Life is a continual process of discovery.

For the past four years I have mostly been hiking in wetlands, the slough along the Rio Grande River. It’s nearby, and I have not been able to climb hills or go far until this summer. This whole time I felt like I was missing out on the good stuff. Now I’ve been up in the mountains, OK, only a few times, but I realize that the wetlands offer, in only a short walk, an incredible diversity of birdlife, plant life, and destinations along a trail. When I set out four years ago, venturing into that new-to-me landscape, I hoped to learn something about it, but I have learned a lot FROM it.

I’ve also learned I wasn’t missing anything. I still love hiking in the mountains, but the wetlands? It’s not a compromise, after all. It’s a world of wonder all its own and I am grateful. Bear, Teddy and I will be glad when the heat dissipates and my shoulder heals so we can all go back again.

AND THEN…

After writing this, I decided to take Bear and return to the Rio Grande Wildlife Area which has been closed since March and reopened last Monday. It’s clouded up and I hoped for cool and wind, but we weren’t so lucky, but who really cares? Well, Bear, because I didn’t bring water but…

We had a wonderful buggy, soggy, happy, bird-song, flowers blooming, Monarch Butterfly on milkweed ramble in one of our favorite places. Red-wing blackbirds, a very rare flycatcher with a pretty song, an osprey, meadowlarks.

I first met Polar Bear Yeti T. Dog four years ago today. I thought we needed to do something special. ❤

Now I must take the little guy for a walk.