blessings of the journey

I was recently convicted that I'm being really selfish. I've been hogging all the kitty loves for myself and sharing none with you! How rude! I hope to change that, starting now.  Need to get back on the blogging bandwagon, I do.

 

Life here is good. Cats are good and kitty loves are top notch! I'm still taking hundreds of photos, just not sharing them. Can you believe that?! So many kitty blessings, and I'm not sharing.  Yikes. Meanwhile life keeps on trucking along. It hit me recently that many of the cats are about 9 years old already - where does the time go?! This train needs to slow down.

 

Rose is even thinking about letting the humans get closer!

 

A few weeks back Rose, Willow, Nahum, and Theo all went to the vet for their annual check-ups (everyone is healthy!) The plan was to release Rose into a large cage, so we could easily handle her and convince her that time with humans was pleasurable. But she was having nothing to do with that plan and promptly escaped before she could be locked in! Rose!

empty Rose rehabilitation cage in background

I'm trying to live more into life outside of work and cats (both of which I love). The other day I had some time, so I took a walk in the woods. I had the forest to myself.

 

I was walking kind of swiftly, thinking about stuff, my feet moving about the speed of my thoughts and internal energy. I had recently heard that the bears were waking up - "I don't want to encounter a bear out here by myself," I thought to myself. As I briskly strolled along, I heard a still quiet voice in my head encouraging me to slow down. I had ample time, so I slowed it way down - like crazy meandering snail-slow. I started noticing things.

 

interesting things

beautiful things

my path is not always clear

I saw birds, watched a beaver splash around in a pond, saw worms, snails, and all sorts of bugs doing their things.  Fresh deer tracks in the mud. Sounds of birds and bugs in the air. As I breathed in the details around me, I found my thoughts and emotional energy matching my slow meandering pace. I found myself wanting to see a bear, somehow now, that would be a gift.

choices

My intended destination was Devil's Butte, which according to the map, would have a view.

unimpressive Devil's Butte view

As I contemplated the lack of view, I realized this place is well named. The devil doesn't actually have much a view.  The payoff of this walk was not the destination, it was the journey - a journey filled with many blessings.