About a month ago, my husband and I went on a bike ride through the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area. In hindsight, I guess it was a kind of prep for the ride we’d take at St. Marks Refuge (15 Weeks and Counting #wfh #newchapter #nature). A prep that would make biking at St. Marks feel like we were riding on clouds.

We had a few obstacles at the Aucilla trail, such as:

A rather large tree that we wound up carrying our bikes over rather than under. The silver lining to this impediment was that no big noisy vehicles could get to the other side.

And plenty of potholes.

This was by far the largest, and the one before which I fell off my bike (I took the photo from the other side.) I’m not always graceful when I fall although I try. All’s the better if I know I’m going to fall, which I did in this case. I kept my head up while loudly proclaiming that I should have worn my helmet because, “Honey, you know I always fall!.”

But the worst part is getting up. I avoid putting weight on my left knee because I don’t like pain. Instead, I have to get on all fours, put weight into my palms, lift my knee or knees, push with my hands, and then rise. Here’s where I say a little prayer of gratitude for the many years I’ve been practicing yoga.

A couple of days later I found two large bruises, one on the inside of my left ankle and the other on the inside of my left thigh. Oh, the joy of aging. Not only is my bruising delayed, but so is my memory. Took me awhile to realize the bruising was from the fall … at least I think it was.

But I digress. The other joy of aging is that I feel more like a kid and enjoy getting dirty. I proudly sported a thin layer of crusty gray dirt on my right side for the rest of our trip.

And it was worth it.

On our way back, we stopped at this beautiful spot, so green and lush. The soft sound of the breeze through the trees could have lulled me to sleep.

I enjoyed the clouds above …

and the clouds below.

Again, the kid in me was mesmerized by the reflections in the water. Okay, so I don’t have to be a kid or feel like a kid to be mesmerized by nature, but these experiences always remind me of when I was a child and would fixate on leaves reflected in a puddle or …

or the delicate world of insects.

I hope you enjoyed coming along with me. Stay safe and well, strive for happiness, and VOTE!