“Pack a Backpack”, a community effort in preparing students for school, ads on TV for back to school clothing shopping, family and friends posting their children’s first days on Facebook, like it or not the excitement is in the air preparing for a new school year.  Just as obvious are the schools with parking lots filled with vehicles as re-energized faculty and staff are in full swing doing their best in preparing for another year.   Anticipation of possibilities were always such a big part of August for me.

Well, here it is August, newly retired, and nowhere near where I have always been.  Life feels very different because of that.  Good, as in exciting as I can fill my day the way I choose and bad, as in scary as what will I do with myself?

So, one way I am combatting those scary and unwanted feelings is by getting a good dose of fresh air every day.  I do mean every day.  Today’s pick of fun in the sun was a bike ride with hubby on a bike path neither one of us had ever been on before.

This bike path was paved, winding, edged a creek,  and was the perfect landscape for a pick-me-up.  So beautiful the view, I needed to capture it.  In every direction,  it was breathtaking.  Lush greens as far as the eye could see and

sprigs of wild flowers bringing color to the creek’s edge.

There were dense, deep woods in which to let the mind relax and

wonderful wooden bridges, warming the heart as the sound of tread hit the planks..

A paradise of serenity…

Looming far off into the distance… a highway sign.  I spotted the highway sign, the exit that I used to get to and from school every day, every year, throughout my career …  I lingered in thought for a bit

with a moment of contemplation, and was appreciative of the day.