enjoying the zen of the moment

Chris and I went out to the Konza Tallgrass Prairie recently for a walk. It sounds funny right? Walking/hiking on the prairie? But it's a lovely way to understand that the plains of the midwest are not all flat. There are rolling hills, creeks, rises and falls, wild turkeys, trees, grasses, birds...

While we were out walking I wondered aloud about how many miles the pioneers heading west in wagon trains covered during a day. Chris said he thought maybe 20. Gosh, can you even imagine? We are so used to being whisked wherever we go, and grumbling if things get off track.

The vista's from even a small rise are so beautiful. To stand and turn 360 degrees and have unobstructed views of the horizon is amazing.

When we got to the first cut off, meaning we could loop back now and get in a shorter hike Chris said "I thought we'd do the Kings Loop like we did last time". He got no argument from me, we kept walking.

As we headed down from the rise there were trees along the creek bed, we heard the chirping of an Eastern Meadowlark and a Tufted Titmouse.

As we drew closer to the trailhead we agreed our trek was plenty long enough and were glad we hadn't chosen the longest walk. Back at the car we opened the back, sat down on the tailgate, took off our boots, washed our hands, and proceeded to have lunch. The MOST delicious home-made ham salad sandwiches you have ever eaten in your life. There is no meal that is more relished than the one had in the out of doors, after a hike, listening to the sounds of nature, and just enjoying the zen of the moment.