Sunday Hike in the Rain

It was a dreary rainy day today. This morning it was more like a heavy misting, than actual rain so we decided to head out on a hike. We love to hike so much, that its hard to keep us in on Sundays.
There was not another soul on the trails, heavy rains were expected and I guess we were the only folks brave enough to head out near creeks on such a day.

There was a lot of mud on the trails making hiking a bit tricky in the steep spots. And our boots were a mess in no time at all. I was glad for my hiking stick more than once today.
We saw some fall colors. For Texas, extraordinary color, for other places in the country, pretty blah.
With the rain, the black vultures headed to their trees early in the day. Usually they start arriving near sunset. They are black vultures and big, amazing to see in flight. Yet amazing to see on many branches of one tree, sitting there watching as only a vulture can.
Emery and I hiked in as close to the trees they settle in as possible, but that is not close, these birds wisely choose this spot, as access to humans is next to impossible.
We sat for a long time on the dock of the lake near by. The place was ours alone. Frogs croaking near us, the wind blowing through the tall cat o'nine tails. It was so quiet there that we actually heard the rain coming. Almost sounding like wind but yet different. A pattering sound mixed in with a stirring of leaves on the branches. It wasn't coming down hard so we sat there in silence, breathing in deeply the scent of damp cedar. We didn't bother talking, the quiet was meditative and any sound would have broken the peace of this moment in time. The waves on the lake would change direction with the winds changes. Fish would leap out of the water from time to time. Appearing like a Japanese water color. Its difficult to describe such a perfect environment, the air so soft and yet heavy. The sky one solid mass of gray, light gray, fog like and misty on the waters surface. The silence completing the setting.
We left when the rain became heavy and our clothes began to feel wet on our skin. I had a laugh at myself, frizzy hair, tie dyed long sleeve tee shirt, jeans and my back pack, I really looked like an old hippy. Just needed a peace symbol and some love beads to make it all complete.

Stayed true to my commitment to eat healthy, essene bread, an apple, some nuts. Felt good. And I feel better. Its hard to be disciplined in food choices, at least for me it is, even when I know that my body feels better with natural foods, still I will slip up and eat something I know will make me feel sluggish and less vigorous. At some point, I know my choices will be consistent and good.