I went cross country skiing today for the first time this season. In Minnesota, April can still be considered part of the winter ‘season’ and the 6 inches of fluffy snow that fell yesterday and today proves it. It was one of the heavier snowfalls we’ve had this wimpy winter. And since I played disc golf with my sons last weekend, and I’m riding the first observed trials motorcycle event of the year next weekend (it’s supposed to be in the 50s), it seemed a perferct time to sandwich in some early morning solitude on skis in the lower Carleton Arb, about 3 minutes from my house. I love the crazy weather in this state.
I took my daughter’s cheapo digital camera with me, because I’ve discovered that a camera can be a great way of quieting my busy mind while I’m out for a walk in woods that are familiar. Even if I don’t take any shots or do anything with them when I get home, I’m focused on looking at my surroundings instead of thinking about the past or the future. It’s a solitude trick. (Click these thumbnails for half-page pics.)
A few hundred yards down the trail, I came upon “the spooky old tree” that all four of our kids loved to climb in and around when they were small. It’s about ready to collapse, having served hundreds of Northfield kids for decades. Someone should put up a memorial when it finally goes. (Don’t ask me what the hell went wrong with the color on this shot… the camera has moods, I guess.)
One of my most favorite spots in the Arb is this small hill. It overlooks both a prairie restoration and an oak savannah restoration, with the city of Northfield visible in the distance. The Cannon River is just beyond the grove of red and white pines adjacent to the savannah. Sometimes I’ll just stand on this hill for ten minutes, looking and listening.
Or when it’s hot, I’ll find a spot to sit inside the grove of pines to the side of this path and just gaze up at the sky.
I’m amazed and grateful for moments like these. The more I take time for them, the better life is.