Today’s hike found me at Indian Lake, Dane County’s largest park with over 442 acers. It is located near the town of Berry on hwy 19, northwest of Madison.  There are over 6 miles of trials with a nice variety of terrain including open prairie, wooded, hilly and flat, something for everyone. On the top of one of the hills overlooking the lake is a tiny stone chapel that was built in 1857. Across the road from the park is Halfway Prairie Wildlife area which has a very interesting crumbling stone building.   (no info was posted about its history nor could I find any when I googled it back at home)

 

It is 5:00 pm on the very last day of June and I’m sitting in my car waiting for a rain shower to pass.  I’ve been sick for the last week and I’m physically and emotionally exhausted. I have absolutely no energy for a hike and yet here I am because I agreed to do 12 hikes, one every month. All day I’ve been trying to think of ways to get out of it. Did I really say a hike each month? Could I skip a month, do 2 next month?  Could I just fib and say I hike in June but do an extra one in July?  Unfortunately for me my conscience is too strong to allow me to cheat, so here I sit.

 

Sitting here I realize that the issue today is not so much about me being sick, the issue is that I procrastinated and as I look back at other hikes (and my life) I see a theme (yes, I can see the eyes rolling in all that know me and know this to be true). I struggle a little with planning ahead, with sticking to a schedule and perhaps I tend to wait till the last minute to get things done.  I’m more of a go with the flow type gal and the flow just didn’t take me to the park until now. I was waiting for inspiration, the perfect weather on the perfect day.  Now here I am sitting in my car wishing I had the energy to walk to the top of the hill to see the Chapel. Instead I’m feeling bad and wishing I could overcome this exhaustion and hike. Wishing I had the energy to just suck it up! 

 

Then the rain stops and I drag myself out of the car and start my hike.  I take some pictures and complain because it is too windy to do close up pictures of wild flowers. I complain because I can’t walk very far before having to rest.  I complain because I shouldn’t have waited so long to do this hike.  I complain because it rained and it’s cloudy and the lake seems too far way for me to walk to. I complain because I wasted time this month and because it almost July and the summer feels like it’s going by too fast. I complain because I’m sick and I don’t want to be.

 

And then I stop and I sit and do nothing. 

 

In this monent I decide to let it all go, all of my expectations of what this hike was supposed to be, all the things I should have done and all  of the “this sucks”.  I can’t change the fact that I’m sick and thinking about how bad I feel is only making me feel worse.

 

So I just sit and do nothing.

 

And then a funny thing happens, I start to notice all the birds singing. I start to notice all of the wild flowers I can see from where I am sitting. I start to notice the way the sun is reflecting off the water. I start to notice the cool breeze blowing across my skin and the scent of fresh cut grass. For the first time I notice the surrounding hills and the neighboring farms and I realize the view from where I’m where I am right now is beautiful.  I’m surrounded by grass and water and fresh air and I start to feel lucky and grateful. I’m not driving in rush hour traffic, I’m not sitting in an office somewhere, I’m not in a line at a grocery store, I’m sitting outside by a beautiful lake on the last day of June at 5:00 pm and it’s not so bad!

 

Did I hike much? Not much.

 

Did I get great photos? Not many.

 

Did I get to the top of the hill? No.

 

Is my 12 hike project ruined because I didn’t put miles on today? Nope. 

 

I got out of the house, I visited a new park and spent some time enjoying a beautiful park.  I never set a goal of how far I had to hike each month, just that I needed to explore a new trail. I did what I could today and even though I didn’t do what I planned to do, it was still a good day!

 

So this hike was a little disappointing when I compare it to what I had hope it would be. But if I look at it from a different perspective it really was a great way to spend the afternoon.  I didn’t get to the top of the hill but definitely feel better then when I left the house. I  discovered a whole host of lessons about procrastination, making the best of a bad situation, high expectations, stopping to smell the flowers, living in the here and now, not getting so caught up in what I think will happen that I miss what is happening and that when I’m sick fresh air and sunshine will help me feel better! 

 

I'm already planning another trip to this park later this summer to explore more and to get to the top of that hill.  But in the meantime I think I’ll just sit here in the grass and spend some more time enjoying the view.