.. 12 miles of uninterrupted bliss...

...a few more weeks and weekends of golden sunshine and suddenly every license plate in Utah will become truer than the Pythagoras Theorem - Oh Yeah Baby.. we do get the "greatest snow on earth" and even though at times it feels like white s---, we still love how pretty everything looks. Anyway, given that the inevitable will happen and a long cold winter will rob me off my walks for over 6 months, I truly have been taking in as much of the outside as I can, almost with a vengeance. This weekend morning was no different especially since the weather was SPECTACULAR. Unlike last weekend, when I wandered up to some strange new housing subdivision, this time I actually made it up to Hobble Creek Canyon. Googlemaps said it was 6.1 mile one way, which would mean I put in about 12 miles today in 3 hours, feeling quite good about that... did I mention that bikers from age 6 to 60 greeted me and somehow that range was very interesting for lotsa Lance Armstrong type of reasons !!! ;)
Aah ! But I digress and happily so...

Apart from the strains of Kishore, Atif Aslam, Mukesh , Rabbi Shergill and Rahman, the cacophony of some birds who still haven't flown south, a few silvery crickets that followed me around, one bumble bee, passing cars and trucks were the sounds that greeted me today. As far as the sights go, well the Iphone is a clever device, helped me capture most of it. So this time, my dear readers, will ramble less and caption more... hope your kind attention to my bursts of incoherent creativity remains intact and you indulge me with your time...

Here goes...

Dad, will you build me a treehouse someday?

Every little girl's dream, every little boy's adventure, saw this tree house as I walked up Canyon Road. Had to stop and take a picture. There was something so timeless about it, so came back and put it in a sepia tone. Tree houses conjured up visions from Enid Blyton books, the mystery of a midnight adventure in the woods; it brought back an era of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and all those memories of childhood innocence when television was absent from almost every living room and yet one soaked in life and every nuance in it.

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Come walk with me...

Today as I stepped about half an hour out of our suburbia in Springville, these were some of the views that greeted me. A long road that seemingly led to nowhere, lush greens on my right, a crisp and cool fall breeze kissed my face and sunshine that would light up any soul touched me to the core. Images of the Ike path from CNN flashed before my eyes and as I looked up at the blue sky; the mysteries of nature continue to puzzle me.

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Finding beauty where you least expect...

This collage attempts to capture the spirit of Utah in an ironic and iconic way. Those of you who have not had the golden opportunity to visit the Beehive State, please know this, unless your soul can truly find beauty in barrenness, please don't make the trip. Seriously, don't !!! ... this state is gorgeous for reasons that are beyond what eyes can see. These seemingly sandy mountains, may not be a visual treat, but when you walk past them and take the time to look at some jagged edges, you know you just witnessed the history of the world in the making. Utah is a museum of geological wonder and spiritual succor.. unless you are ready to drown yourself in both.. please fly to Vegas !!!! ( yes my arrogance does come thru.. hey I have no delusions of grandeur of being an absolute sweetheart.. deal with it people!!! ;)

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Jewels on a tree...

Fall is almost here, well technically we need to be wearing earth tones etc. but this little tree along the wayside totally blew me away with its array of colors. Not only did it look resplendent in the sunshine but the light reflecting off the different leaves reminded me of an Indian bride's trousseau, when the sparkle in her eyes and the flash lights around her emanate an almost incandescent glow that has a rainbow-esqe hue. The little tree looked quite thrilled to see me, as I did it. We shared a quiet moment then I happily walked away with a song in my heart.. ummm ... actually technically in my ear !!!

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Destintaion, journey.. naah!.. it's all about the experience ...

Yup, this time I actually did make it to my destination and I do have photographic evidence. The Hobble Creek canyon leads up further for bike and hike trails into the mountains. That is the plan for next summer. As I stood on that wooden bridge and took pictures from either side and read about the discovery of this little canyon in the 1800s, my hyperactive imagination led me to feel I was on a time portal and as if for a moment, the vision around me was in a sandy sepia tone, and the sound of the trucks that went along the main road were replaced by the clip clop of horse hooves. This place may not boast of "history" as we know it, but then we create history every day in some way, shape or form and today that as I stood on the bridge, I felt I touched time...( ummm the alarm from my iphone that played just then was also yet another brutal reminder of "touching time" I guess) .. but then ths hopeless romantic in me will stick to the time portal scenario, what say?

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Beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze...

Nope, no daffodils here, nor did Wordsworth ever visit this point, but there were little wild flowers and a sunflower here and there that did "flutter and dance" by this dried up river bed. The view from the bridge ( henceforth referred to as the "time portal" and yes I am 37...not 7) was quite a treat. Did miss the gushing stream below though, but then Utah summers are dry, hopefully when winter sets in, it makes this brook babble again...( much like yours truly !)

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Fall - entrapped; the spirit- enraptured

The higher the mountain, the longer the "snob line", the bigger the houses, the longer the barricades...and that is exactly what greeted me as I continued on my little walk. The house behind these bars was not even visible but what greeted me was one my first encounters with fall this year. It looked so ironic to see such beauty entrapped, felt like setting those leaves free. Fall always reminds me of fire - passionate, free spirited, all encompassing, all consuming and to see all that behind bars almost made me angry... gently touched the leaves and continued down my path.

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I took the road less traveled and now.. I don't know where the hell I am...

Scott M. Peck didn't mean for the title of his book to end with that phrase, of that I am sure, but that is a caption I have on my work cube and somehow everyone who knows me seem to agree.. that is not a good thing right ;) ??? I digress...I was not exactly lost but I did take the road less traveled ( by me ) today and really loved the experience. So often, we shy away from what we may truly desire simply because it has never been done before, sometimes it doesn't hurt to do a 12 mile walk.. nope it really doesn't, my quads and glutes are doing just fine :) but then again, I am sitting down as I write this.. .

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Once upon a time...

.. there was a little Japanese maple that stood by itself on a nursery floor. A girl went in and looked longingly at it but the price tag on it was beyond what the girl could spend that day, so she cast a loving backward glance and walked away, the little maple was really sad coz it really liked the girl. This little maple tree had a friend who was from the same forest and was shipped to some other town and it was the pride and joy of a lovely backyard. The 2 trees never met again even though they never said goodbye... but this little tree stands firm and tall today up our road spreading cheer to whoever walks past it, and hope someday it will hear from its friend.. today I stopped by and smiled at the little tree and it smiled right back at me...

(SEE that is the crappiest story ever.. this is why I DON'T write fiction !!!!)

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Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first. - Ernestine Ulmer

I wonder why my weighing scale never tips to the left.. well DUH !!.. it's cos I am busy living up to Ulmer's quote. So after my 12 mile walk today, I made myself this wonderful parfait with bananas and berries, some great vanilla yogurt and topped it with my favorite granola... Oh Yeah baby.. !! I can make a mean parfait.. with our without the cherry or berry topping/

After all friends, this is what life is all about... loving yourself just enough to make the world love you and you love it just that much more...
maybe that is what blessings are all about too...

Signing off on a "sweet" note...and wishing you moments in time and in life, that will enrapture your senses and yet remain entrapped in your heart...

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