"Shivers Of Excitement..."

They are such beautiful, ephemeral entities.

Wisps of fur and grey that we are so lucky to hear let alone ever catch a glimmer of.

Their beauty is a reflection of those truly wild beings within the timeless wild places. No wonder they are such a cherished spirit animal and clan whose ways of being many have wondered over. 

This day I am remembering, was unusual in that late season - the conditions of the ground, such moisture, remnants of the last snow, and that cool air, made for a perfect combination of elements.

As we set out we were just beginning to sense what an amazing day this would come to be. We were simply hiking and had no initial intentions of any kind of tracking. Yet now, when we discovered their fleeting impressions crossing the trail more than once, this now grasped our attention closely. We followed what we could in our inexperience and excitement, hoping to be able to see more of what we were attempting to read. 

But spirits like that don't leave much sign and mostly only give a sense of their presence, and that I pondered, is exactly as it should be.

But the distinct moment that gave us such pause, that took us in real surprise, was to come near the end of this full day of wandering and followings.

Not long before we regained the trailhead, at a curve in the path among old thick trees, we came upon a different kind of layered tracks.

These tracks were our own, still apparent although changed, for clearly across them and also right within them were more fresh tracks of the grey ones themselves. We were startled with this discovery, trying to understand what was represented there. Then with a dawning of awareness we became amused by what it likely meant. 

From the number and direction of their unique prints, there could only be one interpretation.

We pondered in wonder over, at what point in this day, as we had slowly journeyed along - at what point, did our novice attempts to track them - become moments when they were now tracking us...

The shivers of excited realization experienced at that moment were from much more than the dropping temperature..... DSD  

"To Be Like A Wolf..."

Bev Doolittle  wrote: "To be like a wolf was not a role undertaken lightly by any Crow warrior. The special qualities of wolves - endurance, loyalty, tracking ability - made the warriors who took their power from the wolf esteemed members of the tribe. Being like a wolf meant studying the ways and habits of wolves, focusing one's energies on living the way of the wolf."

"Our Real Journey..."

"Centuries of lore suggest that when we no longer know where to turn, our real journey has just begun.
At that crossroads moment a voice calls...
The time has come to set out for the sacred ground - the mountain, the temple, the ancestral home - that will stir our heart and restore our sense of wonder.
It is down to the path, to the deeply real, where time stops, and we are seized by the mysteries...".  
P. Cousineau

Thank you for these images. 

"The Stirring..."

"For in their hearts doth Nature stir them so.
Then people long on pilgrimage go...".  G. Chaucer

"Outward Bound Maxim..."

"Keep moving.
Always keep moving. 
Rest, yes. 
Then onward. 
Forward. Upward. Further. Farther.
Forever. 
There is no real ending. 
So keep moving...".  Outward Bound Maxim

"Here. Now....."

"Here. Right now. At the beginning. 
Right at this point, From here on. From now on.
This is where it gets really interesting...".  Anon

"What May Be, As It All Begins To Unfold..."

"It may be, that when we no longer know which way to go, that we have come to our real journey...".  Wendell Berry

Herein is a short quote, a reminder passed forward to me out on an initial adventure, while other worries of the world were also present, and health issues were starting to be so distracting. 
A few simple lines...
Words that I have passed forward so many times myself now as well, when other such trials can be seen in the eyes and on the faces of those sharing the trail that day.
Only twenty-one words that very much blend together into all of our lives, within our shared journeys. Twenty-one words that become a part of our adventures, and truly reflect the way we face adversities as well, out there and back here too.
Just seventy-one letters written so, that are as elemental as anything else for a great many of us. I couldn't count the number of occasions for discussion while wandering, and in comments here now too from you Dear Friends, who have found such quiet messages within the gifts Wendell Berry has composed for everyone.
A seemingly simply quote, passed forward to me on Outward Bound, so very long ago. Then shared again right when I needed to hear those words softly spoken.
Initially appearing only as a few brief words, that have now resonated and echoed out loudly over even longer seasons and years. 
"It may be...", Wendell Berry wrote. It just may very well be, many of us now realize as well.
It just may be..... DSD 

Dedicated this adventure day to Wendell Berry, Outward Bound, and with gratitude to you Friends who share their images here along with my little musings.  

For Fur, Feathers And Fins Fridays: "Spirit Animals..."

