I am having a very pleasant day. The sunrise was again as spectacular as can be. I called over to Sr. Veronica to see if she wanted to have Mass as it is the Feast of the Birth of John the Baptist. The fact is I wanted to have Mass as the day is memorable to me. I love when Zechariah's mouth is opened when it is time to name the child: "His name is John." There is such firm affirmtion in that line. I feel like I have identity when I hear those words. Something stirs within me. Also, when I was entering the Jesuits, I closed on my condo on June 23rd and had to vacate it on the morning of the 24th. It was certainly a reminder that I had to decrease so Christ could increase.
I went for a drive this morning to get close to the base of the mountain. Sr. said it was not a good day to see the mountain. I took off to see the environment. Well, somehow I took a road that I thought could get me to the base of the mountain and I found myself on a road to Dawson's Falls, which is near a visitor's station that contains many mountain trails. I gathered information about the trails and told the attendants that I would be back when I was prepared to hike. I walked around the lodge and saw there was a nice coffee shop. I figured if I went for an easy walk I could come back and have a nice hot coffee as a treat. I'm so glad I went for that walk. I earned my 11,000 steps.
The mountainside is an area where the Kiwi bird lives. The visitor stations respectfully educates the trekkers about the situation of the endangered bird. They are nocturnal creatures so I didn't expect to see any.
I learned that you ought not to wear white pants while walking on a muddy path. They trail narrows at certain points and I looked like a mess when I emerged out from the trails. My once-clean sneakers have changed color. I was rather eerie as I was the only one of the paths. Some of the areas could have used some pruning, but those days are behind me. The paths are actually well marked and well maintained. I thought once or twice that is was dangerous for me to be hiking because one is never to hike alone and is to always stay on the path. It is difficult to get lost because you just walk downhill on a mountain or you follow a stream, but it could be inconvenient if you stray.
The mountain views are compelling. I can't wait until I do another hike, except this time I will bring a trail map. The vistas are splendid and many waterfalls and pools dot the scenery. The silence was indeed golden and the birds were melodic, except I must have scared 10 eagle-sized birds at various times. They startled me. It is an eagle's habitat, but there are other large birds in the area. I will have to get a guide to help me spot and recognize them on future walks.
The fragrances kept changing. It brought back memories of looking for Christmas trees or walking in the woods during a grey November day. At times, a mist settled on the forest and everything was dripping wet even though it was a very sunny day. Water oozed from the banks of the trail and often overflowed. Sometimes it was easier to walk off the path where it was dryer. The air smelled so clean and pure - almost like a Rocky Mountain high.
I began to think about the passage of time. The volcanic mountain I was on has not erupted in the past 250 years and it probably would not erupt in my lifetime. It remains dormant, but still has activity. I love the mounds of rock and earth it has produced because it is lava that has congealed before it had a chance to wash to the ocean. It makes for a handsome landscape. But I think about how we spend our time and misuse it. I think of how irrelevant most of our activity may be in the long run. Who will remember us in 250 years. No one. Why spend all our time on activities that are just busyness? I believe we will be remembered by God, and that is enough. I think of the ways in which I want to make myself, and Christ, meaningful to others, but in the end just living in relation to God and neighbor is the most important. Time is quite a mystery. I need to spend more time experiencing time.
Oh, for my treat, I did get that cup of Flat White (coffee with milk) and a date and orange muffin. I enjoyed that muffin immensely. Together it cost NZ $7.50 for which I gave them a $10.00 and they didn't give me change!
Amazing. When it was time to leave, I started the car, heard the radio playing and quickly turned it off. The noise seemed like such an assault to my ears. I could not belief what I was doing. It is so quiet in my life right now that any sound is welcome and I turned off that darn radio. I wanted the peace that the mountain and plains offered me. What is happening to me. I shift my standard car into gear and drove away feeling free.
No comments:
Post a Comment