This is the Right Place

 

 There are certain geographical places on this spinning globe that resonate more strongly with each individual being than others. The Ausable River is one of those places for me.
The twisted roots embracing the rocks, the ancient rock cliffs, the deep dark pools and the roaring waterfalls all make me ecstatically happy when I am around them.



 
Walt and I hiked down the Flume trail alongside this tumbling, laughing river that is filled with boulders and waterfalls. We were both enchanted and spent the entire day by her side, watching the light change and listening to her roar. (These photos are all taken on my iphone as I brought my good camera but forgot the camera card at home.)

  

 

Although I consider every breath I take to be an absolute miracle and every day that I am alive to be a gift, some days are extraordinarily wrapped in light, sound, texture and color.
This was one of those extraordinary days.

Every moment along that river seemed to become more entangled in beauty. When I set up my easel and begin to paint, slowly everything drops away, even my own complicated thoughts, and I become the river and the rocks and the roar...my absolute favorite state of being, one I call, "the roaring inside".

 The colors were reflected in the water and at times the water looked like gold leaf. Photos can never do this justice because the color was flowing and moving but this is a glimpse into the gold.


As the day unfolded we worked our way further and further down river until we came to an intricate grouping of rock cairns marking the most magical spot of all.

 A small offering was placed on this altar of rocks beside the river, a cluster of beads and wool with a small medallion that said, "This is the Right Place". I couldn't have agreed more.

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