Autumn Adventure

Do you know anyone else who is as delighted as I am to find bear scat? Or am I just a weirdo?

I went on a wonderful adventure today, and while walking along a path through a wooded picnic area I saw the most enormous pile of bear scat I have ever seen. I am pretty sure I woo-hooed with delight, and if that bear was still anywhere in the area,  he probably laughed at me. 

I wish I could have seen him, safely and from a distance, because based on the size of this pile of scat (photo of scat next to a man's size 11 foot), that was one massive American black bear. Although I stayed in that area for about an hour and a half, I never felt more than lingering bear energy, so he must have just been walking through. 

Of course, bear poop was not the main goal of the day's adventure. Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I love to celebrate all of the beauty it displays. I was pleased that Rhodes was available to spend the day with me, and I had a good time sharing scenery, music, road food, and conversation with him. 

Rather than getting on the Parkway in Swannanoa, we drove east on 40, then up 221 through Linville Gorge. This brought us close to Wiseman's View, where we have ventured several times to view the Brown Mountain Lights (https://youtu.be/ffBRPMPXE-w) and without a doubt, the entire gorge area is one of the most magical places in the world. 

We stopped at Linville Caverns but decided there were too many other people there and we didn't feel comfortable going on the tour. We spent some time exploring the creek and rocks, and the earth-vibe there is intense. I am looking forward to going back there in a couple of weeks; the tour of the cavern is an amazing experience and this is the perfect time of the year to take that little journey into the earth. 

We picked up the parkway just north of Linville Falls and the scenery along the way was spectacular. I have absolutely zero luck identifying grasses, but especially in the fall, I love the way the grasses with the creamy-white feathery tops soften the edges of the landscape. In certain settings, they even add a bit of the mystical. 

Today the world was a sea of evergreen and blue sky, gray and brown rock formations, and every shade of orange, red, gold, and brown I have ever seen, plus some river water brown and moss gray and green. These are the colors and this is the season of some of the best memories of my life, and every year I like to add images and memories to the visual quilt I carry in my mind. At times when I am cold or sad or just in need of comfort, I can pull that quilt to the front of my mind, and wrap myself in it until I feel warm and safe. 

                                            Lake Julian Price

                                                        That Carolina sky                                                         

                                  A view of Grandfather Mountain from the Blue Ridge Parkway

Farther down the path where I saw the bear scat I found a perfect spot for some deep meditation. A small rhododendron thicket next to a creek formed an open crescent moon, and snugged into that was a tree stump which was surrounded by a blanket of moss. I sat in front of the stump and spent some time enjoying the scenery and mentally cataloging the sounds I was hearing -  water flowing in the creek and the way it bubbled over the rocks; leaves falling, pinballing through branches and other leaves, skittering along the ground; squirrels and birds and other small wildlife; the wind through the branches. 

I was then able to use those newly familiar sounds to transition into meditation. 

I stayed in that space for quite time, then brought myself slowly back to the here and now. After doing some stretches and making sure I was grounded, I walked on down the path in search of Rhodes. I found him about 50 yards away, enjoying a nap under some trees. It was lovely to see him so relaxed and content in the forest. 

We took a roundabout way home after having lunch in that park, and I saw some parts of Tennessee that I have never seen before, including the beautiful Watauga Lake area. We also encountered some pretty fierce rain, which created a perfect bookend for the Carolina autumn day: sunny and bright on one end, wet and misty on the other. 

This was a grand day, but I am grateful for the warm bed into which I am about to pour my very tired self. 

Tonight I hope for dreams of autumn splendor; of creeksides and golden fields, of bears and deer, of cornstalks and pumpkins, bowls of warm soup and cups of hot tea.