Ramblin’ in the Rain

During those extended seasonal interludes when it’s numbingly chilly outside, foggy, consistently drizzling rain off and on, and the weather reports don’t show any clear window in which to expect clear weather, the logical mind may tend foster the assumption that staying indoors would be the proverbial no-brainer. But on the other hand, who ever lets that side of the brain rule beyond it’s natural boundaries of work, paying taxes, and dying someday? If you are a rambling soul, cabin fever often seems like the most grievous sin of all. Even my wife will sometimes chastise any notion of wasting an entire weekend without any dirt under our feet. So we break out our weather gear, and hunt up the old crappy boots that we don’t care about, and you go hiking. I read lots of stories from people who endeavor to get outside under drastically harsher conditions. We’ve been hiking in the rain the last two weekends, which makes it nearly impossible to get many usable photos, but I think it’s good for the senses to get out into the weather. I love the sounds of the falling rain harmonizing with the rushing and murmuring of all the seasonal streams and creeks. I love the vivid colors of the season, and the fragrant aromas of the foliage as the earth drinks in the sustenance preparing for what is shaping up to be an excellent spring. Would you believe that I spotted some Hound’s tongue in bloom on January 30th in the forest of Nisene Marks? I’ve been seeing a lot of subtle signs of early blooming of all kinds of things. Maple fall is making incredible sounds, and the air crisp an clean. Yesterday in Sanborn county park we were serenaded all day by the singing waters in Todd and Aubry creeks. Normally either one would be hardly noticeable, but right now you actually have to use the rocks to get across Todd creek up where the Sanborn trail crosses it. Water sounds are very meditative, and are one of my favorite forms of mental cleansing. Newts are everywhere and the mosses are at their best seasonal brilliance. We had the trails to ourselves except for one lone trail runner. Gotta keep a leash on that pesky logical brain.

Click the play button for a brief video of Maple Fall