A Journey of Ten Thousand Miles

I want to confess a secret joy. Every time Mary and I and our chocolate lab, Zivon, descend our steep gravel drive, winding our way down the 700 feet to the creek, it feels like the first time. Yet, it's a path we've trodden most days, totaling 1000s of times over the 35 years we've lived here. Walking this two-mile stretch of gravel out to the mailbox and back in the embrace of the natural environment of rural Idaho.

"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper." – dubiously attributed to W.B. Yeats

Isn't it paradoxical how repetition fosters intimacy? Over the years, walking this path has become an act of meditation. Each step has woven us closer to each other and the land. It isn't merely the rhythmic crunching of gravel beneath our feet; it's the songs of the Magpies, the fleeting shadow of a Rough-Legged Hawk, the curious eyes of a deer, stunned to find us walking in their world, and the frantic scurrying of the California Quail. We've come to know this land not as a backdrop to our walks but as a living, breathing entity, whispering its tales with each passing season.

Rain, shine, or snow, our journey continues. And isn't that life's very essence? The old backpacking adage reverberates, "No such thing as bad weather, only bad gear." For us, it's not just about being equipped for each walk but embracing the changes, finding joy in the drizzle, warmth in the winter's chill, and lessons in nature's ever-changing canvas.

Do you have a ritual that brings you peace and offers a deeper understanding of your inner self? If not, pay close attention, because sometimes the most ordinary things can reveal extraordinary insights. On Bartho Lane, we have discovered a universe of meaning within the familiar, and perhaps you will too.