lundy.

i went for a hike yesterday. the changing leaves and a visit from some friends drew me up lundy canyon, one of my favorite hikes in the sierras. the aspens were laden with leaves colored hues of gold, yellow, orange, red. quaking they were in the faint autumn breeze. a breeze that carried with it breaths of change, of winter. fall is an interesting season if you think about it. i suppose part of its intrigue has to do with that fact that it is a transitory season. it often happens so fast. one minute the days are hot and bright. and then, there is the cool bite in the air, yet the colors of autumn counteract that often bitter cold that comes along with the season as if to say, "hell now miss thang! you best pump your brakes!" those hues of pumpkin, amber and crimson pulse through our veins a warmth that reaches into our very beings and tantalizes our senses with all that is autumn. our minds (and hearts) are taken to thanksgiving days bygone. family feasts. granma's hot, butter horn rools browned to perfection. afternoon strolls across the blanket of fallen leaves wrapped snugly in a hoodie. pumpkin-carving and leaf-pile-pouncing.

and of course, with the falling leaves, comes the realization that winter is near. where i come from, winter is a big deal. it is the center of our mountain-town calender, and lives. winter in the sierras is what we await during the other three seasons. sure, we love the flowers of spring, and the crowley lake days of summer, but the crisp, white mornings of winter have truly captured the hearts of skiers and snowboarders alike. and this realization elicits emotions of excitement. and yet carries with it a harsh reality. life (in the natural, botanical sense) is no more. leaves fall off and die. brown bears crawl into their caves and take a very long nap. squirrels pack into those hollow trunks surrounded by a winter's supply of nuts. the birds fly south for winter. the grass turns brown.


yet we know that in this sleep, this cold, frozen, life-less, barren winterland there is a calm silence that is pure and simple. the quiet means rest and rejuvenation. preparation for the new life ahead. without fail, life is again restored as the snow melts away. a beautiful promise indeed.

i am ever intrigued by nature. stop and think about it for a moment and it will blow your mind. and our earth provides us with powerful metaphors that allow us to make sense of our human world. and our Creator. trippy.