Postings Along the Path

In an effort to try new behaviors, I am spending more time out of doors.  Packing a camera and a sketch book, I have logged some miles recently by hiking in various state and local parks.  Although the weather has been cold, I am spurred by my re-discovery of the beauty and artistry of nature.  Usually I respond to freezing temperatures by hibernating.  Usually I respond to the lack of greenery with melancholy.  So being outside at this time of year shows me what I miss by residing in such responses.

Along the way of my spiritual travels I am often reminded that I need to fill my self with plenty of positive experiences.  The best kinds of experiences provide a lot of sensory stimulation (especially where the visual sense is fully engaged).  This filling up allows me to "coast" until the next gathering of the memorable.  It also furnishes me a cache from which to access when I need a boost. 

During my hikes, I also seek to expand my education using new practices.  Sometimes that means reading the placards posted along a path.  Other times it just involves consulting a map.  Often I get so caught up in observation that I ignore this kind of basic information. 

The image included in this post however, is of something closer to home.  It is a photo of the sunlight shining through the peephole in my front door.  It created the smallest of circles, the size of a quarter, on the hallway wall.  I wonder that I would have noticed it before, or that I would have sought to photograph and enhance it.  This "noticing" gives me an added thrill when I record even the smallest of beauties.