When I woke up on Saturday, Mom suggested that we try an outing to one of the state parks nearby. We chose one that would not have Labor Day weekend crowds. We were virtually the only people where we went. Even Asher went along.
I snapped this first photo of us as we sat by the stream once we got to the park.
This photo was taken as we travelled the road up the mountain through the park. Other than the ocean, being in the forest (especially if there is a stream or a lake) is my favorite place to be. Even though we didn't have to travel too far to get to the state park, it felt like we much farther away from everything.
First we took a little st-roll on some of the gravel roads, before we parked ourselves here for a while and ate a tasty snack. Because the park we went to was up in the mountains, it was much cooler than in town. And free of all of the ragweed that is making me miserable.
We were able to get to this stream with a combination of me walking a bit and Mom pushing me a bit! We found this to be the most peaceful part of our visit to the park.
Despite the fact that I'm supposed to be staying mindful and in the moment, I've been feeling a bit flat and anxious lately. Except that I can't quite put my finger on what those feelings are all about. Mom felt that going to the state park would be a place for me to calm down a bit and also much less stimulating and exhausting than outings to places like the pet store or Target.
On our way to the park we weren't sure where we were going and if we were lost! So I started feeling that sense of: Will we get there before I run out of energy? Will we just end up driving around and not getting to spend some time outside? Will I be too tired to enjoy it?
Once we arrived it still took my mind a while to get quiet. But for the time that we were there, it did.
On the way home we saw a stand selling BBQ, so we picked up a chicken which made cooking a lot easier for Mom! It's such a rare event for her not to have to cook dinner.
We were able to stay much longer than I thought we would be able to. It was an incredibly peaceful afternoon. Now I want to go around exploring the different parks and finding peaceful little places to get away from the house!
Next, I will share our adventures with Asher there!
Hope your weekend has also been filled with a little break from 'laboring'.
Blessings,
Emily
Photos: From our trip to a state park nearby. Me and mom; the canopy of trees on the way into the park; the area we sat and ate a snack; the stream; more of the stream; ferns in the forest.
2 comments:
Beautiful and peaceful! So happy you were able to do this, Emily!! :-D
I love the photos. So glad you had this outing. And you walked a little and were not totally wiped?It is settings like this from which we can draw spiritual and mental sustenance. I hope you can keep doing this frequently.
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