Jolts of Nature #1
Easing out of the hotel room with stealthy silence, I attempted not to wake my wife and children. No one stirred as I dressed and gathered my things. Everything unfolded according to plan until my departure. Unfortunately, hotel doors have all been designed to only close with a CLANK. I would hear about this later.
In the first glimpses of morning light, I ambled along the Fall River path into downtown Estes Park, Colorado. Brisk, 48-degree air accompanied me on this July morning. Rounding a bend, I stopped abruptly. Five elk grazed lazily only feet from the trail. Weighing in around 700 lbs. each, these creatures are majestic…and large enough to encourage me to back up and take an alternate route around their space.
Coming upon an Adirondack swing by the river, I settled in with my coffee to observe several hummingbirds dining on a hatch of unidentified insects. It went on forever. Fascinating. Almost impossible to catch on an i-phone camera, the beauty of these birds is hard to ignore as they flit about with remarkable speed.
From the mighty elk to the tiny hummingbird, I now cast my gaze on other vacation early-risers as I continued my walk. Generally, these are an amiable, peaceful group of people. Soon, however, they would be followed by the more intense, colorful exercisers. Then, the crowds would slowly grow and the coffee shops would begin to fill and a different type of beauty would emerge.
Nonetheless, as I reflected on my unexpected encounters with the elk and the hummingbird, I was simply grateful for these jolts of nature. In both cases, I was immediately hit with a sense of awe and wonder. I went in search of neither, but was pleasantly surprised and glad that I put myself in a position to receive.
Worth Repeating
If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.
—Laura Ingalls Wilder
