Naturalist John Muir hated the word hike. He famously said “I don’t like either the word [hike] or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains—not hike!”
He believed that nature shouldn’t be treated as something needing conquering or to be endured. Instead he thought it should be experienced and approached reverently. Nature and the mountains in particular were a Holy Land to him and walking through them should be peaceful.
It should be a saunter.
And that’s exactly what I did today. I sauntered through Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve, stopping to admire tree bark, to watch squirrels scurry up their trees, and to admire tiny little wildflowers no bigger than the nail bed of a toddler’s pinky finger.
I ran my hand across many kinds of moss and admired the texture of rock walls that were here long before humans and will hopefully withstand us for many generations to come.
It was wonderful.
And despite going slow, I still worked in some nice cardio on the long uphill stretches. Here in Ohio, we tend to avoid the switchbacks seen in western outdoor spaces and send hikers straight up steep hills.
It will strengthen the heart, knees and lungs!
My hiking companions all seem happy going at their own pace so that makes it easier for those who need or wish to keep their own pace.
Since it was warm and humid I was quite happy going a little slower. All the same, it was a good day for a saunter and a good day to be outdoors.
I hope you made it out for a saunter too!
Google image search tells me this is a Great Spangled Fritillary. It was perched on some clover in the jungle that is my back yard when I came home yesterday. Seriously people. Rain plus heat plus no time to weed when it’s not raining is caused the weeds to take over.
Nonetheless, isn’t it beautiful?
I tend to see more moths than butterflies at my home for some reason so I was thrilled to find this visitor. Here’s hoping she brings friends and they hang around!
This is a nice little corner of the world. The flag, bicycle and tub full of flowers make an inviting tableau. A bench in the shade invited me to escape the sun and rest my weary self for a bit. Unfortunately, I had places to be and a schedule to keep so I walked right past this downtown Chillicothe, Ohio antique shop with plans to come back another day.
It really is a lovely corner of the world.
Look what I spotted yesterday. They just don’t make a Chevy truck like they used to. Plus, the pop of orange is pretty sweet. Who remembers the C10?
Happy Wednesday, friends. The weekend will be here before we know it!
While paying for our treasures at Riverstone Books, we asked the nice employee who was ringing us up if there was a good bakery nearby. He referred us to Gaby et Jules, a patisserie specializing in French macarons and some other fancy little desserts. It was just steps down the street from the bookstore and a logical place to pause for nourishment after a strenuous morning of book browsing.
Before we proceed, I just want to point out that macarons and macaroons are not the same thing. They’re both little cookies made with basically the same base ingredients but a macaroon is a drop cookie and is relatively easy to make. The macaron is a more challenging frou-frou little sandwich cookie that is filled with buttercream or some other confection and are almost too pretty to eat.
Almost. But I digress.
Truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of either cookie but that clearly was because I’ve never had one of Chef David Piquard’s specialty.
Not only are they beautiful, they have been voted the best in the city. They taste positively heavenly and are worthy of the recognition.
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