A Sunday Hike

Painting By Christine Kane 

Chris and I woke up, had coffee then proceeded to get ready for our hike.  We packed our breakfast (trail mix, eggs, cheese, cookies and more coffee) and headed to Guelph Line in Campbellville.  It is -10 out but feels like -17 with the windchill and man is there ever a windchill today!  There is snow all over the ground, looks beautiful and more snow is lightly falling as we begin our hike into the forest.  After about an hour's hike we reach Hilton Falls to find a roaring fire already going, as one of the park keepers drives off in his white Halton Conservation Area truck.  I mouth "good morning" as he is already buttoned up by the time we reach the truck.  As the fire warms our bones and spirits we sit virtually alone, except for some noise full chickadees and a handful of fellow adventurers, some hikers, some bikers but none of them stay longer than a moment by the fire.  They exchange a similar sentiment with us each time "good morning," "beautiful day," and "it's nice to see the fire going."  Chris and I are the lucky ones, not just because of the hike , the beautiful morning, the free time and zero obligations on a Sunday to relax by a fire (and drink coffee, snack and chat).  I also think we are lucky because we realize the importance of doing so, how valuable to the soul it is to peer into a fire every so often.  To stop to feel the heat of the flames against your frozen fingertips and to know as we gaze and listen to the hiss and pops of this ancient marvel, that we are among generations of our ancestors to do so.  That we are a link in a human chain that depends on the beauty, grace and strength of fire.  Without this "life force" we would cease to exist.  So we take more than a moment, we sit and we look and we enjoy, because, we are the lucky ones.

Fire and Ice

By Robert Frost 

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.