Posts Tagged With: Outdoors

I Have Never

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Kami
Grand Canyon, Arizona. The canyon, created by ...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have never been to Disneyland, or Disneyworld.  I have been inside the Disney store at the mall.

I have never visited the Grand Canyon in the fifteen years we’ve lived in Arizona.  I saw it when I was thirteen and not yet afraid of heights.  I wrote poetry about it, even.

I have never jumped out of an airplane and never intend to.

I have never ridden in a hot air balloon.  Not so sure I want to do that. Although it looks peaceful, the height thing might get to me.

I have never traveled outside of the United States.  Unless you count British Columbia on a day trip.  I guess you could, it’s Canada, after all, right?  You’d think I’d have made it to Mexico by now, but haven’t had much reason, money or desire to do that.

I have never been overseas either.  That’d be cool.  I’ll have to start a bucket list, maybe.

I have never met anyone really famous.  That’s okay by me. They’re just like every other person except a bunch of people know who they are, right? Yeah, sour grapes here.

I have never been to a big rock concert.  This holds some interest in the back of my mind, but not enough to really do anything about it.

I have never successfully ridden a skateboard.  Tried once, landed on my backside.  Snowboarding, I suspect would end up the same way but with more dire consequences.

I have never spent more than three seconds upright behind a boat trying to water ski.

I have never had a conversation in a foreign language.  I’d like to change that.

I have never gone cliff diving, or cliff jumping.  There’s that afraid of heights thing again.

On the other hand…

I have spent a night in the wilderness alone.

I have gone rock climbing at five months pregnant.

I have experienced the joy of skiing many times.

I have watched a grandchild being born.

I have known the love of a kind husband.

I have reveled in the beauty that is Alaska.

I have been part of friendships that lifted me and helped make me whole.

I have enjoyed the blessing of extended family reaching out in many directions.

I have had the once in a lifetime amazement of being on a cruise ship on the ocean.

I have kayaked in the ocean.

I have been involved in something bigger than myself.

I have firsthand seen the wonders of Yellowstone Park multiple times.

I have lived in many different places in the United States and found all sorts of wonderful.

I have driven a snowmobile, and a motorcycle.

I have ridden my bicycle long distances, even conquered a pretty big hill a few times.

I have given birth and held those miracles in my arms and watched them become adults.

I have felt the exhilaration of a second wind that comes when running past exhaustion.

I have felt satisfaction, holiness, peace, joy, serenity, contentment.

I have been changed by some experiences that are unspeakable, unshareable.

I have tried to be true to myself, honest with others, kind, helpful, real.

I think the “haves“ outweigh the “have nevers”.

Categories: Gratitude, Joy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Take a Walk With Me

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Kami

The most luxurious thing I can think of to do today would be to have a whole day to myself.  I’d go for a long morning walk.  I’d clean the house.  I’d sit with a hardbound book and immerse myself in its pages, emerging hours later dripping with the story, washed new by the author’s words.

It’s been a while since I’ve done any of those things.

Must be time to give in, if I’m fantasizing about them.

It’s not likely I’ll have a day to myself, not with everyone’s schedule around here.  But the long walk, I could manage that.  Early mornings have a chill to them, but I could bundle up, layer on a few sweaters, put on some gloves, wrap a scarf and throw on a hat, if I can find one.  Then off I’d go to my favorite retreat.

Our little “town” had the foresight a few years back to create some open spaces.  The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is one of these places.  The large windowed library nestles into one corner of its 110 acres, with a cement skirted duck pond and sidewalk.  Perfect for parents with strollers and tots, or people with wheelchairs,walkers or canes, it serves as a buffer zone of the “wilder” parts of the park. It’s nicely lit in the evening if a couple feels inclined to walk and talk. There’s always an urban fisherman or two there, almost any time of the day or year. They even added an observatory a few years ago.

My favorite area there is away from the concrete and crowds.   Further in, nestled among trees and all sorts of green growing things, is meandering paths that skirt seven different ponds.  The developers designed the entire area to refill and recharge the city  acquifer.  As reclaimed water is pumped into the ponds it filters into the ground and recycles.  It’s a pretty smart idea.

The bonus is that the area has become a haven for birds of all kinds. Herons, hummingbirds, geese, lovebirds, terns, owls, hawks, ducks are just a few of the over 150 species found there.  As a result, photographers, birdwatchers, and nature lovers also frequent the area.

Wandering the trails a person could walk almost four and a half miles. In years past I’ve spent considerable time there and become a little possessive of the area.  There was a group of seven geese that I chatted with daily, even if they were a bit grouchy with me. I’ve lost touch with them and miss that daily interaction.

I feel lucky to have such a haven in the desert. A walk there fills and recharges my own waning resources. Enough of this writing thing. I’m going for a walk.  I’ll see ya later.

Sunlight peeking through.
Sunrise colors captured on the foliage in the background
A few of the birds at the Riparian.
I could spend hours here
Relaxing view on my walk among the ponds.
Sunrise reflecting nicely on the water.
Categories: Outdoors | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Thousand Words With One Picture

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Kami

That whole picture worth a thousand words thing?  Yeah.  It’s true.  Sure it’s a cliché, but so what.

When I take a photograph, I’m doing more than copying a scene, or a face, or a place.  I’m also capturing the feelings I’m experiencing.  Anyone else seeing the photo won’t get that part of it.  But for me, all the thoughts leading up to that click and whir, all the fun, or drama, or joy tied up in the photo is still right there.  Seeing the photo is like clicking a link in my head to all those memories.

So when you see the photo I’ve posted today, I know you’ll not appreciate it like I do.  It’s nothing stellar, but it’s a good shot that captured the essential items; sand, waves, sun, people, sky.