When musing about adventure inspirations, for many reasons I often find myself thinking of connections to various animals.

Grey Wolf said, "If you could be an animal, what animal would you be? Answering that question creates a powerful personal metaphor." I believe that we are much closer to the meaning of this than many would expect. 

We are indeed linked, and in so many ways.

Have you ever watched an animal at play or their energy when they run or fly, or even the gaze of a wolf or grizzly? They help us 'see' that our experiences out there are not just physical, mental, or even emotional; but can be very full of spirit as well.

Sometimes we are allowed a glimpse, a glimmer, of energy and enthusiasms that are difficult to describe.

There are many kinds of spirit within the wild lands, like those felt around ancient trees, or near ageless rock, but it has often been the spirit of animals who I sense have shared something of their enthusiasms with me.

In my many summits, there were too many to count where I had the fellowship of an animal to share the climbing experience with. Many were highlands birds, others were rams and mountain sheep, so many were the small four legged furries who talk so much in their chitters and whistles. 

Then there have been the crows and ravens, who seemingly were laughing at my ordinary outdoor mistakes and trials; but who I eventually learned to chuckle along with as I felt they were trying to teach me to not take it all so seriously. 

All have shared something of their spirit with me , and all have become part of what I've needed for adventure inspirations.

What often gets us going, or carries us through, challenging adventures can be said to be found within the 'spirit'. Aboriginals in many cultures believe that upon birth, or later through certain quests, that the spirit of an animal may enter and become one with an individual. Powerful meanings can be found too in the Animal Totem's that exist out there, and also within the metaphors that these then represent.

R. Ridgeway wrote that in one such experience he found that, "It wasn't until I returned to my own world that I figured it out. In that shaft of light in the jungle, I'd watched the Yanomami transform into a wild animal. For the first time in my life... I had seen who I used to be...".

Grandfather, a Mountain Elder said about the spirit, the energies, we create for ourselves out on such adventures, that, "I see in you... A wolf who now walks as a man...".

I'm inclined to believe that he is very right about all of us..... DSD  

"The Great Equalizer..."

"Altitude.
Is the great equalizer...".  Mountaineers Saying

"Within The Night's Wind..."

"I felt part of some great movement.
One of an infinite scale.
Too grand to see.
But only to feel.
Within the night's wind...".  M. Stump

"Of Beginning Once More..."

A long, slow, journey we planned to have.
Within this new vibrant season playing out before us.
Adventuring for a fresh start this all was.
To begin once more so far out there.

Setting up our camp. Sorting out gear as needed.
Initial steps upon a dreamed trail.
With first light upon our mountain.
Previously envisioned, now so very real.

Such anticipation in getting going.
Much excitement for the unknowns before us.
Enduring past enthusiasms now evoking again.
Once more, so longer and further we'll go.

Echoes of our first time we feel.
Full circle in many ways it seems.
Those beginning moments once more renewed.
Yet feeling as if they are truly everlasting.

Beginning moments of mind, dreams, and visions.
Beginning moments of effort, spirit, and connections.
All once more starting, simply all unfolding.
With us embracing the wonder of each step... DSD  

Thank you for sharing your wonderful images my Friends. 

"Fur, Feathers, And Fins Fridays..."

Beginning a New Year's series of posts reflecting our shared respect and appreciation for all those with fur, feathers, and fins.
Enjoy!   
DSD  

"Pondering And Musing Within Our New Year..."

"The Greeks pondered the causes of things. If you had asked them, 'Why are there mountains' they'd give you four causes. The Material cause is the ground has the potential to become a mountain. The Efficient cause is that mountains are just elevated earth standing up. The Formal cause is the earth raised them up. But the Final cause is where it gets interesting. They'd say the Final cause of mountains is they exist because humans need to look up and dream..."
"I've always been fascinated by the why . You know, the oldest questions in the world...". J. Auld   

"Further Longings..."

"Indeed, whatever agonies and so-called miseries the sufferer may endure on their pilgrimage to the heights, and however often he may swear never to return there, longing to do so is certain to recur...".  C.F. Meade

``Becoming Your Longings.....``

"In the mountains... There are times when a person's soul sets forth upon rambles of its own accord...". J. Muir

Become your longings my Friends...
Closely embrace the very things you wish for.
Then take form within your desires.
And become your longings my Friends.
Move towards your most inner knowings.
Mirror those things, those dreams you so long for.
Know that what you want can then be made real.
Take on your commitment and intentions.
Then create your very own motivations.
Look beyond any apparent mists of adversities.
Gaze past any regrets, even from long ago.
Find what is truly heartfelt just for you.
Such longings will then be so very lasting.
The eternal elemental essence of our lives.
Become your adventure longings, your very wantings, my Friends.
And thus create a source of endurance without end..... DSD      

"Nearing The End Of This Year's Trails..."

