Today was an interesting day for me.

My new job is going exceedingly well and I am really enjoying it along with the people that I work with. I am getting to do some new and exciting things in a new old place.

I think that I missed the mountains more than I thought I did. Today I went down to the river after work and waded in the cool, rushing stream. I had to take my hearing aids out of course but it was so nice to be in that moment.

As I was walking down to the washed-out area where the bridge was this little boy about three, another boy a bit older, and their mom carrying a baby walked up the hill. The little boy walks up and says “What’s your name?”. I said “Shawn” and he walked up and gave me a hug! That really catches one off-guard. It’s awkward with the way things are in society these days but I have to take it at face value; it’s just a little kid wanting a hug.

I walked down to the water and did some wading around. It was rather cool to be waiting around in, but it also felt pretty nice after a 90° day. I pretty much had the river to myself (I actually did the same thing yesterday too).

I made my way back up to the bridge and stopped in the center of it looking over the stream, the river that it flows into, and the railroad bridge in the distance. I got lost in this stream…every movement, every bug, the ripples, the way the stream bed has been affected by objects in the water. It was just fascinating.

A movement caught my eyes and it was a garter snake swimming across the stream. He seemed oblivious to me and I watched it swim across almost to the far shore and he went in amongst the rocks. He then started diving to feed on the bottom around the rocks. I have never seen this before and it was incredible to watch.

An incredible peace was inside me. Don’t know what other way to put it than that.

Nature is so amazing if you just stop and think about all the moving parts – all the plants and animals doing what they do. It all just works. I have gotten much more in tune with my surroundings in the last several years. It is so easy to take a place for granted that you live in. It all can become routine and “everyday” if you’re not careful. Living life tends to get in the way sometimes and can consume our energies. I know… It has happened to me before and I regret that it happened.

But, I digress. Shit happens in our lives and we move on. End of story. We carry on and adjust our paths and it works.

And it’s pretty amazing.