I could probably do a thousand words, but I won’t. Here’s just a few my heart and head have attached to this picture:

A. This was my third trip to California, ever, in my entire life. I’m a relative newbie to the whole beach thing.  I don’t get away too often, so I felt really blessed hanging out for a day there.

B. I discovered Boogie Boarding.  Holy Macaroni!!  When I finally caught that wave just right, the world changed.  The ocean became a friend, not a scary thing.  Granted it’s a wild, daring, crazy, slightly drunk friend who pushes you to do things you wouldn’t normally do.  I was instantly hooked.  Couldn’t get enough.  Exhausted to the point of silliness, I could hardly walk or hold on to the board.  But, I kept getting back in for one more wave, and then one more, and one more.  And a couple more.

C. Just before the sky started reaching orange, I saw a bird do a straight on dive into the water. There was no low swoop, or scoop, but a real nose dive.  And then there were more of them, doing their acrobatic Olympic dive thing with casual grace and easy finesse.  Lit up my laugh buttons.

D. I was with a group of good, sweet people who’ve had my back.  Felt lucky sharing the day with them.

Enough words.  Here’s the photo.

Sunset on Coronado Island, San Diego, California

Sunset on Coronado Island, San Diego, California

Categories: Joy, Outdoors | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Where the Wild Things Are, And the Not So Wild Things

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Kami

Recognizing a major need for escape from daily demands and stressors,  late last spring MSH booked me on a flight for that very day to visit a cousin in Colorado.  Not sure how he pulled that off, but he did.  Six hours later I found myself climbing into my cousin’s vehicle and sleeping on her pullout bed. What followed was a week of rest, meandering hikes, talking, eating, Scrabble and emotional healing. I returned home a new person, ready once again to face the world.  Here are a few select photos from that week.

Wishing I were here again.

This is a representative segment of one of the many lovely trails I enjoyed wandering.  Shady, tree filled, solitary.  Perfect for introspection, ideal for letting nature work her magic.

We had a nice friendly chat.

Seldom did I cross paths with other humans.  I did meet up with a pair of deer that treated me like a friend.  They actually didn’t run off when I approached.  We had a nice conversation for a while as I took pictures of them.  Their eyes have a look in them I haven’t yet been able to describe. My friend here stood still and posed for me five feet away from where I stood.  No need to zoom in.

A small pond I came across in a restoration area caught my eye.  The light and reflections were fun to watch.  The sense of calm the scene invoked was very welcome.

Surrounded by pines and peace.

Here’s another view of a lake I wrote about in an earlier post.  Must have been something about the elevation that made me feel emotionally lighter.  The heavy load I’d been hauling around for months dissipated on this hike.

Thanks for sharing my take on a taste of Colorado. Makes me want to go back for autumn, although I may have missed the colors changing by now.  These photos also remind me that I need that daily dose of nature in my life.  Being out-of-doors, my hands in the soil, my head in the clouds, surrounded by living plants, being part of the sights and sounds of the natural world, can make the difference between wellness and illness, joy and sorrow.

That connection to the real world grounds me, makes me whole and gives me energy. Here’s hoping you have such joys in your days.

Categories: Outdoors | Tags: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Ants Go Marching One by One, Hurrah, Hurrah

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Kami

The ants have taken over my yard.

Sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s true.

There are ants marching in a steady cadence around the entire perimeter of my Arizona patch of lawn.  There are ants building little mounds along my side walkway.  Those ants that race around like they found and devoured a discarded bottle of amphetamines are careening about the back porch as well as the driveway.  There seems to be two or three different armored divisions encircling the foundation of the house.  And the little six-legged ankle-biters have set up a path along the brick wall surrounding the yard. I know of at least one bush that they have commandeered for a nest.

Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). Phot...

Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). Photographed at the Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All these little critters make it difficult to do my yard work.  My ankles itch like crazy from the bites they inflict.  I’ve tried living peaceably with them.  Haven’t hosed them off or tramped on them or purchased an anteater.  I have a feeling an anteater would have some untoward side effects that might be worse than the ants.  Not sure I want to find out about that.

My first task this morning is to launch a counteroffensive against these invaders before they make themselves comfortable inside my house as well.

Peaceful Negotiations Unsuccessful

I have looked into alternative forms of persuasion.  Cinnamon, various other spices, talcum powder, cucumber peelings, vinegar, coffee grounds, citrus peels, chalk, borax mixed with syrup.

These tactics might work temporarily on a few poorly organized hapless group of ants.  This is not your usual little mound of easily dispatched workers.  Beneath my entire yard, well below the topsoil, lies a deep underground network of ants expertly trained and craftily deployed under my home.  We have so many ants I’m a bit concerned that they’re planning to carry the house off to another neighborhood.  No doubt they could if their tiny generals gave the orders.

No, I have set aside my dove like attitude of submission, cajoling, wishing and hoping.  I am now a hawk.  There is a full gallon of highly lethal and toxic bug spray waiting in the garage.  And a very large bag of some sort of bug dust also stands at the ready awaiting deployment by me, the itchy gardener.

Do Dogs, and Ants, Go to Heaven?

I’m not trying to upset the entire ecosystem.  I just want the ants to go hang out in someone else’s yard, preferably ant heaven, if there is such a thing. There they could build little mounds and march in long lines to their tiny hearts’ content.  Do ants have hearts?  I can’t think about that one.  Sends shivers up my spine and makes me feel even more itchy.

Repercussions?  Yes, there probably will be some.  I’m going to spray and scatter now and think about it later.

I just want to plant my winter flowers, weed my garden, and walk to my car without having my feet overrun by multitudes of tiny critters on their way to morning reverie.

Call me cruel.  Maybe I had one too many picnics ruined as a child.

Hoo-rah!

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Categories: Humor, Outdoors | Tags: , , , | 5 Comments

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