Tag Archives: nature

Walking in Awe

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I stopped for a moment to enjoy this view in my neighborhood during a morning walk.

Did you know that walking in awe is good for you? A friend sent me an article called “Scientists Asked People To Do 1 Thing Differently While Taking A Walk. The Results Were Astounding” from a podcast called “Am I Doing It Wrong?” from the Huff Post.

I naturally walk with awe. I take my time, stop and take photos. I’m in awe of desert plants, the mountains, the wildlife. I didn’t know I was making myself healthier by being in the moment and walking with awe. But I am! Isn’t that amazing?

Here’s a snippet from the article:

Dacher Keltner is on a mission to fill our lives with more awe.

He has spent the last two decades studying awe, which he says is distinct from joy or fear, and how experiencing it can positively affect our bodies, our relationships with others and how we see and interact with the world around us.

Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center recently chatted with us — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, hosts of HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast — about his work, specifically why we should try to inject more awe into our lives, and what will happen if we do.

“It’s amazing! It tells us so much about the evolution of the human nervous system,” Keltner, the author of “Awe: The New Science Of Everyday Wonder And How It Can Transform Your Life,” told us. “One region of the brain is deactivated [when we experience awe] — the default mode network. That is where all the self-representational processes take place: I’m thinking about myself, my time, my goals, my strivings, my checklist. That quiets down during awe.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/awe-walk-wonder-dacher-keltner-2_l_66f84f7ce4b027bd4385f324

When you make a practice of experiencing awe, Keltner said you’ll have more and more awe in your life. Some of the benefits include less inflamation, less pain and better relationships.

Okay guys, let’s get out there and walk in awe. Let go of our to do lists and enjoy the moment in nature.

What are your thoughts of walking in awe?

Is it something you do already or something you’ll try?

Early morning views

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Wednesday morning on our walk before sunrise was stunning!

 “As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see.” — Vincent Van Gogh

Now that our beach days are behind us, we’re back to desert life. We’re walking before sunrise to avoid the heat. But the past few days, the weather has cooled down. It’s been in the low 60s during our walks! Maybe we don’t have to leave quite so early.

On the other hand, it’s a gorgeous time to be outside. The first thing I saw was a wily coyote dashing across the street. Then I noticed the moon high in the sky with balloons rising in cool air.

This guy has been a frequent visitor to our backyard. We’ve got both Roadrunner and Wily Coyote.

Finally, the sun peeked over the horizon.

What is your favorite time to walk? What sights do you see?

A special time of year

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The past week, cacti bloomed. The beauty is fleeting, because the flowers only last a day or two.

This beauty is next to our driveway. Leaving for a walk, my husband and I stopped to admire it. He said, “I feel so much pride in this cactus, which is funny, because I had nothing to do with it.” I felt the same way, proud of our blooming plant.

This was our cactus two days after the photo taken above.

I believe in God, only I spell it Nature. —Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright made his home in our desert. He appreciated the beauty surrounding us. I’ve visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert home and school called Taliesin West. I wrote about my visit HERE.

From Wikipedia:

Wright believed Scottsdale to be the perfect spot for such a building: a place of residence, a place of business and a place to learn. Wright described it like this, “Finally I learned of a site twenty-six miles from Phoenix, across the desert of the vast Paradise Valley. On up to a great mesa in the mountains. On the mesa just below McDowell Peak we stopped, turned, and looked around. The top of the world.”

More photos of cacti blooms from our neighborhood:

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

—Albert Einstein

I feel like a kid in a candy store. I see everything around me with fresh eyes although this is my fourth Spring here. I’m in awe and surprised by the prickly cacti producing such eye catching flowers.

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.

—Laura Ingalls Wilder

What are your favorite sights this time of year?

Our wild neighborhood

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We saw two mule deer on our morning walk.

Unfortunately our nest of quail eggs did not hatch. It makes me sad, because I was looking forward to our own hatchlings. We do have a couple families of quail visit our backyard. I also was thrilled to see deer yesterday morning.

I’m not sure what to do with the nest of eggs. I’m leaving it alone for the time being, but think I should throw them away?

I never get tired of the wildlife in our neighborhood. Across the street we have the McDowell Nature Preserve with more than 130 miles of hiking trails. That’s probably why we get deer, coyotes, javelina and bobcats waltzing through our backyards and streets. There’s so much building going on in Arizona, it’s reassuring to know the 30,580 acres of Sonoran Desert across the street will not be developed.

Here is one of the quail families that visit our yard. The babies look like teenagers.

Another deer in a neighbor’s yard.

Here’s a video of a mule deer walking across a neighbor’s driveway.

What is your favorite thing about your neighborhood?

Saguaros in bloom

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This year is fascinating with all the blooming cacti and plants. This is my third spring in Arizona and it’s truly amazing. I’m sure it was the rainy winter we had that is encouraging all the plant life to come alive with flowers. Right now the saguaros are blooming, something I didn’t see much of the past two years.

We have a nature’s preserve across the street and it’s gorgeous to see saguaros topped with white flower crowns. They remind me of the floral crowns we swim moms ordered for my senior day for my daughter’s college swim team.

Saguaros topped with white crowns of flowers at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

A saguaro in bloom at a neighbor’s house.

In our back yard.

What unusual plants, flowers or wildlife have you seen this spring? Did you have more rain or snow than in the past few years?

A beautiful start to the day

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mule deer

We spotted this mule deer on our morning walk.

I did a double take on our morning walk. We were on a cul-de-sac and I saw in the distance what I thought was a statue of a deer. I wondered when the neighbors put it up?

Then the ears twitched and I realized “WOW! It’s alive.”

I’m always surprised when I encounter wildlife in our neighborhood. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to it?

This deer didn’t seem afraid of us and I crept closer and closer to get a photo. She didn’t move.

My husband commented on how secure the deer seemed.

“Well, it’s very nice neighborhood with very little crime,” I said. We left the deer alone after I got some good photos and continued on our walk.

What delightful surprises or sights have you had lately?

On the trail again

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Mcdowell Sonoran preserve hiking trail
Hiking trail in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

The weather has definitely changed. Last week we topped 90 degrees every day. Saturday was a huge rainstorm with wind, thunder and lightening. Then Sunday morning the temperatures were in the 60s and the high was 70. What a wonderful change.

My husband and I hit the hiking trails. It’s been months since we’ve hiked because of the heat.

It feels so good to be out in nature. It’s good for my soul.

Here’s are some of the sights:

trails signs
The trails are marked with signs so it’s nearly impossible to get lost.
mountains and saguaros
Love this view of mountains with saguaros.
Saguaros on the Stagecoach trail.
Out on Stagecoach Trail.
hiking in Utah Ute gear
Our community is close to hiking trails! See the homes in the distance? That’s where we live.
Go UTES! They won against #6 USC Saturday night.

Have a great week! What exciting fun things did you encounter over the weekend?