Pushing Through

I've been living under the belly of the whale for a little less than a week now.  I'm not really sure why, but I think it might be due to tiredness. At any rate, there's nothing really for it but to push through, so that's what I've been up to the last several days.

It's Not Always Blue Skies and Sunsets, but if You Keep Putting One Foot In Front of the Other, the Storm will
Eventually Break - Walk On - Huntsville, AL

It's not been all gloom and despair.  Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Little River Canyon Preserve near Fort Payne, AL.  In addition to getting a mild case of food poisoning (I'm pretty sure) and practicing sleeping in a tent during a sleet/rain storm, I did manage to capture some nice vistas that nature put at my disposal.

Grace High Falls - Little River Canyon, AL

I've begun to experiment a little with a Digital SLR coupled with a tripod and telephoto lens. The animation above is the result of some of those photos, and I have to say that I really like it as a first attempt.  More to follow on that stage of my photographic skill set because I have A LOT to learn, but I'm looking forward to it.

Little River Falls - Little River Canyon, AL

The main falls in the canyon was also spectacular. I found that I had to pinch myself to make sure this was only about an hour an twenty minute drive from where I'm staying while I'm on my sojourn down south. Stunning and accessible. That's a powerful combination, and I may have to schedule a return trip (without the food poisoning, thank you).

At any rate, I'm feeling better now, and though I don't know what will happen tomorrow I'm looking forward to the adventure of the journey.  Till then....

Uncertainty in Pursuit of Purpose

One of the reasons I'm pursuing the Newport to Newport Transcontinental Pilgrimage is to connect with people to show them what's within the art of the possible.  One path toward that purpose is to document the things that I see along the trail, and today I went out and hiked the Certain Trail in the Blevins Gap Preservation area near Huntsville, AL to practice the skills associated with that goal.

From the Mountaintop, Looking Into the Valley of the Mother of the Tides
Blevins Gap Preserve - Huntsville, AL

I'm not sure I succeeded in capturing the feel of the trail I was walking, but it was gorgeous.  Walking the trail with valleys to the right and the left with the sun setting in the west and the moon rising in the east. Spectacular.

More work to be done on the documentation aspect I suppose, but practice makes progress. I may not have hit it out of the park this time with the photography this time, but I don't regret looking out over the edge of the mountain.

Looking Out over the Edge

Tomorrow the plan is to head east to Fort Payne, AL and visit Little River Canyon. The weather forecast is a bit sketchy so I'm not sure how it will turn out, but I'm looking forward to the experience whatever may come.

Walking Out to the Edge

New Perspectives Await When Your Walk Up to the Edge - Rainbow Mountain - Madison, AL

A relatively new friend of mine has taken action and embarked on a life of adventure that is both heartening and inspiring. She tells her story much better than I could ever hope to convey it, so I recommend you go see for yourself the way she's taking people to where they don't or can't go and giving them the courage, through her example, on how to step out and seek their own adventure.

She's stepping out on the edge, and though many of her friends and family worry for her, she's found new perspectives on the world by taking calculated and reasonable risks.

Today, I stumbled upon the opportunity to step out on the edge while tramping around Rainbow Mountain in Madison, AL. The drop was not very far...twenty feet or so, but the view from the top of the ridge brought its own new perspective into my consciousness.

I am grateful to my friend for breaking the trail and leading by example on this journey of life. While I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow, I know that I'll be looking for edges to walk up and pear over thanks to the support of my friend and the experience I've had taking reasonable risks in the pursuit of new vistas.