Thankful

It's becoming our morning tradition. K and I sprint up the hill to see the sunrise. Some days it's glorious, like a rain of fire from the sky. Regardless of the sky show, I'm happy to be out on the trails with my K.

Below was a surreal morning. A wild wind blew off the mountains, and a swirl of clouds hovered to our east. The sun barely shined through, creating a ghostly appearance to our familiar world.

After sunrise, I often pedal toward the forests where K and I enjoy wending through the trees. Recently, fallen trees have converted the trails to obstacle courses. Moreover, the wonderful local hikers and bikers who usually clear the trails probably won't be out on them again until springtime. So, I've been stopping at each one to contemplate what I can do about it without hurting my spine. During one pause for pondering, K decided to wow me by leaping the fallen tree. She seemed to say "See - just jump it like I do!". What an athlete she is.

I used to get angry and upset about the wind. It can be relentless around here in the winter. Feeling it batter me while I try to pedal forward could frustrate me to the point of spewing angry words out loud. Somewhere along the way, I developed a more philosophical view of the wind. It's not worth getting angry at it - it's part of nature and can't be stopped.

Here's a short clip of video (9 seconds) from a ridge where I rode today. I literally couldn't ride my bike or even stand still because the wind buffeted me with such force. The camera wobbling is despite me trying my best to hold it still. Be sure to turn the audio on so that you can hear the fierce gusts.

In the evenings, just after sunset, the wind often takes a short rest and the world seems peaceful again. There is no way that I would be able to convince K to stand on this boulder if the wind were howling.

And the skies look brooding, planning their next aerial assault.

I am thankful to experience the wild fury of nature and the peaceful lulls, day in and day out, from my perch in the Rocky Mountains.

I may take a short break from blogging so please don't worry if this blog is quiet. Just in case, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.