Solace in Nature, A Day At Hawk Mountain

This morning I spent some time watching the news about the fateful September 11 9 years ago. At that time, I was out of the country and only heard the reports after the tragedy had already occurred, I didn't watch the events unfold. It was hard to absorb the full significance of what had happened, it seemed like a story that wasn't real. But it was real, and so many lives were altered permanently, and the world has never been the same. Every year, our lives pause, and we stop and remember the terrible consequences of hate.

I am encouraged by the stories of fellow citizens working hard to create a world where that magnitude of hate is no longer possible. Many of us realize we have a direct responsibility to chart the direction our world is heading. Our small actions slowly make a difference: creating new friendships in our communities, teaching our children about other cultures, reaching out to neighbors, lending assistance to other parts of the globe. We are one interconnected whole.

What I find most comforting is time in nature. This is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year, we still feel the warmth of summer, but the foliage is every so slightly starting to change, the air is a little bit cooler. To celebrate this transformation, and to observe the seasonal migration, I spent some time this afternoon at a favorite place of mine, Hawk Mountain. We saw many broad winged hawks, several osprey, and were treated to a spectacular view of a bald eagle. We were actually looking down on the bird in the valley below and saw his brilliant white head and tail!

Look! A hawk!

View from the mountain. Still mostly green, but golden yellow is starting to appear...

Looking into the valley below

Beautiful farmland of Pennsylvania