"We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know it for the first time...". T.S. Elliot
That adventure day by the sea, when I could sense the end of the trail approaching, there was that deep emotion of contentment, and yet a gentle tired kind of sadness as well.
I recognize we all experience this occasionally. 
When we each attain a really elusive adventure goal out there, with all of those so special celebratory emotions. Then at times we sense upon completion a touch of those other feelings of, 'Oh, Its over'...
Pretty natural it seems, to truly experience both, when we invest ourselves so intensely and purposefully within our journeys.
So, I did what we wanderers often do and pondered this a bit, while allowing myself to experience all those musings and emotions all at the same time. 
Then much later, as I rested upon a further mountain, after having had that similar summit rush of these sensations, I reminded myself of that very old saying, 'that when one trail seems to end, another path always opens up'.
I reflected too on another old saying that, 'while we may shed a tear about such an experience being over, we can clearly smile as well for having lived those forever moments'.
There are many manifestations of these wise and wild old ponderings.
So, then, if we keep ourselves open to what is always out there on the horizon; if we accept that there is always more within us than ever first realized; if we blend with the truths that there is never an end to the creation of amazing memories, possible connections, and shared wonderful stories - then our trails will forever keep on going so much farther, higher, upward, onward, and inward...
Seeming endings always then become new beginnings and as Muir reminds us as well, "This grand show is eternal... It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapour is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in turn, as the round earth rolls". 
Happy endless end of the year trails to all of you my Friends.....DSD   

"Holiday 'What If' Wishes For You All Dear Friends..."

"What if our spiritual beliefs were for each other. If our practice was our life. If our prayer or mantras were our potent words. What if our temple was the earth. If the forests were our church. If holy water was our lakes, rivers, and oceans. What if our meditations were upon our relationships. If the teacher was life. If true wisdom was from self-knowledge. If love was the very center of our being...".  G. White

There is so much adventure potential in keeping our perceptions as open minded as the terrain we cross. There is as much potential too in developing sustained ways to ponder about the possibilities out there. Adventurers are no different it seems in how we may limit ourselves to only certain trails, routes, or experiences, by how we see things and frame things in our minds. I've written here before about my Outward Bound experiences and how they revealed to us there is so much more within us than we may ever first realize...
Often that Outward Bound catalyst came from within the experiences themselves, yet just as many times from the quiet words of wisdom our Leaders shared with us each time out. One adventure concept of theirs was the "What If's", and is one that resonated with me back then and still echoes out strongly to this very day. "What If", they quietly asked at the end of our climbs and trails, then later at the end of our course, what if instead of this being an ending, you are really just getting going... What if, rather than this experience being over, this is really only a beginning for you... 
What if too, they asked, that any setbacks are really steps in the direction of fulfilling your adventure dreams. What if, they inquired, that the hard earned lessons, the trials and adversity - are all really part of what we are seeking anyway. What if, they pondered, that regardless of weather, injury, age, or infirmity, we are just starting out upon other ways of wandering further, farther, higher, and even more inward...
Such was the trail of perception that was revealed way back then to me, and still is as well after so many years of journeys out there. All along the way, time and time again, their subtle reminder would echo once more about possibility and potential, and about the potency and power of 'What If's'..... DSD   

"The Gift Of Experiences....."

Most of us bestow things upon one another during this season of giving. 
I have often mused, and written about here, over the nature of another kind of offering. This is a deeper kind of present for another, or as an endowment maybe for ourselves, which holds out such potent and significant meanings.

Remember...

What you felt so strongly during that river rafting trip; recall the energy and emotions when out on those trails of your favorite hikes; think for a moment about when you were sea kayaking to that coastal island you were sure no one had ever set foot upon.

Feel again those same sensations, that enchanting sense of wonder, when you attained that very first summit; go back and relive that special time when a certain spirit animal appeared in the trees before you, just when you needed it so.

