Autumnal Equinox

Greetings y'all :

The wonderful wheel of seasons has spun back around to Autumn. Why fight the progression of time? Embrace each new beginning and reflect on passing of seasons.

We are blessed in my region to have four distinct seasons. Each one is perfect but I confess as much as I love swimming and spending all day with my son when school is out for Summer , it's not my favorite season. As much as I love sledding and romping in the snow and having snow days with my son, Winter is not my favorite season. As much as I love the warm kiss of spring sunshine and bright vibrant colors, the ability to do more outdoor things with my son , Spring is not my favorite season. That leaves ( pun intended) Autumn as my favorite season! I love the smell of the leaves changing, the pumpkin pie, apple picking time with fresh apple cider and apple butter. I love the long cool hikes with my side kick, putting on an extra layer, windows open and blankets on the bed, the vibrant colors, snuggle weather... Awww

To mark the beginning of the new season Mowgli and I took a couple of wonderful hikes in the woods. We snapped our pic right at the time if the Autumnal Equinox. We hiked over 18 miles, we explored and discovered. We caught a toad - cute little bugger. We found a worm giving birth. That was totally random and bizarre. Zander said "no pictures daddy - she deserves privacy" . We discovered acorns only fall from trees on daddy and seem to miss little dude. We also discovered different oaks produce different sized and colored nuts. We demonstrated determination when he fell off a log , his first time ever falling off, but insisted on conquering said long a few minutes later. We learned no rock formation is too small, large or oddly shaped to conquer ( at least not yet) . We watched Blue Jays dancing in and out if the shadows. We chased frogs and newts. We tried new trails and even went off the trail to explore. We are the path less taken.

I love how we do our best to put each day behind us, to literally walk away from work and spend as much time as possible together. Yes he's my side kick but both the captain and the kid are independent beings who enjoy each others company. For that I am blessed.

I confess yesterday I was squirrelly. I had a notion of wanting to have a schedule and control time. I was reminded that the universe controls time and ought to remain present. My mood became sulky because I held onto expectations. I learned and adapted and we had a successful day. Buddhism teaches that holding onto expectations leads to suffering, I proved that philosophy to be true. Letting go allows openness and things to flow into us. I proved that to be true as well. Lesson learned - well played universe, well played.

Thanks for reading again folks. Now get outside and explore and discover. Observe with all your senses!