Go Take a Hike

Have you been outside lately? I don’t mean the ten minutes it takes you to get into your car or to gather advertisements from the mailbox. I mean, have you gone outside to take a walk, to look at the rain (or snow) drip from the tree branches, to watch a bird or two? Have you closed up the schoolbooks, stuffed your pockets with granola bars, and called a “Go-to-the-park and play and do-nothing” sort of day for the kids? Have you taken the time to sit on the porch or deck or even the curbside late at night,  to find the north star and watch wispy clouds pass in front of the sliver moon?

If not, why not? I’m not convinced we always need to be at our checklists or dust bunnies. I can’t remember what I was such in a rush to do a year ago this day (but it probably had something to do with packing!), but I also can’t remember many days of just lazy meandering. It is a struggle for me to even *schedule* a time to spend *doing nothing*, because in the back of my mind even while relaxing (or trying to), I am thinking: I ought to….I should be…this is too lazy…what if…who’s called/emailed/texted…”redeem the time!”…when I get back home…

I hope to change that. I hope to take advantage of our beautiful surroundings and get out more. I love living in town; I love walking to the store, walking to the bookmobile (our library on wheels), walking to get a heaping cone of ice cream. But I also miss the quiet of our woods, and my dear husband decided our family needed a monthly hike.

I’m glad for it. We’ve begun that plan slowly, starting out with hikes that are super short, so that we can build up to longer ones this summer and fall. I’ve already reserved a campsite for our vacation (I know! It feels like we’re already camping!). I’m hoping to crack open my Handbook of Nature Study more and actually DO a lot of the suggestions with my children.

This river is practically in our backyard. People come from all over to visit our area to see places like this. Doesn’t your area also have all kinds of things that are meant for tourists to see and do? Have you done them?

Here is the amazing waterfall that we would have missed if we hadn’t gotten out of the car and taken the short walk. Methinks we need to come back in the heat of summer; the spray would feel so refreshing then! And yes, that’s my goofy husband showing his power compared to God’s creation.

Have you been cooped up inside all winter? Can I encourage you to set supper into the crockpot and go take a hike instead? It will do wonders for everyone.

Blessings,