Why go out in the rain?

You plan a walk or a hike and then it rains.  So you stay inside and postpone the walk until the weather's better. I've done it plenty - I've stayed inside because of rain.  I like dry weather and blue skies and long views.  But I've also learned to like fog and mist and rain and even a downpour here and there.  I've learned to love raindrops dripping from flowers and leaves all shiny and wet.

While I've never been a fan of hiking in the mud- in fact walking in mud for fourteen miles on my first day on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont made me cry - I realize that a walk in the rain can often be lovely. It shifts the perspective closer- to the moss on the trail side, or a bark-darkened tree, or a puddle adorned with fallen leaves.  Rain puts up a curtain around the long views so you notice what's right in front of you.  Sometimes its a box turtle in the trail.  Or a squirrel fixing up a nest for the evening.

Last night I hosted a wordless walk - it was supposed to be to enjoy the sunset and moonrise, but clouds and rain all day made visibility of the sunset unlikely.  So people who'd planned to attend the walk mostly stayed away  - rain tends to do that.

I learned from six months hiking the Appalachian Trail that if I only hiked when it wasn't raining, I would never finish the journey. It rains a lot in the eastern woodlands. Yesterday I had nowhere I needed to be and I could have easily stayed home and canceled the walk, knowing that people understand that you don't go out walking in the rain.

But I'd been inside too much this week.  So I went. And I'm so glad I did.  The quality of light as day shifted to night was magical.

The rain was only a sprinkle here and there.  I really did watch a squirrel prepare its nighttime cozy spot.

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And the moon peeked out from the clouds for a moment!

The breeze was the absolute perfect temperature, and I got what I'd come out for - stillness for my soul.

Here's one more wordless video for you - raindrops on the bayou.  Watch the ripples.  So calming.

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So what are your thoughts? Will you go walking in the rain?  What do you love about rain?

Fun inspiration five ways!

Happy Thursday, everyone! There are so many great things happening right now!  And something here might be just the dose of inspiration you need! First, on Monday I was a guest on Stacey Shank's Blog Talk Radio Show - she's the mastermind behind the 30 Day Challenge that I participated in. We talked about how to realize our own overwhelm and ways to remedy that and live more calmly. And I do a cool sense drenching activity that's super relaxing. If you have 30 minutes, give it a listen! - click the little play icon below.

Listen to internet radio with Stacey Shanks on Blog Talk Radio

Second, I'm so excited about my upcoming Clarity and Connection retreat - right on the Autumnal Equinox- September 21-23 - a perfect time to be quiet in nature so you can hear your soul. Waterfall hiking, an incredibly beautiful and relaxing setting, and the perfect mix of unstructured time and group time to share with other wise women. I still have spots available, so check your calendar and see if a personal getaway in September is just what you're looking for! Read more details and sign up here.

Third, if you're in the New Orleans area, I have two wordless walks coming up!  I'm hosting a morning walk on Sunday August 26 at 8 a.m. and then a moonlight wordless walk on Friday, August 31 - it's a special blue moon!  You can read more about these events here. And if you're not near New Orleans, have you signed up to get my free wordless cure for busyness?  It gives you great directions on how to take your own wordless walk, and how to incorporate more wordlessness into your daily life and dial back the busyness.  You can sign up on the side bar to the right, or if you're reading this on a phone and don't see a side bar, then click here.  Then you'll be subscribed and get email updates from me and exciting offers and other fun wild and precious goodies!

Fourth, I am looking for people to share their experiences with wordlessness for my Wordless Wednesdays. I want to start a wordlessness revolution and I would love to feature you and your wordless video or photos.  Feel free to write about your wordless experience as well.  Send your wordless goodies to me: carla@livingwildandprecious.com - and if you include your snail mail address in your email, I'll send you a treat!

Fifth and best of all, if you're at all interested in seeing how coaching can make a difference in your life, this is a great time to find out. My coaching rates will be increasing in September, so now's the time to jump in, invest in yourself and save some money at the same time.  Are you itching to live more wild and precious? Click to schedule a free call with me and learn more!

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And this is just the beginning - I have some new Wild and Precious yumminess coming very soon, and I can't wait to tell you about it!

Wordless Wednesday - summertime at Crane Creek

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ3HaP7b1CM&feature=youtu.be] I haven't gone to bed, so it's still Wednesday to me!  I think this may be one of my favorite one minute wordless videos so far.  Can you hear the cicadas?  Enjoy!

And if you have wordless photos or videos to share, please email them to me and I'll share them on Wordless Wednesdays!  carla at livingwildandprecious dot com.

30 Day Challenge - Day 13: Wordless interlude

Grass time, check. Paper time, check.  Now I'm just keeping up with new papers instead of going through piles.  There are virtually no visible piles!  Cool! Drawing time, check. In process and a minor disaster, so no photo.  I think I'll just admit that when it comes to art, while I love making works that are representational, I am one lazy drawer so I get something more toward primitive.  I'm just so anxious to get to the part with the colors!

Best of all, day 13 included a nice long wordless interlude.  And tomorrow will include one as well, as I'm hosting a wordless walk in the swamp in the morning.  I'm a big fan of wordlessness as a way to still our overactive minds and connect with our deeper selves and the beautiful world around us.  Today, my sweetheart and I scouted a couple of trails.  I knew there would be a lot of water, and I was right.  But when it's warm, what's better than an Amazon-like experience of wading shin deep along swamp trails?

We saw two owls, a bunch of ibis, a yellow crowned night heron, a deer, a bunny and several squirrels, along with countless spiders and dragonflies.

Check out this cute of an ibis sharing our wordless walk with us.  I especially love the symphony of swamp sounds in the background. Click here for the video!  wordlessness with an ibis   (What happened to YouTube video previews?  boo!)

And here are the ibis a little more close up.  I love their curved beaks!

Here's to wordless interludes - they make such a difference for me - I just soak up the sounds and scents and breathe and relax.  Are you fitting wordlessness into your days?  I would love to hear about it!

Moonlit wordlessness

I used to be afraid of the dark.  Once my brother went off to college and it was my job to bring the garbage cans up the driveway to the street, I would drag them up at top speed, then turn and sprint back to the safety the inside of the house. What was I afraid of?  Goblins?  Witches?  Some kind of supernatural evil?  Who knows, but I'll never forget the one time it was pitch black and raining and I was running so fast with those trash cans that I almost ran straight into Mr. Heath and his little dog, out for a walk in their matching slickers.  I think we both scared each other a little, but he certainly was no warlock.

Somewhere along the way, I lost my fear of the dark.  I spent more time walking around in the woods at night and found out that nothing really changed except it was quiet and you couldn't see as much, and sometimes the sounds were different.

And some time after that, I grew to really enjoy walking in the woods in the dark, especially when the moon is out.  There's something so amazing about seeing your shadow created by pure moonlight.

If you haven't yet tried a nighttime wordless walk, this weekend is a great opportunity.  The moon will be close to full.  Go to a place where you feel safe.  Bring friends. Find a picturesque location to watch the sun set and the moon rise, preferably away from artificial lights.  Still your mind and just breathe and listen and be.  Stay long enough for it to get really dark so you can see your shadow by the moonlight. Marvel.

And if you're in the New Orleans area, you can join me this Sunday at 6 p.m. at Jean Lafitte for a sunset/moonrise wordless walk.  We'll meet at the Bayou Coquille parking area, and you can email me at carla@livingwildandprecious.com if you have any questions.  No matter where you are, if you haven't tried nighttime wordlessness, give it a try and tell me what happens!