Serenity

Do you ever feel as though you just want a few hours alone, to clear your head, to loosen the knots that conquer your neck, your stomach?

As much of a social butterfly that I may be, today I escaped for a few hours to hike Temescal Canyon solo. I moved fast, wheezing and breathing hard up through the canyon trail. Sweat ran down my neck and dampened the back of my shirt. My body felt good to be in motion. I passed by other hikers, foreigners, couples, a man rehearsing his acting lines to himself. It was a sunshiney day, yet not bright.

When I reached the top of the ridge, it was as though a gift waited. Through the clouds that hovered over the Pacific, the sun shined down through one solitary hole in the atmosphere. The effect it had on the ocean was stunning. While most of the water was a green-gray, where the sun shone it sparkled like diamonds.

Although it's December, here in Los Angeles it's 70 degrees and gorgeous. The leaves are changing and falling but for the most part, the hiking trail is a brilliant green. One tree in particular was a cranberry-red. This photo reminds me of it (courtesy of Martin LaBar, Flickr).

Paradise.