Sometimes, you gotta change~

The weekend is drawing quickly to a close and all in all, it actually turned out to be a pretty good one.  The weather was beautiful for south central Kansas, smack dab in the middle of winter and with a high temperature of 63 degrees here in Hutch this afternoon, well, as my dad always said, "You can't beat that with a stick!"  I got a few things done around the house, had a great visit with each of the kids, enjoyed a nice evening in conversation with a former student last night, AND it only took $52.23 to fill up my truck at the Kwik Shop today!  To think, just yesterday morning I was ready to wish ALL of these blessings and many more away, if only it were January 16th already and I was getting this cast removed.  Glad for me that I didn't foolishly miss out on the chance to experience them.


With the weather being so cooperative here, I thought it was an opportune time to put on my new hiking shoes and head out to a couple of our city's walking trails and give hiking a try.  Turns out a lot of folks felt that same gentle nudging as well.  Trust me, none of us were disappointed!  


My first stop was to a place I have been many times. Dillon Nature Center, located in Northwest Hutchinson, is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.  Over 100 acres of the "great outdoors" with 3 miles of walking trails await visitors each day. There's so much to see and do there and friends, it matters not whether you are young or old or any age in between...there is something for everyone!.  

 My favorite view, for over 30 years now, has been looking to the east across the pond and watching these guys enjoy the "life of Riley".   Kids of ALL ages are entertained by their noisy antics.  


While there today, I decided to walk a trail that I've known about for years but never took the time to try out.  The "Westar Energy-Prairie Hills Trail", also known as "The Sharon Schmidt Trail" is adjacent to the Dillon Nature Center grounds.  The 1.4 mile round trip path goes through a sea of native prairie grasses, wild flowers,  thickets, a marshy area as well as a prairie dog town.  The route is unmarked but those who hike it just follow the mowed path.  I really enjoyed the time there and will plan to return often.  

Hard to believe as you walk along this path that civilization is only a stone's throw away from you in any direction.  You almost fully expect to encounter Ma and Pa Ingalls, Mary, Carrie, Laura and baby Grace as they come rolling up over the next rise in their covered wagon, asking directions to Montgomery County or something.  It's THAT primitive and realistic!

Since I realize that my days of getting exercise from long-distance cycling are probably "very numbered", I wanted to see how I'd like hiking as an alternative.  Got to admit that at first I was a little skeptical, almost unwilling to give it an honest try.  Sure, Aron Ralston makes it look exciting in his book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" but then again, the book's cover doesn't show him waving both hands high in the air in a salute of victory, either.  Just now getting "old lefty" healed up so I dang sure don't want to do anything crazy that results in my having to amputate my own arm just because I misjudge the potential for an 800 pound boulder to pin me between that rock and a hard place!

It didn't take me long to realize that I might just really enjoy this hiking idea after all.  I was on the paths for over 2 hours this afternoon and the most amazing thing happened to me...oh yeah, and remember me saying yesterday that I was sure that something amazing would happen to me this weekend?  Well the amazing was this~for over 2 hours today, the greatest "worry wart" on earth (that'd be me) was a slacker in my own, self-imposed job of carrying the weight of everyone else's problems alongside mine.  I left a couple of backpacks full of them at the trail head where I put in.  For the hundreds of steps that followed, I enjoyed life in the great outdoors.  My heart was lighter, my mind clearer, my blood pressure much lower!  And best of all, I had fun! 

 My dear friends, I pray that we don't get so busy with life that we forget to have fun.  The plain and simple truth is that our time here is very quick and each day must count towards something for the good!  Take care of yourselves and one another, please!   Have a good evening all of you!