Monday, April 17, 2017

The Great Outdoors

a trillium blooms in Alabama
The South's long season of warmth has returned. The woods are turning greener and more shaded by the day, while spring wildflowers are in their final throes.  Its the time of year where I feel a quickening, too. All I want to do this time of year is be outside doing anything, or nothing. It's a time for me to stretch my winter legs on the trail, get a bit of kayaking in, and spend a lot of time sitting in the yard watching birds, bees, and butterflies in addition to the usual pups.

I've been thinking a lot about a National Geographic Article from last year about the stress relieving benefits of time in nature. Mostly I've been thinking about this because reading through the Pray portion of Eat, Pray, Love (which I did in March) mostly made me think this was just a person who had not spent enough time in the the Great Outdoors. And it's made me more aware through this season just what nature really does for me. And it is a lot. I grew up in the country, and I've spent more waking hours outdoors than in, excluding the burden of education and an office job, of course.

So if you are reading this today, I suggest you get out there and find a trail this weekend; it will be Earth Day after all. This season doesn't last long. If you are in Middle Tennessee or Northern Alabama, I'll even make a suggestion. The Perimeter Trail at Sewanee, especially the section known as Shakerag Hollow, makes for some great spring hiking, with lots of wildflowers, birds, and little creeks and cascades.