Yellow is the color of sunshine and sunflowers, lemonade and even the beloved Peanuts character Woodstock. It’s a color that many associate with happiness too.
It certainly made me happy to snap this photo. The yellow exclamation point in the Big Lots sign made me think that even the sign was happy to have this banana yellow and Woodstock adorned Jeep in the parking lot that evening.
I call this picture good timing!
It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
The sunset was especially nice Wednesday night but it was almost gone when I arrived at Concord Church. This was the last gasp of the day’s light and darkness would fall within minutes.
When I turned to go, this was the scene behind me.
Sunset is a prompt to stop, rest and reset in preparation for a new day. It’s kind of reassuring to know that the world gives us this consistency. No matter where you are in the world, the day will be bookended by something miraculous. As the sun sets you can rest assured it will rise again.
If we’re lucky, tomorrow is a new day. Enjoy today, get some rest and prepare to do it all again tomorrow.
Scout went back to the vet yesterday. He’s fine. I evidently was paranoid and impatient and spend too much time obsessing over his potty habits.
Who knew I would ever have to write that line?
The vet was terrific though, working us in on a two hour notice. She did a thorough exam and was patient as I explained all the reasons why he’s had a stressful week and listed all the symptoms I have observed in the last few days.
When she announced that he’s perfectly healthy and doing great, he looked at me like he wondered what was wrong with me.
You dragged me here for this?
His eyes were absolute daggers. But the vet and I agreed that it was worth everyone’s time to confirm that he’s ok.
The worst part of this story is that after a week of me force feeding him medicine, putting very cold drops in his ears and dragging him to the vet twice, he still comes to me for comfort. In his misery, he either senses that it’s all because I care or simply has no one else to turn to and keeps coming back.
Either way, this little house panther is worth the stress and trouble. I just hope he still thinks I’m worth the trouble too!
Yesterday was a little cool but sunny so I took a detour to Kinnikinnick Fen after work. It was a short walk plus several minutes spent sifting through rocks and leaves on the beach as I listened for birds and frogs all around.
It was a delightful break from reality.
I pity people who don’t enjoy being outside or who don’t get to spend much time in nature. I feel more like myself in the quiet of nature – even if it is brief.
Wherever you are, I challenge you to get outside today. You’ll feel better. I promise.
As winter begins to wind down and adventure season dawns before us, my mind is wandering to some favorite past trips. This is what I do when I’m itching to travel but not able to go just yet.
The Wandering Canadians’ account of their visit to Utah and Arches National Park made me nostalgic for the glorious week I spent wandering through that area with my western adventure friend. That was back in 2018 and still stands up in my memory as one of my best trips ever.
This place is drastically different from my Ohio home. The red rocks, wide open skies and desert climate are like the surface of the moon compared to the lush, green hills of home. Here in Ohio, forests grow thick and tall. In Arches, the trees are small and gnarled curiosities that have fought to survive each passing year. Arches features spires, giant stone arches, balanced rocks and monoliths.
Maybe it’s the drastic difference in landscape that makes it so appealing. When you find something growing here like a cactus flower, a tree or an insect, it seems so miraculous that anything can survive in the sand and heat of this place.
This is why we travel – to understand the world beyond our daily reach and to better appreciate the places where we do live. It encourages us to ask questions and drives us to seek answers about the world and ourselves.
Traveling feeds a curious mind and a wandering soul. My feet itch just thinking about it!