One of the things that has given me great joy over the past year has been the regular hikes I've been able to plan with a local hiking group.
The people I meet along the way, the conversations, the traveling (getting there and back), the fresh air of God's beautiful creation, and the physical rigour of a good hike all add to the overall sense of fulfilment I get from these experiences.
Today a group of us went to PANP and hiked 28+ kms. Before we began I suggested we do 20-22 kms, and the group gave me a resounding "No." They felt that 15, maybe 20, max. When we reached the 9 km mark and I suggested we turn around to make sure we keep the hike under 20, everyone was so energized that they insisted we continued. So onward and forward we went.
Until the 14km mark. That's when people said "Uhmmm....maybe we better turn around."
On the way back we caught just the outer edge of a small thunderstorm. The contrast between the various shades of blue above us throughout the day was splendid - light blue and joyful in the morning when it was sunny, dark blue and ominous late afternoon when the rains came. There were also lots of greys and browns still in the trees and the shrubs around us - winter has just finished, spring has not completely arrived yet.
We live in a very beautiful place. Below a few pictures other hikers took.
Thank you Lord for a wonderful day of hiking. Thank you for the glory of your creation.
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