The trail began as a flat dirt path surrounded by green grass, wide enough to walk beside a friend. Gradually it shifted. Rocks replaced dirt and the grass disappeared as the trail narrowed and pushed deeper into the woods, steeper with each step. Stepping over logs and clinging...
Scattered all over the table and spilling onto the floor, our gear for tomorrow's backpacking adventure filled our dining room. Afraid we would forget something essential, we checked our list meticulously. Hiking gear, food, fuel, first aid, rain gear, cook stove, tents - all accounted for. Earlier...
After a long day of hiking, our canteens were empty and our bodies yearned for rest and replenishment. We passed a sign on the path labeled "Spring" with an arrow pointing to a spur trail through the woods. Water from a cold, clean mountain spring was just the...
The rain began pattering our tent before the sun came up. Yesterday, we hiked a few miles up a steep trail and were blessed with a beautiful view of the valley from the mountain peak. The mid-July weather had been perfect--sunny, not too hot, not too...
"What is your favorite part of this weekend?" My cousin asked as she leaned across the table with a smile. "Having everyone under the same roof," I said confidently. It had been a year since we had all been together. "What is the hardest part of the...
"Well, it's a Monday!" is a phrase often heard to describe an otherwise difficult start to the day or week. Whether you've said this yourself or been the bystander as someone else begins to lament over their morning woes, the way we frame our week...
A brisk walk in the morning takes me down the same beaten path. The faster I walk the faster I can get out of the heat and on to the real business of the day. Only five more minutes. Only a quarter of a mile left....
"That's hard with 20/20 hindsight," my husband texted me as I finished processing the "what-ifs" of a past loss with him. "It's unhealthy and unproductive to dwell in the past," his text continued. "It can't change anything." If only we could have 20/20 vision in the present,...
We hope this summer wallpaper will be a reminder to enjoy and celebrate the simple great things in life. "All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." - Winston Churchill Download and enjoy one (or...