My Sunday teaching schedule, coupled with Lil Sis’ need to hike early mornings, has made it few and far between to hook up for hiking. We were lucky to make this day work out; it required meeting up at 6 am sharp. The trek was glorious but I felt at a disadvantage trying to keep up with the younger folks who have been hiking regularly. After my toe caught on my pants, causing me to nearly crash forward like a tree falling in the woods, I lay on my belly feeling the burn in the palms of my hands. It stung like anything but all I could think of was how grateful I was to be hiking. The sting drove it all home; I was ALIVE — and at that moment I felt a bit exhilarated. So I stood up and hooted & hollered…then we carried on with our trek.

On my evening walk, I stop to photograph this pokie ball hanging from my neighbor’s tree. It’s the golden hour and the light is just right to make anything and everything look amazing. Even this ankle-twisting pokie ball.