Hiking With The Artists

Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge has chunks of land all around my place. Not too far down the road is a large section of the refuge, "Doeskin Ranch". This day was a wonderful spring morning. John Muir's words were echoing in my heart ... "The mountains are calling and I must go."  No mountains near me but I know the way to the mountains is to get in shape. And so I went to the Texas hills instead, and hiked at Doeskin Ranch. 

Spring wildflowers are coming up all along the trail. Four-nerve daisies remind me of my little city flower garden. And now I have a country garden, which grows in it's own glorious freedom. And I smile back at these beautiful expressions of our god. And I think about Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote "the earth laughs in flowers". He's so right.

I crossed Doeskin Creek. A small waterfall sings as a drainage runs down into the creek, and I think of my waterfall-loving man, Scott, who appreciates all of this beauty as I do. I am so glad to have someone who understands, and who loves me. And then I think of Helen Keller, a spectacular woman without sight, without hearing, who could still write this: "What a joy it is to feel the soft springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb in riotous gladness."

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."  - John Muir. These words swam in my mind as I hiked upward along the trail. This section of the trail reminds me of ascending through Dog Canyon into the Guadalupe Mountains, though this 200 foot gain is nothing compared to the 2000 foot gain in the Guadalupes. And this little 15 pound pack is a breeze compared to the 40 pound pack, filled mostly with water, I have carried getting up into my forested Guadalupes, which I love so much! But I'm out of shape, and this hike feels almost as strenuous.

Up on the ridge is where the trail splits. Finish the 2 mile loop I'm on, or go down the Indian Grass Trail? It didn't look like a very exciting trail, but the weather was wonderful, and my pack still felt light. So I took that trail. "I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out til sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."  John Muir again. He's obviously my favorite.

What joy this trail brought me! Everything was smiling at me. I felt like a guest of honor, like all of nature was glad to see me!! The flowers danced in the wind, (it was windy on this side of the hill), and when they faced me, I saw their smiles. Butterflies played in the wind, laughing and smiling, and they were smiling at me. I smiled back!! The earth, as it always does, called to me. I always feel the need to sit down upon the earth and just feel it's energy flow into me. It's a beautiful thing. "The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It is good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. ... The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing." - Chief Luther Standing Bear.

As I sat there enjoying the earth and all of nature around me, the wind tugged at my tied-up hair. And so I let it down, to fly around in the wind. I remembered one of my favorite quotes by Kahlil Gibran "And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."

And with that, I finished my hike, making it 4 miles, a healing 4 miles. Was it Easter? Yes, this was Easter Day. And I gave thanks.

Linda Bokros

4/10/2010