About thirty five summers ago, while traveling to and camping in one national forest after  another,  I stepped out of the car at a Grand Canyon lookout point, walked over to the edge and was blasted, almost physically knocked over by the stillness, the overwhelming silence, size and absolute raw beauty of it. Thoughts of  “Now THIS is a piece of sculpture.” and “No mortal  sculptor could come anywhere close to this” came to mind immediately. To say I was in awe is an understatement.

I’ve had many similar experiences in nature.  My father’s advice for any physical ailment was “Take a bath” and for any emotional ailment “Go outside.” He died several months ago and one of my sister’s and I continue to feel his presence in the wind.

I just came back from a round trip train ride to California, glued to the window for the entire trip, both ways. We climbed high into the Sierra Nevadas and, while snaking through them, felt as though one could reach out and touch the rocks. Indeed we disappeared into tunnel after tunnel, burrowing right through them. Trees, staggered up the mountainsides, were waist high in bright white snow in some parts.

As we chugged along, the vast sunrises in the Colorado Desert wrapped their loving arms around us, exploding oranges, yellows and purples all the way to the ground, bringing new meaning to wake-up call. And of course, once the destination of California was reached we clickity clacked through mile after mile of spectacular farmland.  I got off the train and headed to Santa Cruz where I was welcomed by glad to see me and vice versa family members, and the sparkling, never ending coastline and beckoning beaches.

Now home, there is just nothing in the world as beautiful and lush as the spring in Pennsylvania…..and I just LOVE weaving around the back roads of Chester County in my car, over hill over dale, marveling at the millions of shades of sunlit greens in the grass, bushes and trees – all hopping up and down for joy that winter is over and summer on the way. The giant pink, red, magenta, lavender and white flowers wave hello and shout hooray from the branches. Tulips are standing up and cheering everywhere you look.

It just doesn’t get any better than this. Go outside and see some serious handiwork from the fingers of Thy might, and the wondrous signs of the Creator of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth.