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14 Weeks and Counting #reflections #nature #aging

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About a month ago, my husband and I went on a bike ride through the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area. In hindsight, I guess it was a kind of prep for the ride we’d take at St. Marks Refuge (15 Weeks and Counting #wfh #newchapter #nature). A prep that would make biking at St. Marks feel like we were riding on clouds.

We had a few obstacles at the Aucilla trail, such as:

A rather large tree that we wound up carrying our bikes over rather than under. The silver lining to this impediment was that no big noisy vehicles could get to the other side.

And plenty of potholes.

This was by far the largest, and the one before which I fell off my bike (I took the photo from the other side.) I’m not always graceful when I fall although I try. All’s the better if I know I’m going to fall, which I did in this case. I kept my head up while loudly proclaiming that I should have worn my helmet because, “Honey, you know I always fall!.”

But the worst part is getting up. I avoid putting weight on my left knee because I don’t like pain. Instead, I have to get on all fours, put weight into my palms, lift my knee or knees, push with my hands, and then rise. Here’s where I say a little prayer of gratitude for the many years I’ve been practicing yoga.

A couple of days later I found two large bruises, one on the inside of my left ankle and the other on the inside of my left thigh. Oh, the joy of aging. Not only is my bruising delayed, but so is my memory. Took me awhile to realize the bruising was from the fall … at least I think it was.

But I digress. The other joy of aging is that I feel more like a kid and enjoy getting dirty. I proudly sported a thin layer of crusty gray dirt on my right side for the rest of our trip.

And it was worth it.

On our way back, we stopped at this beautiful spot, so green and lush. The soft sound of the breeze through the trees could have lulled me to sleep.

I enjoyed the clouds above …

and the clouds below.

Again, the kid in me was mesmerized by the reflections in the water. Okay, so I don’t have to be a kid or feel like a kid to be mesmerized by nature, but these experiences always remind me of when I was a child and would fixate on leaves reflected in a puddle or …

or the delicate world of insects.

I hope you enjoyed coming along with me. Stay safe and well, strive for happiness, and VOTE!

Categories: aging Nature

Tagged as:

Marie A Bailey

Writer, blogger, knitter, cat lover, and introvert.

27 replies ›

  1. Getting dirty is a badge of honor IMHO!
    The clouds above and below are my favorite photos – different perspectives are not only refreshing to the soul, but needed in the navigation of this thing called life!

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  2. With your beautiful photos and evocative writing, I felt like I was right there with you (hopefully helping you up from your fall or getting muddy right alongside you). 🙂 It’s nice to do the things that remind us there’s always time to be young and silly.

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    1. Thank you so much, Linda! I’ve fallen off my bike so much that I’ve learned to just get up, dust off, and get back on 🙂 Usually the worst bruising is to my ego 😉

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  4. Thank you for sharing your lovely nature ride. I’m glad you weren’t seriously injured with your fall–yes, wear a helmet! Such pretty photos!

    I managed to trip over myself while inside last week. I like to run in my kitchen while listening to podcasts, and I caught my foot and stumbled–not even over the cat! My foot swelled and now is very bruised still, so I had to skip my long walks and bootcamp class. I don’t think it has anything to do with aging though.

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    1. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, Merril! I hope your foot is getting better. You must have a big kitchen 😉 Or do you run in place? I’ve had mishaps like that. I’ve sprained my left ankle twice just from stepping wrong. The worst is having to give up walking until it heals. Maybe you can get one of those scooters that people use when they have an injured foot. Then you can scoot around the park 😉

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      1. Thank you! My foot is getting better. I did an almost normal walk at the park today. Not really running yet. Our kitchen is pretty big, I jog back and forth, dodging Ricky the Cat, and then sometimes I sprint through the dining room and living room and back. 😀 It’s not a bad cardio workout, if I’m doing that for 30-60 minutes.

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    1. Thank you, Ally! I think I went through a phase where I didn’t like getting dirty but it must have been a short phase. But context is everything. I’ve had jobs where I got dirty but that wasn’t fun. Being out in nature and getting dirty … that’s fun 🙂

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  11. Ah, Marie, your photos brought joy and delight to my morning! I don’t fall gracefully and didn’t when I was a kid, so I guess I shouldn’t complain about my lack of grace in getting older. When I fall, I get up just as you described. Your photo of the pond and the reflections in it were exceptional, and I especially enjoyed the dragonfly. Thanks for allowing me to travel vicariously on your bike ride through nature.

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  12. A really beautiful story! Hope I get a chance to grow up as gracefully as you retaining the kid within me who doesn’t mind getting dirty 🙂

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