Walking on Cloud Nine

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN

Until I started this little endeavor, I was pretty much a point A to point B type hiker. I had a destination to get to and, by God, I got there--as fast as possible. Now, while I can still move along the trail at a pretty good clip, I tend to try to look around a lot more because now I'm trying to find new places to hike. I also tend to relish the feeling of being in the wilderness and soaking in the environment around me. The joy of today's hike was not in getting to a destination or in discovering a new trail or setting a good time. It was just a pleasure to be outside.

Perhaps it was the fact that the temperature never got over 100º today or that for the first time in a week, I'm feeling better but it seemed almost too perfect when I set out hiking this afternoon. It also could have been the presence of clouds. We don't have those too often here.

There are only a few flowers left. The Palo Verde still have some blooms but soon everything will fall back into dormancy until next spring.

Close Encounter of the cloud kind.

I head up this trail that goes to a very small palm oasis. I won't have time to reach the oasis today but that doesn't really matter. It's not the destination but the trip that matters today.

Looking back down the trail.

It looks to me as if the clouds are trying hard to spell my name. Use your imagination.

Heavenly light shines down on the most beautiful place on earth today.

As I head back home on the high road, I take it very slow, drinking in as much of the rarified air of a perfect afternoon as possible. It's hard to determine if I'm going home now or if I've just been there.