Tag Archives: fresh air

Calm Waters

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This season of life I’m in isn’t the best. There’s no need for worry. I don’t need counseling or a spa day. No need for a major life shake-up either. The phrase “it is what it is” comes to mind a lot more than normal and I’m the kind of tired that can’t be cured by a good night’s sleep.

It is what it is. 

But it’s a season of life rather than the way it will always be. So it’s ok.

I’m starting to allow my mind to wander into adventure season. Oh, the places I might go!  I’m currently craving outdoor time and a road trip. The thought of throwing open the windows, getting rid of most everything I own and scrubbing clean what’s left is sounding more appealing by the day.

Again, don’t worry. This happens every year at this time and I solemnly promise not to pitch my couch and my entire wardrobe out into the front yard!

Even if  it is tempting.  

For now, I’m settling for short bursts of outdoor time because fresh air is good for the mind, body and spirit. On Tuesday night I went to Lake Alma State  Park  for a walk on the busy bike path. It wasn’t quite the outdoor fun I had planned but it at least was some fresh air and exercise 

I marveled at the water. Look how glassy and still it is!  The trees remain bare as it isn’t white time for the spring bloomers. The sky was a brilliant blue we typically don’t see this time of year. 

Calm water. Still water. It’s what I needed on that day and at that time. If only everything else could be so easy as beautiful nature reflected in calm water!

A Walk In The Park

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Mother Nature is currently having a nervous breakdown here in southern Ohio. While I’m missing my winter snow and cold, it was nice to slip outside for a walk at Lake Alma last night.

It was 53 degrees and sunny – warm enough that my jacket seemed a little too much. The light was golden and the reflection off the lake so bright it was practically blinding.

Of course, it has been so gray of late that any sign of the sun seems bright!

Fresh air in my lungs, movement in my muscles and beautiful trees and water as far as the eye could see were exactly what I needed.

Plus, knowing that I was walking after work meant that I had something to look forward to all day long. As far as I’m concerned, having something to look forward to every day is one of the keys to happiness. Spending time in nature is another. How fortunate when the two work together!!

We get a finite number of days in our lives. Why not find a way to enjoy each of them? Why not take advantage of these pretty days to do something truly good for ourselves?

Whatever you enjoy, find a way to enjoy it and have a fantastic day!

A Breath of Fresh Air

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This is your midweek reminder that a breath of fresh air is better for you than any medicine, diet, therapy or expensive new toy. Find a park, find a trail, find yourself.

Find your happy.

My Wish

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My wish is that I never become so busy or cynical that I don’t stop to appreciate the dawn of a new day.

I also hope to always smile when I see the silhouette of a deer grazing against the first rays of light on a cold morning.

If you see a pretty sky, pause a moment to enjoy it. Take in some fresh air and smile.

It’s a new day.

Stopping To Smell The Dirt

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It should come as no surprise to my pals here that I went hiking last night – about four miles on one of my favorite local trails.

Fresh air and exercise beckoned all day. After all, it was about seventy degrees and sunny with blue skies as far as the eye could see.

Who wouldn’t be in a hurry to get outside on a day like this?

But once I got to the trail, I forced myself to slow down and really take in my surroundings. I’ve been tired lately, the kind of tired you just can’t sleep off. But it is the kind of tired that responds well to quiet, to fresh air and to standing still in a nearly abandoned forest.

Most of the tourists were gone for the day so, while I did see a few folks, it felt like I had the place to myself.

When this happens I like to stop, to close my eyes and absorb my surroundings. Here’s what I loved best last night….

The softness of soil and rotting leaves and pine needles beneath my feet. There is no more pleasant sensation than stepping down into this after a long day.

The drip-drip of water from the side of an age old rock. The wet winter and spring have left the waterfalls gushing and small streams gently rolling over the sides of cliffs and hills.

A woodpecker in a nearby tree. I can’t see him but his presence is clear and the rhythm he keeps overpowers all the other sounds of the forest.

The babbling of a stream as it winds through a narrow gorge, past boulders and under fallen trees. I wonder where it ends and what life it carries with it.

The spring breeze through new leaves on the trees and through my hair. Oh, how calming and cool it is in my hair.

The smell of earth, musty and yet vibrant. There is no other scent like it and one that I recall during even the coldest nights in the dead of winter. It’s amazing to experience in real life, especially on the first few warm days of spring.

The sad coo of a mourning dove. Let’s just say the name is appropriate.

A fallen leaf as it gently dances across the trail. It looks happy and aimless and sometimes I wish I could be so satisfied just going whichever way the wind is blowing. I’m good at that some days but struggle others and often think I shouldn’t have to try so hard to be carefree.

The way sunlight dapples a cliffside and creates unique patterns where there previously were none. But I know the light will change again and the art created by the sun will change or just altogether disappear – a good reminder not to let a special moment pass without notice.

The chatter of a squirrel who, moments ago, was barreling through the leaves, making believe he is an elephant. At least, I’m sure that’s what he was doing because that’s what it sounded like.

How many times have I prepared to meet my Maker because a squirrel sounds like a bear about to attack?

It was a peaceful evening in the woods and one I hope to replicate many times in my life. It’s sort of like stopping to smell the roses. While you may not be up for a hike in the woods, my wish is that you find a way every day to stop and smell the roses (or the dirt) and to enjoy life.