May 8

Written by: balancewithgrace
5/8/2006 3:54 PM

Having recently spent 10 days on vacation with my family on the coast of California and in Yosemite, my spirit feels very full.  There is something about being in nature that both anchors me to a deeper part of myself and makes me feel connected to all that is. 

Some of the experiences and vistas that reawakened my sense of wonder and awe were:

• Walking on a forest’s soft, aromatic carpet of pine needles 
• Marveling at enormous Sequoia trees that are hundreds of years old
• Viewing one spectacular rocky coastline view after another while driving down Rt. 1
• Racing the waves of pounding surf and watching my playful boys get soaked
• Seeing a rainbow in the spray of a cascading waterfall
• Sweating in 80 degree temperatures while hiking in snow in the higher elevations
• Feeling rooted to a park bench because of a mesmerizing view of the Upper and Lower Falls of Yosemite
• Appreciating the Technicolor hues of cattle and horses feasting on lush grasses (I’d only been to California when the hills were brown)
• Feeling grateful for miles of fertile fields of artichokes, strawberries, garlic that keep millions well-supplied with fresh produce
• Watching deer feed in a meadow at sunset
• Hearing the ruckus of a coyote howling fest (fortunately, this was from the safety of my bed)

To share the wonder you can click on the above links (highlighted words) to see a few favorite photos from our trip.  Click the back arrow to return to the blog. 

Copyright ©2006 Grace Durfee

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