Day 10 of 100 day challenge

Walking everyday and writing about it is way harder than I thought it'd be! I've set myself up for something that I want to do but it takes a lot of self motivation and creativity which is not how I feel every single day. Cold, grey, rainy days are not too inviting or invigorating to get out and enjoy nature. I'm doing my best though, some walks are short but I still learn and grow from each individual one. Being present and aware for that time, whether short or long, is a success for me. It's a daily meditation that makes me happy. I like challenges, things that evoke feelings and creating a balance of all the emotions I feel during my reflection of self. Determination and acceptance are a big part of staying focused on the goal, which is documenting the way I feel with incorporating this daily practice into my life. I'd like to continue with this for 365 days but I've started with a smaller goal, one not too overwhelming. This time of year is best to do this for me because I have more time available for walking and writing. I live at a slower pace during the winter and I'm glad i have these opportunities to experience what makes me feel whole. Spring, Summer and Fall months bring a very busy schedule for me with my gardening business and the amount of people around would not allow such serene, quiet places for me to be as focused. I feel lucky to be so passionate about something I love and it creates for me, a great sense of peace.

Winter strength

"In the winter scheme of things there are days that seem to made of a nearly indestructible symmetry. I know it to be in transition, but the landscape is so pure and precise, so bold and ironclad, as to invite me into a clean depth of its own. At low tide, and in the late afternoon, the offshore waters are bright blue, pushing in pack ice so that the distance is filled with a swishing roar, while along the beach is a hush, a winter silence." In Defense of Nature by John Hay.

I am loving this book and the way John Hay writes about nature. He describes the seasons and how the changes effect us. The way he sees the winter ocean is something I completely relate to. I want to write like him, he is so inspiring!

In the Footsteps of Thoreau

I started a new project yesterday where I will go for a walk everyday for 100 consecutive days and write about it. This isn't far from what i usually do but i'm going to consciously reflect on how getting out in nature everyday makes me feel. It's the best medication for me. I can relax, think and enjoy being. It doesn't have to be a remote place or desolate beach, just fresh air, sounds, smells, plants and animals. I'm keeping track of the duration of my walks, times, places, observations and inspirations. Today, at a house I'm taking care of, a collection of books on a small table in the hallway caught my eye. About 6 or 7 of them and the words Cape Cod on almost everyone. I'd come across some new material to read including "Cape Cod" by Thoreau and "Traces of Thoreau" by Stephen Mulloney. Also there was "The Outermost House" by Henry Beston, which I've read twice but will definitely read again. I began looking through "In the Footsteps of Thoreau, 25 historic & nature walks on Cape Cod," by Adam Gamble. Wow, this book is right along the lines of what I'm doing! I knew Thoreau writes about nature and walking but here is a guide to all of his walks and his reflections. So I didn't come up with this idea, but that's okay, it encourages me that what I'm doing is real and that others share in the same feelings about nature. Our connection fills us with excitement, joy and motivation. I'm excited to read these books and use "In the Footsteps of Thoreau" as a walking guide to new places I may have not yet discovered.

Todays totem

"The sky is the realm of the hawk. Through its flight it communicates with humans and with the creator spirit. It awakens our vision and inspires us to a creative life purpose." -Animal Speak by Ted Andrews

I was doing an at home yoga routine this morning and as i swept my arms up to the sides as instructed on the video, I gazed out the window to see a hawk swoop down from a tree and glide towards the lake and then back up again. It was a beautiful sight at a perfect moment in my practice. I felt honored to see the hawk and it was inspiring to keep my breath, body and mind in focus, not only for that moment but for the rest of my day.

The Great Beach

Written by John Hay, 1963
"Cape Cod's Outer Beach, stretching for forty miles from the tip of Provincetown to the end of Monomoy Island is not undiscovered country. Many men have walked it. Planes skim over it in no time at all, and the beach buggies bruise it with impunity. Still, the marks we make on it are all erased in time. The sea and sand insist in their own art. The beach is in a continuous state of remaking and invites discovery. It was first called "Great" so far as I know, by Henry David Thoreau. Otherwise it has been known for a long time as the Outer Beach, the Outer Shore, or in more familiar terms as the Back Side."