After parking my car, I walked up the trail to the right which lead to a beautiful stream running amid large boulders and live oak trees. I sat down in the shade and began to write in my Journal. It was a warm weekday afternoon with no campers in the area. The only sounds were wind slipping through the trees, water splashing over the stream- bed rocks, and a couple of Jays rustling in the bushes.
The Earth and nearby oak trees gave off a strong woodland fragrance on this late Spring day. The pungent smell of sage was all around. A distant scent of pine came down from the surrounding higher elevations. Off in a nest of boulders one could just make out the odor of a small animal's remains. Death and life intermingled amongst all this beauty. Nature's on- going cycle of birth, life, and death. Every Spring brings a new beginning of sprouting, blooming, growth, maturity, and finally decay. And, then the miracle starts again!
Back in my car, and I'm driving North on a narrow road which winds up to Mt. Laguna.
This is High Country among the pine trees at about 4500 feet in altitude. Down from the summit a mile or so is the "lookout" spot that provides you with a panoramic view of the Borrego Desert below. Serene and warm this afternoon, with an occasional breeze lifting up from the tan and brown desert floor. Here I sit on a rock just trying to fully comprehend the wonder of Nature. It's almost too overwhelming in its grandeur. Makes one feel somewhat insignificant in the grand scheme of the Universe. God has done some good work!
Looking back on my life in San Diego, I knew even then that the only way I could "renew" my spirit was to get out in Nature. It was the "cosmic tonic" that kept me going all those years.
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