walking in sunshine...

The best way to tackle a day of anxiety?  Get out in the sunshine.  Even if it is cold sunshine, just get out there. After Hubs and the babies had their early morning nap we headed up the river road.  Hubs had initially said we weren't going to go because he was so very tired.  He felt refreshed after getting a few more hours of sleep so we loaded our terror tots and headed out the door.  

Both of us love the River Road and were hoping to see some eagles as this is prime eagle watching time.  If I needed a reminder that it is bitter cold outside most days the river definitely provided it.  It is so frozen leading up the the locks.  We didn't go past there to see if it was also frozen further south of the locks, we didn't have a great deal of time.  It was so hauntingly beautiful, you could see where it was broken and frozen a few times over.  And there was a single spot in a miles long stretch that wasn't frozen. It was a like a mosaic of different thicknesses of blues and bright white tiles laid out and glistening in the radiance of the sunshine.  Oddly the river just a couple miles west wasn't frozen at all. 

We had originally planned to go to Pere Marquette Park and take the babies walking there, there are so many walking trails and it is one of my absolutely favorite happy places. A friend text just as we were heading out to join him and his wife for dinner, as we so enjoy time with them we modified our plans and only went just past Alton.  We stopped at a little park along the river and took them walking.  

scavenging for treasures, a stick, a leaf
they don't care. 

I think we only saw a single eagle, so we will go again.  It's breathtaking to watch when the skies are filled with them, swooping off the bluffs and down to the river in search of a tasty snack to feed their families. I don't think we will go next weekend as the weather is projected to turn a bit on the beyond bitter cold by Friday and on the river that is magnified so much.  I can't believe we are already heading straight into February.  It feels like we just started January, I tell you time is definitely flying past at an almost obscene speed. 

All tuckered out after their walk

Are we there yet Mom?

The time spent walking in the sunshine definitely shifted my mood for the better.  I felt alive and vibrant, I needed it.  I spent time looking at the beautiful sun and enjoying the rays on my face.  The pups spent time exploring the new surroundings.  Belle snagged a tuft of fur and was proud of herself, until we made her drop it.  She wasn't pleased at all with that outcome.  I will admit to being very repulsed by the hollowed out carcasses of two deer in a very short stretch.  Pretty sure that was were the beautiful white fur Belle found had come from.  

I was deeply saddened by the amount of trash on the trail and sides of the road.  Talk about being dragged back into that dark place from earlier.  Fast food wrappers, alcohol bottles, all kinds of random garbage, no doubt thrown from the passing cars.  As that stretch of path is right alongside the river road, and people are pure idiots on that road. Instead of savoring the beauty that surrounds them they are drag racing, revving their motors and practicing burn outs.  It's really sad. I would have picked a lot of it up if I wasn't trying to make sure my puppies weren't in harms way and I'd have had gloves and a bag to put it in.  

If you need an emotional pick me up, a way to beat away the blahs, I highly recommend getting out into nature, connecting with the earth.  It is such an incredible anti-depressant.  You forget everything that is bringing you spirit down and your bucket is filled with joy. We will probably find time to take a nice long walk or two today as the weather will be similar to yesterday, we won't go as far away because I am going to run a long errand with my girl today.  I have a couple of places closer to home that I am considering for our adventures.  Places devoid of much human interaction and plenty of connection to mother nature.  

Can you believe how big they have gotten?

Tomorrow will definitely involve an adventure for me and the babies as it is going to be almost 50 degrees. A chance to enjoy all the good stuff before the cold moves in the next few days.  There won't be much walking outside then. As wintry mix usually means ice and this girl is still a bit too terrified of ice to be okay with long walks on it. We'll save that experience for next year. 

Well babies are napping and I am ready for another cup of coffee and maybe a few moments of knitting before this day gets rolling... love and peace everyone