I was feeling a little bummed out. I needed some different scenery. I had some things on my mind and they weren’t all happy things. What to do with a melancholic half day off? Leave town. First stop, the bird refuge. My spirit needed a rinse of water, sky, birds, rain. This is a story… Continue reading Field trip for the soul
Tag: outdoors
Be slightly ridiculous
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but I pick up sticks. I collect them. I see them everywhere. Usually they are on the ground. I don’t go around poaching live branches off trees. Some of the best places to find them are on the borders and edges of reservoirs. Roots, limbs, branches, and even… Continue reading Be slightly ridiculous
The finish of the PCT, back from the wilderness
Remember when I interviewed Chance Fitzpatrick about halfway through his walk from Mexico to Canada? Here is that: http://www.maryannpetersen.com/?p=120 Chance kept going as a thru hiker and made it to Canada in good time. We decided to chat again at the end of his journey. I wanted to ask a few more questions. 1. Why… Continue reading The finish of the PCT, back from the wilderness
Sanctuary. Do you have one in your neighborhood?
Sometimes sanctuaries are just sitting there. You have no idea. I found one today, just a few miles from where I live. Cortesia Sanctuary is in the woods of South Eugene. Cortesia comes from Cortese, a 900-year-old French word, which means “quiet.” Just kidding, actually, it means “a deep, noble courtesy and reverence for the… Continue reading Sanctuary. Do you have one in your neighborhood?
A voice from the Pacific Crest Trail
Chance Fitzpatrick is over halfway through hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, from Mexico to Canada. I asked him some questions about his journey so far. MP: What would you tell your past self, prior to getting on the trail? CF: Just relax and trust the process. The trail always provides and everything will be given… Continue reading A voice from the Pacific Crest Trail
I never get tired of water
Water is a great mood stabilizer. Even a bath or shower improves the attitude. I like to hop on my stand-up paddle board (SUP) and glide just on top of it. I drove to Dorena reservoir, Harm’s park, and unloaded easily. There were only three people there, swimming at the boat ramp, ignoring the no… Continue reading I never get tired of water