Fresh Air is Soul Care
I was beat, just beat. Four nights in one week of having one of our kids up during the night and then joining us in bed was really starting to have an impact. Covering up the ever darkening circles under my eyes with a little extra concealer was an easy fix but stopping my arthritis from flairing up was just something that was beyond my control. Friday afternoons are usually spent cleaning the house so that Saturdays can be spent doing fun stuff, but I was too tired to even think of something fun! That is, until I got this lovely email from my husband:
So, I’m thinking about hitting up Calvin Crest tomorrow for two or three laps. Looks like they didn’t get any rain and it’s way more fun than Tranquility. I know you like to go out there too, so I thought I’d run it past you now in case you wanted to go too.
Camp Calvin Crest has mountain bike trails which Travis loves, and hiking trails for me so obviously my answer was yes!! My neurons really started firing as I started to think what I would need to do to get ready. Sun screen, check! Bug spray, check! Cyanotype paper.....ummm no. My stash of prepped paper was quite low. Thankfully it was still early in the afternoon so I could take advantage of Quiet Time to take over the bathroom to mix the chemicals without having to be interrupted.
Word of caution to anyone thinking about taking up sun printing: if you have only one spot in your house that is suitable for working with these type of photo-reactive supplies, everyone will suddenly need to be in that space the moment you get set up to work. Every single time. #funnybutnotfunny
The kids were pretty good about observing the main tenet of Quiet Time, namely, staying quiet, which is very hard to do on Fridays because they know that in just a few short hours they will be at Grammy's House for a sleepover. I had just enough time to get everything ready for the next day's adventure.
Saturday morning came and brought with it an extra dose of humidity thanks to all the rain we had that week. I tend to wear skirts or dresses when I hike to keep cool but did add a long sleeve linen shirt to my attire to avoid more sunburn and provide less surface area for the mosquitoes to feast.
The plan was to be there for about three hours so I figured I would divide my time evenly between hiking/collecting interesting shaped plants and printmaking.
Keep all special thoughts and memories for lifetimes to come. Share these keepsakes with others to inspire hope and build from the past, which can bridge to the future. -Mattie Stepanek
In the end, I a made a total of zero prints. The views were just too serene and the fresh air too restorative for me to head back to the van to get my printing supplies. Also knowing that I will be back multiple times this summer may have also influenced my decision! :-)
Lillie Langtry one said, "Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit."
I wholeheartedly agree!!
