It's a Good Day for Nature!

I love nature so much, but sometimes I feel like I come across like this to most other people.

I can't help myself, but hopefully I can keep finding good ways to share the enthusiasm without all the factual inaccuracies. How neat is that?

Solo Hikes

Do you ever have those days when your head is buzzing with too much to think about? That's usually the case for me, and by lunchtime every day I'm ready to clear some space for my brains and refocus my thoughts. Enter: solo hikes. Don't get me wrong, I love hiking with buddies but sometimes there is nothing quite like a brisk walk up a rocky trail to add some clarity to my day.

I've often thought about why it is so refreshing. Certainly the exercise brings out all the good feels. The sense of adventure awakens the energy for life that can get buried under the daily stresses. (I'd refuse to believe you if you tell me you don't feel alive when you hear something rustling in the bushes and imagine it's a prowling cougar.) It's bigger than that for me, though. Mostly, I think when I am among other living things and am in a position to observe the circle of life firsthand, I develop a deeper appreciation for the life in me, for my position in relation to other elements of the world, and a renewed perspective of something that is much, much bigger than myself.

Young Naturalist

I ran into this set of gems while digging through a random box:

I can't even believe I kept these for so long! I'll have you know that this little flora collection earned me a 2nd place ribbon at my elementary school nature camp. How neat is that? And there is my first caddisfly case! (I found another one earlier this year.)

Decades later, nature still amazes me every single day! Thank you, camp counselors, for instilling an appreciation of nature in my tiny little heart.

Desert Ponderings

Through a series of unfortunate events, I got the chance recently to spend the night camping in the desert (which in and of itself was not unfortunate at all). My soul is two parts mountains and one part desert, and it turns out that it's impossible for me to spend time in either place without waxing ponderous. The stars are one of the best parts about the desert. I remember seeing the Milky Way from my house, but now I'm lucky to see anything more than a few major constellations. Spending time in the desert makes me feel so small and so big, and helps me readjust to my place in this crazy big world. It feels familiar and like home to me and certainly alters my perspective for the better.

Then, there is just something about the desert that shouts life. While I took my sunrise hike alone I stumbled across a raven nest, a stinkbug digging a hole in the sand, and a cottontail rabbit that I nearly stepped on (sorry for the heart attack, little guy!), all in just a few short minutes. My grandparents were desert downwinders who picnicked with their neighbors while watching the atomic bombs exploding in the distance. It's always amazed me that nuclear testing happened in the deserts where people thought there weren't any living things. There is so much life in the deserts, and some of the best, hardiest kind at that.

I love the deserts and the lessons they teach of resilience, patience, and the ability to thrive. Deserts hold a wonder all their own.

Moment of Wonder: Bighorn Sheep

One of my most memorable moments of wonder happened earlier this year while hiking with a friend. It had snowed the night before and the canyon was full of the kind of frosty fog that leaves feathery ices crystals on every surface. With each tiny blade and twig coated in delicate winter attire, our normally straightforward hike was transformed to an otherworldly version of itself. The snow padded any sound and we walked quietly taken by the incredible beauty surrounding us and avoiding any noise that might break the spell.

As we worked our way through the fog, we were met with new scenes every few steps. It had been a long time since I had felt that overwhelming joy of discovery as strongly as I did that day. I eagerly picked my way through the snow and fog, soaking in as many details as I could, and expecting something magical to happen.

The best thing about expecting something magical is that it usually happens.

The timing could not have been any more perfect. As we neared a corner in the trail, the fog cleared just enough to see dark shapes. As I was thinking how odd it was to run into other hikers on the trail, but then as we got closer I realized the massive shapes were much larger than people. In the middle of that thought, the fog suddenly cleared, and standing in front of us were two bighorn sheep with their majestic curling horns and powerful stances. We stopped short and I locked eyes with one of them, and in that moment there was no fear from either of us, but a mutual acknowledgement. The brief encounter seemed to last for eternity, and in that moment I felt I was privileged to share in the strength and wild wisdom of that creature.

