Squishing Heads and Peaceful Moments

Day 38

PCT Mile Marker 1437.96 – 1455.64

Miles Hiked 17.68

I heard a noise and opened my eyes. That’s when I realized that it was my own snoring.  

Oh crap. And I had neighbors too.

I could hear one kind of sighing and mumbling. 

Oh no. I must’ve woken them up.

I looked at my watch. It still didn’t have the correct time, but it was sort of in the ballpark.

It said 4:13 am.

Whatever. I was embarrassed. So I got up and quietly got the hell out of there.

The trail led along another incredible rim with unobscured, phenomenal views of Mt. Shasta. Just, like, RIGHT THERE. So, so close. And snowy and perfect and amazing and in your face about it. And the earth fell away in almost-a-cliff that went way, way down until the trees became super tiny.

I put my arm out and pretended to pinch them between my fingers. I squish your head, I told them.

I walked down to the stream for some water and pulled up a rock. I sat really still as a deer came down. She looked at me all soft and dreamy, ears turning all the way around backwards. She was so close. Her long, black, curly eyelashes blink-blink-blinked. I stared but didn’t move. She stared back.

We had a moment.

Then she walked all calm and gentle down the creek some more.

I lay on my back and stared at the sky, blue as a bonnet and just as uncomplicated.

I walked through buckets of flowers, and when I came out the other side, I felt a tickle on my leg. I looked down.

A big, fat, roly-poly bumblebee was licking the pollen off my leg. Complete Shock. Who ever heard of such a thing, but then here came another! And another!

I maxed out at three, though. After watching them move so gingerly around on my leg, I gently shooed them away.

Lizards scattered in front of me like minnows, wriggling out of my way.

Butterfly bushes full of butterflies blew around the trail, and I watched a swallowtail butterfly do a little dance down the trail.

Maybe it’s not that butterflies flit about happily. Maybe they are just newbies and haven’t really got the hang of flying yet.

Maybe we’re all just newbies.

Flitting about.  

Trying to figure how to do life the best we can.