Walktober: Time traveling

A hike in the woods. (August 2017)

I like walking because it is slow, and I suspect that the mind, like the feet, works at about three miles an hour. If this is so, then modern life is moving faster than the speed of thought or thoughtfulness.

~ Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking

It’s not always easy (in this area of the U.S.) to find groves of trees with this much history behind them.

This is the official Post Your Link Here Walktober post.  (See the sidebar if you don’t know what Walktober happens to be.)  If you’re participating, please post your links in the comments section below.  If you’ve already posted your link elsewhere, or want to post on one of my later posts, that’s fine, too.  I’m keeping track so your walk doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.  You have from now through October 28th to take your walk, run, hike, bicycle ride, or whatever your Walktober activity happens to be.  I’ll do the round-up of the walks on October 30th.

On the trail.

We are traveling back in time a little bit for this hike.  M and I went to the mountains of Western Maryland in August where we had the pleasure of spending time with the Little Wookie and his parents.  We took this particular hike on the Swallow Falls Canyon Trail on our own, and on the day we were leaving to come home.  Now that I think about it, it was the day of the solar eclipse.

Hemlocks and ferns.

It was a cool and humid morning in the woods.  Quiet and peaceful except for the birds and the distant sound of waterfalls, until other people decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and join us in the cathedral of hemlocks.

The beautiful greens of late summer in the mountains.

Superstorm Sandy (in the fall of 2013) had an impact on the woods in this area, toppling many of the trees.  The Department of Natural Resources is doing some work to restore the area, but most is being left to regenerate on its own.  Not that anyone asked for my opinion, but I think that’s how it should be.  Sometimes when humans get involved in trying to “fix” nature, we mess up the balance.

Back to earth.

I’m going to be taking a break from blogging for the next two weeks, give or take a day here or there.  My apologies to my partners in the Forty Early Mornings adventure.  I know it helps to check in.  I will be checking email so feel free to email, if you like.  I will be continuing my morning practices of yoga and meditation.  I might post on Instagram if I feel so inclined since that’s a quick and easy way to check in.  There is a link to my Instagram account in the sidebar, and usually the latest picture from that day shows up there, too.

I wonder where this leads?

Thank you for stopping by today and joining me on part of the Swallow Falls Canyon Trail.  We’ll get to more of it someday, I hope.  If not, there are other beautiful trails to explore.

What’s around the bend?

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

At the edge.

A few of the 10,000 reasons to be happy:  371)  Family and friends, and time spent with them.  372)  Rain.  We were given some much-needed rain last night and today.  Nearly 2 inches worth!  373)  Revisiting an August hike.  374)  The wonder and magic of old trees.  375)  Walktober!  It gives me an opportunity to go on walks to places I might not otherwise see if not for all of you who participate.  Thank you for that gift.

Standing at the top of the waterfall.