Trail Journal

Woke up to a clear, frosty morning, with a sharp blue sky. Eleven degrees, but it is supposed to get up to 32 in the afternoon. I had a rough night. I’ve been fighting Omicron since Friday. At its worst, I’ve had some achy bones and felt a bit hot. Tickly throat, dry cough. It took forever to fall asleep last night because of the achy bones thing, but I felt refreshed this morning. I think I’m over the worst of it. I was one of the first people to get it in the first wave. We were living in …

The temperature dropped overnight and it is 18 degrees now. The sun will be coming up in a few minutes, revealing a partly cloudy sky. While not bitterly cold, it is enough to remind you that it is January in Indiana. I went out and walked Bibi around the neighborhood instead of taking her down to Paradise Spring. Today I’m reading Norberg-Hodge’s “Local is Our Future” as a segue to getting back to writing my book on human scale and pace. So much of what she says echoes Fritz Schumacher, John Senior, Max-Neef, and others who have commented on the …

I got called into work early today so me and the Beebs (Habibi, Bibi – the dog) got our walk in early. It was 33 and overcast when I got up at 9 a.m., the sun just peeking through the clouds here and there. I was thinking as I was walking and listening to a couple of geese belt out a duet as they flew across the sky. I’d like to write a forest bathing book for Christians, incorporating nature descriptive bible verses as well as commentary on my method of practicing Shinrin Yoku. I was also thinking about the …

Mostly sunny and about 34 degrees when I got up. Another good morning. I was up before 9 a.m. and got up and took a shower, started some laundry, got about halfway through cleaning the kitchen, and took Bibi for her morning walk. Lots of squirrel activity. We didn’t see any other people out walking. You can still smell the river. The geese are still doing their thing in the river. I’ve been thinking a lot about what this year is going to bring as I pursue this path of intentionality. Yesterday it translated into me paring down my wardrobe …

Mostly cloudy but temperatures above freezing. I could really smell the river as I walked Bibi at Paradise Spring. The river geese were honking and congregating on the ice islands. Some of them were swimming in the current. The river is higher than normal and the current is quick. I love that river smell.  Cleaned out my closet and got rid of a lot of clothes. I’m intentionally downsizing the amount of stuff that I own. It’s a constant battle. People are always bringing new things into the house. Not consumable items like food. We had Christmas and the annual …

I’ve been pushing myself way too hard. It takes the focus off of what I should be doing. What I intend to do, so long as those intentions are aligned to my worldview. And it is draining a lot of money out of my bank account. Money that could be redirected at other needs. I just need to stop it.