Me? Get up Early??

Been a busy month with ups and downs (fortunately more ups!), and just realized I had not written a post for June - but hey! today is still June!! Woohoo! Just under the wire to meet my commitment to myself to write at least once a month....

Hot here in Arizona (duh, it's summer...) so not spending as much time as I'd like out in nature or out with my camera. When the low is 77 degrees, you have to get out pretty early to enjoy the desert rather than survive the desert - and I'd much rather enjoy. The problem? Anyone who knows me knows that getting up early is not something that comes naturally to me. Love me a lazy morning of sleeping in on the weekends.

Soooooo, here's the interesting thing. I was on my computer one night a few weeks ago and was going through and sorting some photos. As I looked at my hiking photos, my heart began to ache. It had been weeks since I'd been on a hike, and man, did it hit me that I needed to get back outside. The problem? The excuse that it was too hot and that I'd have to be out there really early. 

Kept looking at the photos, looking at my camera sitting on the shelf, felt how strongly I was being pulled, and decided I was being an idiot. So, the past two Sundays I have rolled out of bed, thrown on my "play clothes", some sunscreen and a hat, packed water and a snack, and have gone to my happy place at Cave Creek Regional Park. 

I have had some incredible experiences connecting with nature on these early morning adventures, and I plan to continue doing it. 

I came back from those hikes hot, sweaty, covered in dust, and invigorated rather than tired. Looked at the photos I had taken and smiled to myself. Thought about the exchanges I had had with the plants and animals and felt fulfilled.

My two cents? Take a look at where you are shutting yourself off from what calls you. Really take a look. Why? What is the excuse for delaying doing something that you would really enjoy?


I've got a whole pile of excuses I am working through that I am learning to change and make new choices. Easy? No, but it gets easier as you see your life start to change.



On my hike last Sunday, I focused my camera on the texture and shapes of things - here are some of my favorites:

And, by the way, you can see/feel a lot in an old "dead" tree

My meditation buddy.....

My happy place.....