All of these knowings, and so many more from out there, are the gifts of adventure experiences. These are the gifts that the wild places wrap up for each of us, that we give ourselves too when we head out, that we also present to others in so many shared ways - the gift of experiences...

So, remember too, that canyoneering day when you pushed so hard to get beyond yourself; that very long rappel into the the mists so memorable; the times lowering into the depths of those caves so dark and yet so illuminating. All are also such potent and powerful gifts of experiences.

We do give one another, and ourselves, such nice things at times - yet a gift of experience holds another level of enduring beauty within it.

That which we experience out there, and then weave into our experiences back here, are truly meaningful offerings - of smiles and laughter, of challenges and effort, of sunshine and tears - these are bestowed upon us through journeys within the wild places.

They become branded in our memories; they touch us in our very hearts; and they are always there to further inspire our spirits.

Such life defining moments we meet with and undergo out there, regardless of when solo or those shared in fellowship, is what is really at the end of any rainbow. Then if we pass forward these adventure experiences, they then become a gift twice given.

And that is a beautiful experience too.

So, in the spirit of this season of sharing and giving, do I wish for you Dear Friends, Dear Finders, that the gift of experiences becomes a bountiful cherished present within your lives..... DSD    

"Each And Every Time A Gift..."

Each and every time out there is a gift,
Amazingly beautiful gifts within our journeys,
Every journey holds gems hidden within,
Hidden only though at the very first...
From the first time there are always endless wonders,
True wonders discovered as we long and far wander,
Our wandering adventures then become forever longings,
Forever moments from seemingly only simple steps.
Every step then a dearly and cherished memory,
Then all such memories are truly a gift..... DSD 

Dedicated this adventure day to all those wonderful wanderers who are'Adventuring For Another Reason' .    

"The Heart That Gives..."

"The heart that gives, gathers...". Tao Te Ching  

"Farther Gifts Within Our Wild Places..."

"We were two men in a land of stone and we walked toward the same star... 

That... was the gift of our mountains". G. Rebuffat

Stones and stars,
Rock and sky,
Wind and waves,
Wild wonders to ponder,
Elemental gifts while we wander...
DSD  

"Of What We Get, Then Of What We Give..."

"We make a living by what we get... We make a life by what we give...". W.S. Churchill

Dedicated this adventure day, within our shared season of giving, to those Partners In Placing who pass forward smiles all along the way... DSD  

"What Gifts They Are..."

I found a descriptive truth high upon a mountain...
Where that summit also shared even more about this subtly amazing promise.
Then a further quiet truth was later discovered as well too.
In a far desert canyon, so very deep and dark.
On an ancient trail these beliefs were genuinely proven. 
Through honour, virtue, and encouragement positively given.
This same truth was revealed yet once more again.
Among distant islands embraced by a trustful ocean.
There are many truisms we adventurers surely uncover.
Such trustworthy maxims and associations that simply cannot be denied.
Our own truths become known in so many ways.

What gifts they are...

Seemingly hidden until that real trust is finally made. 
Then, when, wandering further and onward, amidst each and every step.
With such enduring hearts, beliefs, spirit, commitment & dedication - our journey for truths then actually becomes revealed and never forgotten..... DSD    

"The Gift Of The Mountains..."

"A climber ascends, descends, and traverses... References are lost. Yet the strangeness somehow is a match of the climbers inner existence. The mountain is a gift and is the color of places the climber knows, and doesn't know, and finds sacred, and can't quite get to, as with truth and with dreams...".  P. Ament

"Your Muse's Gift....."

"The adventure of a mystery... Your adventure muse has her ways, she hides from you, comes to you in the middle of the night, at midday, at dawn... An elusive gift that can appear anytime...". M. Hart   

"When The Giver Is Thankful..."

"It is written even still... that the giver should be thankful; only then is it a sharing... Somebody accepted you through your gift...". Osho
"In becoming a giver... we establish an affinity with all creatures in the world...". Dogen
My sincere gratitude to you all Dear Finders, and Partners In Placing , for your having allowed me to gift you with a small Summit Stone..... DSD     

"Be Well Dear Friends, Be Well....."

A simple saying discovered while distant wandering resonates nicely for this time of year...

'Be well my friends, be well...'

In this time of celebrations, connections, and fun,

During a season that may, like adventures, both invite us and also challenge us,

In the midst of our shared holiday spirits,

Be well...

