Wind, sleet, and a rainstorm! Do I have your attention? It sure had ours! We went out on a hike and stumbled upon beautiful trickling waters all the way to flowing rivers. On our return hike we were met with some interesting weather and yes, all weather is good weather. We braved the storm and ended at a restaurant, soaking wet head to toe, and all of us just sat enjoying warm drinks before lunch was served. The start of the hike was beautiful and yes…very windy. Not so windy that it would be unsafe being out on the trail, but windy enough to be unpleasant for others in the end. For us, however, we loved it and it was worth the lulls in weather patterns to be in the eye of the storm for most of the journey. We hiked through the desert and watched our dogs play, drink water in streams, bound around with immense joy, and get very wet. We watched the children jumping babbling brooks, finding walking sticks, and studying the nature around them. We laughed, had multiple conversations, and much exploration.
Hiking up the long arduous hill was invigorating. The kids were having the best time bouldering around the rocks and climbing to the top of things. We were very careful to keep them safe and once the rain started, the climbing stopped. To see nature through a different lens of children’s eyes is wonderfully remarkable. One of the best parts of Saturday’s adventure was seeing what the children would do next, what questions they would ask, and how their eyes lit up with amazement at EVERYTHING. Once the rain came, then the sleet, people may have thought I would mention all the complaining that happened. There was none! The kids and adults just followed each other in single file on the trail and protected one another during the wind blasts. Smiles all around and laughter with each unexpected experience. This goes down in my memories as one of my best days on planet Earth. Have a marvelous Monday and thank you for following along on my artistic journey!
-Karen Hilliard
