Vanity Dies on Nature Trails!
It was adventure day...they had both been excited for it since Friday and knew they wouldn't be disappointed. The girls headed out to the car with a sort of giddiness, eager to head out to the garden they had found secreted away in the middle of the nowhere. An oasis. Few people knew of it, a well kept and guarded secret by those who lived in the area.
A short drive down the road they came to some signage which showed that they still had 8kms to drive up a winding dirt track. It was well looked after by the farmers in the area and at the top they were greeted to a vast open area filled with little picnic sites, benches and beautiful shade trees. They weren't there for that though...they wanted to hike.
Up, up, up they walked, the tracks meandering this way and that, leaving spectacular views all around, a pretty landscape to just look out over and marvel at the beauty of the world around. Green and brown below, blue and white above – wisps of cloud passing with the ever so faint breeze blowing at the sweat staining the girls' brows and napes. They talked of many things, bugs and flowers, snakes and bees. Ants, termites and beetles going about their business.
If there is anywhere that they would rather be together than inside, it would have to be out there in the wild areas where there aren't boxes, nature colours outside the lines, painting her canvas with broad brushstrokes in millions of hues. No human order, primitive, ancient. The laws out here laugh at those of humans.
The air became hot and hung on them, every step up heaving more and more exhausted, but a good kind of tired set in. The kind where you know you worked muscles you don't normally pay attention to.
Stopping occasionally in the shade to catch their breath, they found brambles and rootstock shells, pine cones and stones – all different and uniquely beautiful in their simplicity. Their forms all just perfect as they were. Lying about like nature's decorations. Spirals and geometric patterns all at play but a little bit wonky as if nature isn't too particular about being pedantic. Function over fashion.
Out here they felt true freedom – the kind where you aren't being judged by people, your imperfections and flaws are just as they should be, part of nature's picture. A little bit less pedantic than dotted I's and crossed T's, a little bit less fussy than our, a little bit less obsessive. Where every crease, stray hair blowing in the wind is accepted, every eyelash that falls is a wish and every bud that forms has potential to become a stunningly gorgeous flower. ALIVE with possibility.
And after a long walk, some snacks (because you need to have snacks on hot hikes) and a sip of water or seven, they dipped their toes into the water of the lake and cooled off, feeling the breeze whip up and greet them happily. Then they closed the gate and went home; exhausted but happy.
All images are my own unless otherwise stated