There's Always a Way to Beauty: Finding joy in access to cold mountain stream
Like many people, I've been heading to the outdoors to get away from the stress of the pandemic. Earlier this month, we went trail riding in the mountains as we hunted for wild raspberries in our UTV. Usually the mountain air is cooler than the valley, but the sun and the heat seemed to follow us into the forest. We stopped for lunch near a bridge and my husband, Shawn, dipped the dogs in the creek to cool them off. As he came back my way I asked, "Is there any way I can get down to the water, too?" As many of you know, I have a form of muscular dystrophy that limits my physical strength. I knew I couldn't get there on my own. Shawn shook his head. "No, the bank is too steep for me to carry you and there's no level place to stand at the bottom." I sighed, envious of his access to the cool water. But then I decided that I would find a better place. I declared, "I want to put my feet in the water today." As we rode, we spotted hillside springs th