Another Quote That Speaks Truth

"There are those of us who are always about to live. We are waiting until things change, until there is more time, until we are less tired, until we get a promotion, until we settle down / until, until, until. It always seems as if there is some major event that must occur in our lives before we begin living." George Sheehan, physician, author, runner, 1918-1993

Creatures of the Night and Virgin Rail Trails

I finally got off my duff around 6:45 and went for a rail trail ride from Marshall for a bit of exercise and because I am nosey. I wanted to see how they were coming on the paving of the section from the bottom of Sunset Hill towards Marshall. This is the Fish Lake Trail which, someday, will connect Spokane's Centennial Trail to Cheney and then all the way to the Tri-Cities area.

The pavement ended 3.5 miles into the ride back towards Spokane. I was met with a very smooth and wide gravel trail. I kept going and eventually came to the first little bridges where they are in the process of putting up railings. I next came to the begining of brand new paving! There was one other biker and then 5 people out walking and exploring the new wonderful trail. It was hard to tell if they were locals who live along the trail and just checking it out or were trail rats like me. Twi-light and then night fell as I biked back to my car. I was escorted by bats, night hawks and freight trains the rest of the way along with a nearly full moon.

Bicyles, Sun, Music, Ice Cream & Cake

This is going to be difficult.... It was a year ago today that I lost my Mom rather suddenly. It was five days after my birthday and I was just finishing up driving the Al-Can highway while moving Anali & Peter home from Alaska when I got the call. When I got home my birthday card from my Mom was there but I just couldn't open it. Tonight I finally did and she had included a twenty dollar bill, the paper clipping from my college graduation 30 years ago and wrote that she was proud of me and loved me with all her heart. She also wrote to "have a nice time on the mountain" as she knew we were going to climb a glacier on my birthday. Tears were flowing as I ate my last slice of birthday cake tonight....

I like this quote!

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet." --James Oppenheim

Leisure by William Henry Davies

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare,

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

---William Henry Davies

Looking for Buttercups

The pockets of snow and ice cling grudgingly to the warming earth. Like mini-glaciers the retreating snow exposes compressed pine needles and dead grass covered with a thin gray layer of mold. However, along the south facing hillsides small patches of green grass are experiencing rebirth. The golden glint of buttercups were no where to be seen. Along the trail the piles left by mother and son moose are concentrated in a short section in an exposed, south facing opening.

The robins and magpies call out at dusk and suddenly I hear the first tree frogs, their voices sounding like pieces of dinosaur eggs being scraped together. Walking steadily up hill in the deep gloaming I see a flash of movement as a silent Great Horned Owl leaves its perch and glides away into the dark.

J Ross Wilde

Sick of Fog Yet?

I can handle winter and the snow. What I tire quite easily of, however, is fog day in and day out. Yuck! Doom and especially Gloom. Well, getting outside nearly always cheers me up and the last few days the weather has been nicer. Well, at least the fog burns of by late morning!

Two days ago 11 Canadian Geese were flying ENE over our house. On my hike down to Latah Creek yesterday I saw a huge gathering of Robins. At least a couple hundred of them enjoying the sun along the warmer south facing hillside where most of the snow had melted off (still a foot and a half at my house). There were a group of prancing deer by the cliff edge as I approached the bottom of the hill. Then a Bald Eagle flew over me, lifting my spirit towards Spring!