The sky is filled with stars and the sound of a lone coyote singing from a distant ledge, fills my mind with visions that are outlined by the flames dancing from the campfire. As I watch the night sky a shadow appears and seems to engulf the moon as the outstretched wings of the owl moves through the night.

The peacefulness of this valley is filled with the rush of flowers bursting up through Mother Nature’s garden. The blooms create a kaleidoscope of colors as the mountains welcome spring. I smile in silence with a quiet mind and watch as the petals float by on a nearby stream and are lifted by the wind to the skies above where mortal man can reach. The land has a sky that seemingly stretches across the leagues of heaven. My heart is free of care for at this moment I dwell in a world apart from man and his towering buildings and paved streets. I keep company with the moon and I have found space to rest.

Nature does nothing uselessly and there is a pleasure in the pathless woods. The mountains have been for me, as long as I can remember, a source of solace, inspiration, and adventure. As I move through the trees, a rustle of forgotten words ring clear in my mind. I hear the sounds of hope and love and broken hearts and broken dreams. The times I have cried for love and lost, but found the strength to face another day when all seems gone. There is calmness here and it fuels my soul with temporary salvation.

 I remove the cares of the world from my mind and move through sweet smelling meadows and reach down to run my hands through the green grass. I am embraced by the wind as it breathes life into all that it touches. I breathe in the offering of its essence and let loose my breath with a sigh. I sit beside a small stream in the quiet of the day and listen to the peaceful sounds of the running water. I sit quietly for a while as I set free my mind and enjoy the serenity of my surroundings.  All around me is a deep quiet and I look about in awe of the absolute beauty that is breathtaking. The trees are in full blossom and release a sweet perfume that drifts towards clouds that are lit up in an orange redness as though a flame had torched the sky. I lie back in a blanket of grass as the sun begins to set and listen to the birds as they begin an endless song of love.