As we remember to focus on what is truly important,

Even as so much grasps for our attention,

If the pace gets more than a bit hectic, as when that storm rolled in off of the ocean, or those winds whipped up across that lake,

Pause for your moments, like you did on that elusive summit,

And be well...

Recall your amazing adventure experiences these last twelve months,

Draw upon those many wonderful wild place moments these past four seasons,

Breath them all in again as you share laughter and love with family, friends, and fellows,

And be well my Friends, be well Dear Finders,

Be well..... DSD   

Image Acknowledgement  

"Beyond The Last Blue Mountain..."

"The acid test of a true adventurer, if presented with certain anonymity, is whether each of us would still have made the journey beyond the last blue mountain...". M. Clark  

"December 11th International Mountains Day..."

"What you do on your own scale for your own soul is all that matters... Walking skillfully along the top of the world we may receive a priceless vista of our lives and that which is truly important to us...".  J. Salz  

"Little Rock Gifts..."

Rock painting is an ancient practice of placing images upon stone.

The strength and durability of the stone was said to add to the power and presence of the paintings...

Aboriginal peoples on many continents have also colored and painted stones as gifts, rocks as markers, and rock walls as a means to record their histories.

At times it was the character of the stone itself that would also influence the eventual image that appeared. 

The paints themselves were often made of water and clay, berries, selected soils, animal fats, even blood. Some rock was also etched and then painted to enhance the chosen image with more than one dimension...

After collecting these little rocks on many adventures, cleaning and polishing them, musing over the stone, I now splash a bit of paint upon them, and then give them back.

Just my own simple way of passing forward and yet being a tiny part of an ancient past ritual...  DSD   

"All Are Gifts....."

"The first pale light of dawn... Stars are still out, the sky barely blushes with a hint of color. Hills, trees, grasses stand quietly in silhouette. Fresh smells of early morning arrive clean from the night wind, moist with dew. Presents from the night, presents of spaciousness, presents of the open sky. All these are gifts...".  S. Kaza  

"One Of Nature's Most Thoughtful Gifts..."

"The companionship of animals is one of nature's most thoughtful gifts...".  J. Muir

"We Adventurers Do Indeed Listen, Sing, Hum, Whisper, Even Carol..."

We adventurers do indeed listen, sing, hum, whisper, even Carol ...

"Two voices are there; one is of the sea, one is of the mountains". Wordsworth
"We climb to hear - whispered in the wind, echoed in the stars - strains of that mysterious music". E. Bernbaum
"I heard nothing except the music that had seemed to accompany me throughout my climb". R. Messner
"On this sun-consumed rock pile, eternity is trying to speak - no, sing to me". R. Schultheis
"Listen... Listen to the songs of the mountains; the songs of the forests and the river... Then listen more closely, for you may see that it is you that has been singing". Grandfather, Mountain Elder

It always seems to be, when now adventuring and wandering, intentionally slowing my steps, I am listening more quietly and closely, for both the meanings of the words within these wonderful quotes, then too for the songs and echoes from so far out in the wild places..... DSD   

"So Many Gifts..."

"Climbing... offers a wide canvas upon which to paint adventures... the mind is working, the body is working, and the spirit is working to get up this puzzling piece of rock. The same elements, I have found, exist in running rivers... tell of magic in that moving water, and its many gifts: gifts of beauty and adventure, of battle and achievement, gifts of joy and skill, of the pride of mastery, gifts of solo endeavour and of rich companionship." R.Robbins

So well said and such truths to be found in these many gifts... What shall we each paint next...
DSD 

"The Poem Forest's Dad Wrote For Him..."

Forest grew up in the mountains, and his dad wrote this poem for him when he was born...

"The Important Places"

Child of mine

come as you grow

in youth you will learn the secret places

the cave behind the waterfall

the arms of the oak that hold you high

the stars so near on a desert ledge

the important places

and as with age you choose your own way

among the many faces of a busy world

may you always remember the path that leads back

back to the important places.

— Dad for Forest, 1986

What a beautiful gift then shared with us all.....

"Light In A Distant Tent..."

It was after such long days, during those very shorter hours of sunlight too.
Even further distances to cover, both of an outer and an inner nature.
Strong winds over so much frozen terrain.
Chills of temperature and in some experiences as well.
Then easing into the gentler, forever falling flakes of snow.
As the evening then dimmed once more while out upon that adventure.

