Hiking With My Son on May 27th, 2020

So yesterday, my son and I went for a hike in the nearby woods. Specifically, we most frequently hike at Norvin Green in the woods of the Weis Ecology Center. It gives us some fresh air, reconnects us to the natural world, and provides a decent bit of exercise. One of our favorite spots is the waterfall, and it is a decent, but not overly strenuous, hoke of about twenty minutes there, and then twenty minutes back. And the waterfall is beautiful, and at this time of the year, everything looks and feels lush. 

What a privilege to be able to share such times with my son!

At one point, I decided to go ahead and free my feet of my socks and shoes, and dipped them in the running water. It was a bit cold, but not nearly as bad as you might think, given how unseasonably cool it has been these past couple of months or so. It actually felt nice and refreshing. Also, it added to that sense of peace and connection with the more natural world, away from the distractions of everyday life.

We did one thing a bit unusual this time. We were so close to finishing the book that we have been reading - Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi Novel by Rob MacGregor - that it seemed like a good idea to sit and take in some fresh air and natural beauty, and finish the book. The waterfalls were too busy and noisy, and he told me that he would likely be distracted. So, we found a quieter spot near the stream that feeds the waterfall, sat on a flat rock, and finished the last pages of the book.

It was a good day that we had together again, for which I feel blessed. These are the times when you really have to focus on the blessings of life, are they not?

Or, as the late great Kurt Vonnegut used to say: if this isn't nice, I don't know what is.