I took a walk after breakfast

When I was younger, I had a collection of books about woodcraft and Native American practices, how to skin hides the old-fashioned way and immobilize prisoners without rope (this was incredibly useful with my siblings!). I remember, for some reason, that some Native American tribes used to meditate under a blue sky. An unbreakable blue sky, when the sun isn't high, is an amazing thing. If you lie on your back in a field, all you can see is this peaceful expanse...and there are no distractions between you and God. (Unless you lie in a patch of fire ants...)

It's hard to do that kind of meditating in Rio. There are power lines all over the sky and kites flying and nowhere to lie down without getting run over by a motorcycle. I'm excited about this Nebraska emptiness...

My after breakfast walk through the trees put me face to face with the beauty of creation. I walked a path through tangled woods, saw squirrels flying through the treetops (and reminded myself that they were not monkeys!), and stood ten feet from a gorgeous doe and her two fawns. She didn't notice me, and I was downwind, so I had several moments of bated breath watching her not notice me standing on the bridge. Even when I finally walked away, she didn't bolt, just fixed me with a "now where did you com from?" stare and didn't budge as I waved goodbye and slipped off towards the lodge.

It's been so long since I was in nature...since I was quiet...since I listened. The 12 year old girl still living inside me is desperate for the crazy busy adult to stop doing so much and just climb a tree...