top of that has me feeling extra plant-powered, invigorated, and better than I have felt in years.  

Lots of family time, new explorations, old and new habits taking hold....this season of life is feeling good and I'm so grateful.  I hope this season is a good one for you, too. 
by mlekoshi