A Walk through the Crow Wing State Park

Quote of the Day: There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. Even a bicycle goes too fast. ~Paul Scott Mowrer, The House of Europe

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

Favorite Photos Friday, and a recurring theme - Walks

 

A couple of Friday's ago, the Biker Chef had the day off. After eating lunch at a local establishment, I said, "Is there some place we go for a walk?" So, he turned into the entrance of the Crow Wing State Park, bought a season pass (good until next October), and we took a little walk.

 

You are here.

 

The park offers many winding trails with information boards along the way. This is the location of an early settlement and town, a stop along the rivers, Crow Wing and Mississippi, for travelers and traders. The Chef brought back his best boy scout skills and gave me a guided tour.

 

 

An intersection of two water-ways.

The waters flow one way, and the wind blows another.

 

Isn't that how we feel sometimes? On the surface, we seem to be heading one direction, but underneath, our true course flows another way.

 

 

 

As I walk, I keep my camera open, looking for the beauty in nature. I start to wonder, Who walked these paths years before me? Who settled here? What were their hopes and dreams? If the trees could talk, they'd tell me stories of other walkers.

The rustling leaves are whispers of those stories. I listen, but can't quite here them. I look and see only subtle clues. What was once alive and vibrant is now at the end stages of dying and decay. That's what the fall of the year feels like, sometimes.

All summer my photographer's eye has been drawn to dead trees, standing tall, some polished bare, amidst the young saplings and new growth and strong, solid ones at their peak.  I'll probably share more of those photos on another Favorite Photos Friday. Until then, here's one for your imagination. What do you see in these twisted limbs?

I see a knobby-kneed cowboy crossing his feet. "Howdy Pardner!"

Go. Create. Inspire!
And, walk yourself into a creative mood.

Journaling Prompt:  Do you have a state park or historical site to go exploring?

Walking for Inspiration

Quote of the Day:  When we walk, the two halves of our brains converse. ~ Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way

Yesterday, Sunday, I had the urge to take a walk after church. The service was sweet. I played piano. We were a small crew that morning, so the Pastor pulled up a chair and sat close to us. At the end of his message, he said a prayer. When he finished, a four-year-old boy came up to him and gave him a hug. He pulled him onto his lap and held him while we sang the hymn of the day. The songs I chose for the day were about "telling the story" and how God is with us on the journey. No matter where we roam, the Holy Spirit surrounds us. I suppose I was thinking of my oldest boy whose far away at college, starting his first classes today. I thought of my boys who were with me, ready to start a new school year. I thought of myself and all the new experiences I've already had this year, how far I've traveled, inward and outward.

So, my feet were ready for walking. My leg muscles were twitching to go, and my heart was open for inspiration. As I walked, step by step, I started thinking of the next play I'll be writing (as soon as school starts). I figured out how I'd create tension, interruptions, and some of the character dynamics. I heard the music. Ahh. I smiled as I walked along and tucked those ideas in my mind's drawer. This idea has been percolating for a while and it's soon ready to pour out.

Paths are everywhere. Short ones. Flat ones. Hilly ones. Paths through valleys and across mountaintops. Go to the edge today, and dare to take one more step.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Write about a walk.

Community

Quote of the Day:  We are marching in the light of God music and text from a South African hymn.  As the text indicates, this is a march tempo.  The words repeat.  We can set our books down and march together.  Additional action words: dancing, singing, praying, walking.

When we walk together, we don't have to walk alone.  This is the first year that I'm walking in the Race for the Cure Walk for Breast Cancer, and I'm a team captain!  I'm in a group called Mothers of Multiples (MOMs).  One of our members is battling inflammatory breast cancer.  If you want to walk with us, be a spirit walker, or donate, you can go here.  Our team name is MOMS for MAMS.  Kinda fun.

I'm writing a story for our local women's magazine on The Buddy Walk, which is a walk for families and people who have Down syndrome.  I've talked to three local families, and they all have a unique story.  What is common is the desire to build community, to walk together.

Here I am walking, (well, drinking coffee and talking after a long day with middle schoolers), with two of my favorite writers from this region.  We were all presenters at the Young Authors Conference (YAC) in Nothern Minnesota.  If you'll remember Friday's post, I was nervous about going, questioning if I belong, and despite that crazy talk, found success.  In fact, we had a great time.  Some of the highlights include: reciting poetry at the dinner table on Tues. night, singing random songs, discussing religion, and serenading the full moon and a couple birthday girls with Amazing Grace.

Roxane (Bob Marley in the above photo) has more details of the fun at YAC on her blog, Peacegarden Mama.

Journaling Prompt:  Have you walked for any causes?  Do you know someone with Down syndrome?  How do you experience community?

Out of Sorts

Quote of the Day: Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

It took me some time to find the just the right quote today. I was feeling out of Sorts, so I went outside to find some. I thought of it like the response one of the boys had when he was small. He wanted to ride on one of those moving cars where you deposit a couple quarters and move back and forth to motor noises, but he couldn't because the sign said, "Out of Order." He came over to me and asked if I could give him some Order so he could ride.

I did not find Order that day in my extra large hand-bag made especially for mothers of multiples, but I did gather my Sorts as I walked today. First, it is something to celebrate that I could walk outside without freezing up on January 15 in Minnesota. We had temps. so far below zero last week that we didn't dare stand outside for more than a second. And, if we did have to go somewhere, we practiced our sprint from house to car to grocery store, or whatever shelter was available. We bundle up so tightly. It feels like hibernation within yourself. Let not one inch be exposed lest you get bitten, by the frost.

Just before I went out for my walk to find my Sorts, I glanced at my friend's blog. Peace Garden Mama wrote about the light, the healing effects of sunlight. Although her blog discusses the healing of living in the light, I felt the healing of the natural sun on that bit of skin I did expose today, the part between the cap and the scarf. I felt the contemplative movement of one foot in front of the other. A few neighbors were out pushing the crusted snow off their driveways. A slight breeze of hope for spring was in the air, and it soon entered my step.

I remembered the first time I felt honored as a writer. I was in the 5th grade and Mrs. Buchholz (sounds like book holes) read my essay out loud to the class. I blushed 17 shades of red and giggled through the entire reading, but I felt like a real writer. The topic was "What would you do if you knew you would lose one of your senses?" I chose hearing. I remember writing about taking the time to really listen to the voices of people I love. I'd go out into the woods and listen to the birds and the crickets and the rushing of the water. My teacher said she really liked it. She shared it with the class, and I felt honored.

A walk in the woods helps you remember who you are. A walk in the neighborhood helps you see who you're connected to. A walk down memory lane helps you remember your hopes and dreams from when you were a child. A walk outside of yourself helps you get your Sorts back and gives you energy to keep moving forward.

Journaling Prompt: Describe a favorite place or time where you took a walk. Who was with you? Were you alone? Did you sort out any of your life's ponderings?