Our many farther enjoyments would crystallize later.
For we were so very, yet happily tired.
All of these lasting memories and potent moments still mixing in together for us.
But for now, there was a need for simple movement forward.

Forward and still further, onward and and downward.
The goal right then was just to be consistent.
To finish what had long ago been started.
To return to where it began, safe, and then for contentments.

And then... And then...

There it is. Real it was.

A warm symbol of completion.
A comforting sense of wonder and rest.
A simple light.
In a distant tent.....  DSD  

Image Acknowledgement  

"Musing About Gifts..."

"Memories are perhaps the best gifts of all...". G. Gaither    

"A Caroling We Go..."

"Do you hear what I hear....." 

"More Alike Than Not..."

To have those people in our lives is so profoundly special. Our mountain Mentors, wild place Guides, and heroes too - whose experience, enthusiasm, wisdom, and perceptions become such examples for possible wonders for us to reach out and up for...
Yet, just as often, I am reminded that even with all their adventure achievements and heights attained, our wild place Mentors all started their outdoor lives on the valley floor as well. They all started their climbs towards personal goals as low as we each have.
Those we admire had humble beginnings much like ours. 
We aspire to be so like them, and we are in many ways, because we all began down here. We all have shared in those lower levels of inexperience, and within the challenges of being a novice as well.
We are more alike than not.
We share in so much more than we ever may first realize.
They have gone so very far, been up so amazingly high, went for such long enduring distances too. And now they knowingly look back, and wonderfully encourage us on, as we set out on our own courses and bearings...
More is being shared here than the summits of our own adventure experiences. 
To keep on going together in order to attain such meaningful wild place experiences, it can be important to gently realize, that we all start low..... DSD    

Image Acknowledgement    

"A Little Story..."

"Some places in this world are very hard to climb.
Sometimes people ask animals to help them with this.
Each person can only ride one.
And each animal likely has a different name.
The riders go up the trail in different orders.
They often discuss their various opinions about their experiences.
They may even have conflicting opinions.
At the summit the travelers all stand in the same place.
Each of them has the same chance to view the same vistas.
The animals are then put to rest and graze.
We all travel such paths.
The animals are like the various doctrines that each of us embraces.
What does it matter which doctrine we embrace as long as it leads to the same quiet summit...".
D. Ming-Dao

Image Acknowledgement  

"The Magic Of Awe & Wonder..."

"Every time I went up there, a kind of magic happened to me: I felt a nameless wildness flow into me, a strangely serene longing for tundras, unbroken forests, rivers and mountains without end... I changed, into a benign kind of lycanthropy...".   R. Schultheis
"It was indeed magic to find that the initial commitment and inner strength can bring you back down alive in the midst of such an undertaking...".   J. Waterman
"The waving of a pine tree upon a mountain - a magic wand in Nature's hand...".   J. Muir
"Climbing... offers a wise canvas upon which to paint adventures. The mind is working, the body is working, and the spirit is working to get up this puzzling piece of rock. The same elements, I have found, exist in running rivers... tell of magic in that moving water, and its many gifts. Gifts of beauty and adventure, of battle and achievement, gifts of joy and skill, of the pride of mastery, gifts of solo endeavour, and of rich companionship...".   R. Robbins
"What made it incredibly tantalizing was that It, the magic, was somewhere inside me. It had always been there... waiting to be awakened...".   R. Schultheis
"Magic, as I am using the term, is a sudden opening of the mind to that wonder of experience. It is a sense that there is much more to life than we usually recognize; that we do not have to be confined by the limited views that our family, our society, or our own habitual thoughts impose upon us; that life contains many dimensions, depths, textures, and meanings far beyond our familiar beliefs and concepts."   J. Welwood


From within my musings around the flickering campfires out there, to the ponderings by the ancient hearthstones back here, thoughts begin to take shape about how we all sense the wondering importance of the magic of our wanderings...
As in the quotes above, we read and write such words quietly as we know of the elusiveness of alchemy. 
We each speak softly of these elements as we have experienced their ephemeral spells.
Adventurers seek out our magics among the mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes, coastlines and canyons. 
We quest through these journeys to embrace the conjuring mysteries and the sorcery within these wild place moments. 
Why...
Because we know as we sit by the warm hearthstones; we know these whisperings about such beautiful, natural magic...
Are all true..... DSD  

Image Acknowledgement