Forests Of Oak And Pine

I had plans for Sunday--plans that involved looking at a whole lot of case law and doing a lot of writing.

But rosy-fingered Dawn was in fine form on Sunday, and TFL lured me onto Bonnie with talk of wandering out to a neighboring island and finding the ocean. To be fair, he would have let me work. But the combination of a gorgeous day and the motorcycle ready to go...I could (and did) work later and faster.

So we headed out of the Emerald City (I've decided that's what I'm going to call it because it's a rather magical place and it's all about the green(backs)).  It was amazingly quick to get out of urban grime and out to hilly and well-forested suburbia. We rode by a woefully-overdone Viper (no dignified car would wear that paint job) and a superb white Rolls Royce, which really did "sail" down the road in majestic manner.  But eventually we ditched the superhighway for the side roads.

An inquiry at the gas station yielded the information that the ocean was a "few miles" up the road. We passed a few and a few more miles, no ocean in sight. Then I noticed that the forest along the road had changed. The land had flattened out and the forests were no longer mixed hardwoods with thick underbrush, but now were made up of oak and pine trees with only a short, sparse undergrowth covering the ground. The forest stretched away, tree trunks visible in rank upon rank.

It was the sort of forest you're likely to find near an ocean. And suddenly, over a rise, there it was! Bright sparkling blue at the end of the road. We hopped off the motorcycle and wandered down to the quartz-strewn shore. All the pebbles were made of quartz, some so clear they looked like glass and others in every beautiful shade of pink. The only noise was the sound of waves hitting land.

It was a splendid ride. And when we got back to the Emerald City I went back to work and was far more productive than I would have been if I'd skipped the ride. It reminded me how much I need that time away, that time to go out and explore and enjoy nature, to restore my perspective and sense of balance.

Comments

[LL]

That sounds magical and necessary - I'm glad you took the time to do it.

[ckm]

Good for you, Toodles. Your fans applaud.

[Chris]

Reminds one of the gorgeous days we've been having back West, with maple trees leading the change of the color-guard. "Give us joy to balance our sorrows," says the Good Book.