Tag Archives: nature

January 26th: Nature

Posted on by
Reply

Or this gorgeous sunset :)

After being stuck in a window-less office 5 days a week, I actually look forward to waking up early weekend mornings for my runs.  Not for the exercise, but just to spend some time outdoors, breathing in fresh air, getting some vitamin D from the sun and enjoying the feel and smells of everything.

This Sunday, I spent the ENTIRE day outdoors and had a blast.  A friend and I hiked 6+ miles through Estero State Park on Florida’s western coast then enjoyed a lovely sunset on Sanibel Island.  Shameful to say but, I’ve lived in Florida almost my entire life and had never been to this location only 2 hours away from my home!  It was lovely and I got to see so many fun and interesting things.  Enjoying it with a kind soul is always a bonus 🙂

Check out just a few of the sites:

January 11th: Washed up Whale

Posted on by
Reply

whale 8

Although it is never a happy moment to see a dead animal, I have to acknowledge how privileged I am to have seen this in person.

Every Saturday morning, I wake up early and run with my group by the ocean.  During these early morning runs, I have been lucky enough to observe all kinds of beautiful scenery and animals such as red foxes, raccoons, cardinals, pelicans, gulls, you name it.  But this whale is a first.

The whale did not die because he was beached.  His cause of death is unknown but she was already dead when he got washed up. Below you’ll find more info.

http://www.local10.com/news/dead-whale-washes-up-along-shore-in-boca-raton/-/1717324/23866398/-/u0ly88z/-/index.html

The Small Stuff: The beauty of my Saturday morning route

Posted on by
Reply

20130817_074532

I am admittedly spoiled. I live in South Florida where people from other parts of the country come to vacation and aspire to retire. What could be better motivation to wake up at 5:30am every Saturday than a view of the ocean as the sun is rising? Believe me, it makes it worth every minute out of bed. Actually, early morning runs have not only privileged me to gorgeous sunrises but to some wildlife spottings that could rival a National Geographic film reel.

At one point, I was having so many cool sightings that my updates became an eagerly awaited topic of morning conversation between myself, my boyfriend and his daughters. Between red foxes and giant snapping turtles crossing the street, hawks chasing squirrels and dinosaur-sized iguanas sunbathing, it was getting pretty kooky! But, even the things that aren’t so kooky get me excited to be on my ocean-side Saturday morning route or even my weeknight route. A bright red cardinal sitting on a telephone wire, circular Sea Grape leaves rolling like wheels on short golf grass, boats tied up in their docks bobbing in the water and a handsome (and very fast) man waiting for me by the car with a cold bottle of water… that’s the good stuff.

I wonder, however, how many people actually take the time to notice these small things or even get pleasure from witnessing them.

I once had a co-worker at the hospital I previously worked at who would teach his patients about “mindfulness.” “Mindfulness” is the ability to be truly present and to find pleasure in the HERE AND NOW. It was a difficult concept for many of his patients to master, and I’ll admit that I wasn’t able to be truly mindful at that time in my life either. I mean, it’s not easy to get out of the madness in your own head! With some time, growth and self-reflection, however, I’ve come to realize that although getting giddy about seeing a red cardinal on a telephone wire is pretty nuts, it’s just me being mindful of the awesomeness in the details of life. And those details bring me joy.

* Where are your favorite routes?
* When is your favorite time to run?
* What amazing things have you been witness to on your runs?
* Are you mastering being “mindful”?
* What small details in life give you joy?
Please share your stories and pictures!