Then just as quickly as they appeared, they turned and climbed up the cliff wall bordering the trail, without leaving any sign they had been there at all. It was so magical I still sometimes question if it really happened, especially when I walk past that same spot and marvel at the sheerness of the cliff they disappeared up so effortlessly.

From the foggy setting to the hoofsteps echoing through the cold, the moment could not have been any more magical. And while that magic cannot be replicated, I hoped to be able to convey the fearlessness and strength I gained in that moment with an illustration and watercolor piece, which will be up in the shop soon:

Here's hoping something magical brings you delight and the joy of discovery this week!

Valley of Fire

The Valley of Fire just outside of Overton, Nevada, is one of my favorite places in the world! We had a chance to explore and enjoy the red rocks and blue sky:

Every time I go there, I'm impressed at the hardiness of the ancient desert dwellers who carved beautiful petroglyphs in the rock. Everything in the desert exudes resilience and patience from the rock formations carved over time to the little plants anchoring themselves on a rocky cliff. All the desert people I know, too, are full of fortitude and see life realistically yet enjoy it nonetheless without feeling the need to be showy. I feel very comfortable and at home in the desert.

Desert beauty isn't for everyone, I understand, but have you experienced anything breathtaking in a desert lately? What does the desert remind you of?

Hidden Canyon Trail

During our recent trip to Zion National Park, we took an adventurous hike along the Hidden Canyon trail:

It was challenging in the beginning, but the views and adventures were totally worth it! We ended up holding onto chains bolted in the sides of cliffs, hopping over natural cisterns carved into the rock, scrambling and bouldering over obstacles, and taking a peaceful stroll through a shady slot canyon!

I love it when hard work pays off like that! After I successfully complete something challenging, I usually end up thinking about how many people in the whole existence of the world have done the exact thing I just accomplished. It makes me feel awesome knowing that I'm maybe one in only thousands of people in the whole world who have shared that experience. It's both humbling and empowering.

Have you had experiences that are both humbling and empowering? Or what do you do to maintain a fresh perspective?

Canyon Overlook Trail

We recently took a trip to southern Utah with friends, and one of my favorite adventures we had was hiking along the Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion National Park:

The hike is pretty easy, and the views are beyond amazing! I love how refreshing a new perspective is. Also, there's no rush quite like looking over the edge of a precipice, don't you think? This adventure was so good for my soul and I wish I could just bottle up the vastness and majesty and somehow fit it all inside my heart forever.

Have you ever been to Zion National Park? What was your impression? Do you have a favorite adventure or spot that is special to you?

Watercolor Magic- Turning a Favorite Bad Photo Into Art

So, my dreamguy has a favorite photo of me and our daughter wading in the Great Salt Lake. He took it on his crappy old flip phone from far away, but he said he loves how dreamy it looks, and was quite smitten by the moment:

I thought the photo was a bust until he mentioned that it would make a good watercolor painting. Best. Idea. Ever. It made so much sense to me and I'm glad he said something about it! So, in one of our mama-daughter painting sessions, I took a stab at recreating the photo in watercolors while the wee one painted "angels holding hands and flying around dancing" as we listened to some Grand Canyon Suite and Best of Bread on the record player.

This painting went pretty quickly, and now it's hanging up in our front room. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, and the best part is, we all agree it's much better than the photo. It turns out that watercolor = magic.

Do you have a favorite photo that you think would make a great sketch or painting? It's fun to imagine pictures in different forms of media because each exudes a unique feeling.

Deadwood's Mount Moriah Cemetery

Deadwood was a charming little stop on our trip to gorgeous South Dakota. It's a tiny historic mining town tucked up inside a narrow canyon. We could have stayed forever exploring every nook and cranny (there have got to be like two dozen haunted sites there, just saying) but we went with a purpose: to check out the Mount Moriah Cemetery.

