These things are ours, for God creates within our soul a mystic sense of wonder that we may hear allegro tunes among tall swaying cattails. —Gwen Frostic Indeed, sleeping in a bed is absolutely wonderful. My legs splay akimbo, the covers are warm, swaddling my body, the mattress gives my muscles, joints and bones just the right support. I stay in my nest all morning with the river rushing musically below. I work on visual […]

We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better. – J.K. Rowling I wake to a purply-orange glow on the horizon and my owl’s “Hoohoo-hoo-hoo!” It’s cold and I wonder if I’ll be warm enough in the Sierra as I pack up and start the morning routine, surprised again to be ahead of Klaus. I use the time […]

Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance. – Anne Lamott I feel much better this morning and come to this conclusion – sleep matters. Still a blareathon light, but those hikers are far across this sandy, rocky, brush-strewn dry riverbed. I don’t understand the thinking, but glad I claimed my far off spot last night. And so glad I got here early to explore and swim at […]

You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute. – Tina Fey I can’t sleep. The view from my tent is to smoke glowing hot pink above the mountains, the sky a deep velvety blueblack. Klaus mentions it might get cold before falling asleep, and when I agree he tells me, “I don’t care if you get cold,” with a big laugh. I’m […]

If you don’t get out of the box you’ve been raised in, you won’t understand how much bigger the world is. – Angelina Jolie I wake to a light in my eyes. The hikers who joined us last night are filtering water with headlamps faced at my tent. Do people have so little awareness they can’t turn away or move ten feet up the trail? The creek is loud so they can’t hear me asking […]

If you can’t go straight ahead, you go around the corner. – Cher Lightning streaks the sky, but there’s no boom. Maybe we got a few drops but my tent is dry by morning. Also no visitors, neither man nor beast. Klaus uses an alarm – ugh – but I decide to let it slide. I think he has a tendency to sleep in and truly the best part of the hiking day is the […]