grey skies met me as i opened the front door. stepping outside, closing the door and inhaling with a deep breath. the morning mist cooled my lungs.
the rain was light and it hung in the air. my first steps felt smooth and soon i found a comfortable pace. birds announced the morning. the trees were home to the concerto of shrill cries and tweets.
my head felt clear and i couldn't help but smile as i took a left turn off the road and onto a side path. the path was made up of bridges, mini bridges. about 10 feet long, about 1 foot wide, a few 2x6's side by side. my pace slowed as i made my way across 2,3,4,8 mini bridges.
beneath the bridges, waiting for a wayward step is mud, glossy with rainbow sludge. huge green fern leaves look like hands reaching up, hoping to catch breakfast and welcome it into their garden.
off the bridges and back on the damp trail, dodging slippery roots, landing softly on the balls of my feet. low hanging branches, leafless and skinny, tree fingers, are bobbed and weaved around.
coming out from the trees, across the road and back onto the path. the birds still singing my praises. a few longer strides get me safely over the railroad tracks. even with the constant reminder of bird calls, the morning is mine and only mine. everything that happens fuels me.
my legs begin to feel a bit of a burn. starting right above my knees and slowly making its way up my quads. steady my breathing, deep breath in. the mind more at ease. i am not the body, i am the soul.
turning a corner. a rabbit jumps out of the way, zigging, zagging, bobbing white tail acts as a beacon, allowing me to track it, picking its way through the brush.
my stride begins to lengthen and i begin to hit a good rhythm. back onto pavement, bike path offers me safety. just a few moments later i get a clear view of a pond. the tree sanctuary, half grown, mangled by beavers and storms.
the figures of the trees appear dark, moisture painting them black. the water is still, but ripples are able to occasionally find their way towards the edge. a heron, blue and grey, powerfully wings into view and then glides across the brown water. quickly it came, quickly it was gone.
i continue to pump my legs, moving me forward with an ease that surprises me and my legs. the breaths still come easy and the quiet flame in my legs reminds me i'm here, now. embrace the feeling, you are alive and well.
after finding my turnaround spot, i begin the glide back. i switch my eyes to the opposite side of the path. an easy, rolling view of hills, up and down, alive with grasses and bushes.
the feeling of lightness is still flowing through me, but i can sense a bit of a lag. i smile.