This Morning

This morning ... 

I stayed in bed until 5:30 a.m.

I watched the sun climb above the mountain top.

I heard and saw a group of eight or nine sand hill cranes fly overhead.

I enjoyed walking my dog on roads devoid of vehicles and pedestrians.

I appreciated the sunshine and the lack of wind on a cold morning.

I did some writing.

I took my dog for a longer walk than usual.

I grabbed my camera and went in search of cranes to photograph. I didn't find any, but it was fun to look. 

After I got home, I ordered a new silver ring by a local Navajo silversmith for myself.

These are mundane, everyday activities. Many would consider them boring and literally, nothing to write about. But after the trauma and chaos of this week, I value these mundane activities more than usual. Being outside, in nature, on a clear, cloudless, windless early morning with my dog, is a special treat amidst the chaos of daily life.

As I spend my senior years at home during a pandemic without end, I treasure these simple pleasures more and more. No longer do I sit and wait for good things to appear. I must go in search of the good, the beautiful.

If I don't search for beauty, I'm not likely to find it. These mundane activities are how I take care of myself until life improves and I can once again travel.