Learning How to Mosey

This has been an interesting summer. I have be learning the art of the mosey. I used to hike fast and track my rate per mileage. I would aim for under 25 minutes per mile on strenuous hikes. I would train for long, double digit hikes that would take much of the day. In October I got a virus and have not been the same since. We still have not figured out the solution but in the meantime I have not been able to hike. So now we go to trailheads and I do what I call a mosey. We walk slowly and stop often to identify trees or listen to birds. What is most interesting is that I have grown to love this kind of hiking with no goal and no destination. We go as far as I can and then turn around and head back just as slowly. Justin has been really supportive of this new kind of nature bathing. He has spent a lot of time studying trees and learning more about the native flora. Now that I have found the joy in slow hiking I am going to try to slow down all aspects of my life. Faster does not mean better. I will need to retrain after rushing so much. But I am looking forward to what my slower paced life will look like. Here are a few of my pics from favorite times outside this summer.

It's Been Awhile

Every year I say I will be better about journaling and every year I seem to write less! This summer has been very different. Due to some medical issues that have yet to be identified, I am unable to enjoy my favorite passtime- hiking. Since it is usually how I spend 2-3 days per week in the summer, it means I have a lot more time to fill. Not only was hiking my favorite activity but it also helped me stay in shape and release tension and frustration so it has been quite an adjustment this summer. One thing that I have been adding to my routine is meeting friends for coffee. Better yet is when I can meet someone for coffee at a bookstore. I got to do this earlier this month at The Read Queen in Layfayette. Whenever I go to a bookstore, I try to find a book that was not on my radar before going into the store. Sometimes this works out perfectly and sometimes I have a book staring at me for quite awhile to complete. But I have always loved the quote from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society “Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." This is part of the magic browsing in an independent bookstore or library and just happeing upon the right book at the right time. I have gone so far that when a book falls to my feet when I am reshelving or working with books, I often see it as a book jumping into my world and saying READ ME. While I may not complete every book that crosses my path, I certainly give them a closer look and have found many a great read this way. It worked out perfectly again when I met my friend at The Read Queen. There was a beautiful book that caught my eye- Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris. I have always been a sucker for the found family trope. And since I knew we were headed to Wyoming for a camping trip, the title seemed to fit the theme. It was such a perfect match for my weekend in nature.