ABUNDANT BLESSINGS

Despite a brisk, cold wind, last Sunday was a beautiful sunny day. Freddie and I spontaneously decided we'd try hiking the Reserve thinking that being in the woods would protect us from that harsh wind. We were correct.

What a blessing is our life here in the Kickapoo Valley, surrounded by such natural beauty, living so close to the 8000 acres of Reserve land, to say nothing of the fact that Freddie grew up on that very land before it was Reserve. He knows those acres intimately, and never fails to guide a stunning hike.

Here is Weister Creek, the heart of F's extended family's original homes. There is a massive fallen tree spanning the creek, on which we carefully inched our way to the other side in order to stand beneath the most beautiful rock walls one could imagine.

Rocks jutting into our path...

How deceptive this photo is. We had just climbed almost straight up to reach the top of this shelf. I truly mean straight up. It was almost technical, and in spots it was on all fours in order to find steady footing on vertical expansions. Trying, but so much fun.

In the stretch of woods that we hiked, we were almost constantly surrounded by lovely hemlock trees, nearly 10 acres of them.

Little ones sprouting all over...

...the ground completely littered with the tiny cones that had fallen....

What looks like sky in the background is really the Kickapoo River, which is only barely frozen over in spots. The ice blue you see, is a bit of ice.

Just one of the stunning, massive rock outcroppings.

This stretch was like a cathedral, silent and holy seeming and we, as silent as the trees, traversed our way among them.

...and near the end of our three hour hike, this magnificent old, nearly dead tree, twisted and gnarled, and somehow wise.