You may or may not know that we love cemeteries. Like, we could geek out about them for forever. Visiting them is something we would do if we had all the time in the world. We've been known to pull into cemeteries that look particularly interesting and take a couple hours perusing them. (Weird fact, we got engaged in one! So fitting.) And, I married me a history buff, who has an affinity for the wild west, so we made sure to hit up the cemetery in Deadwood, for sure.

Guys. This cemetery is one of our top three we've been to. We went there to pay homage to Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane and found their resting places without any troubles. It's up on a mountain (surprise--the name is to be taken literally--some hiking required) so the grave plots are terraced, which gives an amazing affect. It is beautiful and rich with character.

Well, this concludes the last installment of our South Dakota trip. (If you haven't already, check out the previous posts here, here, here, here, and here) Thanks for hanging out through all these pit stops! I was blown away with the beauty and grandeur in South Dakota. (Who knew?) I know it's nothing new to some people, but It's like we discovered one of America's most best-kept secret gems and I would see myself going back several times. I can't believe we waited to long to plan this trip.

So, what about you? Are you cemetery traipsers too? I know it's not for everyone, but I'm curious to know. If not cemetery-goers, are you South Dakota-goers? Because you totally should be.

Visiting the Badlands

As part of our getaway to South Dakota, we also spent a goodly amount of time in the Badlands National Park. Guys, I love our national parks so much! They're amazing, in case you didn't already know. The Badlands reminded me a lot of one of my favorite places in the world, the Valley of Fire in Nevada. (You can see one of our past visits on my old blog, here if you'd like.)

The terrain and inhabitants are rugged and will probably outlive the apocalypse. Or, in other words, it's pretty incredible:

It's definitely not the average beauty one expects from nature. I have to say I've been blessed with an affinity for loving relatively ugly things because I think everything deserves a chance to be looked at with eyes of love and wonder. Because my soul is made out of mountains and deserts, I've also been raised to find the beauty when others can find none. However, for all you by-nature ugly haters, I think it's a skill that can be learned, for sure, so don't worry.

Have you ever been? Do you usually find beauty in harsh or so-called ugly things?

And if you want to see some additional wonders South Dakota has to offer, you can see some previous excursion posts on the blog here, here, here, and here.

Autumn River

There were so many great things about our trip to South Dakota (see here, here, here, and here if you haven't already), but it might be time to break it up with a fresh little fall shoot:

Our family took a little excursion up the canyon to capture some fall goodness and revel in the lingering summer warmth while it lasts. We ended up spending most of our time by the river, feeding it rocks and sticks, because according to our 3-year-old, it was really hungry. Makes sense. It does a lot of running. Autumn is pretty much our favorite, and this year Mama Nature put on quite the show for us! I keep seeing encore after encore, and I couldn't be happier.

What is your favorite season? What is your favorite part of autumn?

Hiking Cathedral Spires

Along Needles Highway is what happens to be one of the greatest hikes ever, to a rock formation called Cathedral Spires. The trail treks through the shade of jutting stone turrets and quiet forests. It is a peaceful place that fosters meditation by providing everything from tiny immaculate details to sweeping vistas, and to top it off, the wildlife was simply magical. It will surely steal your breath away and fill your spirit with goodness and freshness.

 

Please go here if you get the chance! This was surprisingly the pinnacle of our trip (no pun intended), and is one of the most awe-inspiring and uplifting places I've been. I will never forget how it made me feel. That place really does feel sacred. I was just wrapped in this incredibly verdant grace. And lest you worry, the hike isn't that difficult (I bet our 3-year-old would have loved it, and if not, she would have at least survived) and there is so much to see that you could walk three steps and stop to soak in another wonder, then walk three more steps and stop again. So basically, if you take your camera, you won't get winded at all because you'll probably be stopping every other second to take another picture.

Have you been? If so, I'd love to hear what you think! It makes me so excited just reminiscing and I feel like I may need to hike that at least a hundred more times in my little lifetime. It might just be worth the 11-hour drive.

P.S. If you'd like, the previous posts about this trip to South Dakota are here and here.