Today we started out in Tracy. First: the companion puts me next to this tree, not a roadside attraction, to get my picture. He gets almost as excited about trees as he does roadside attractions. Look a Joshua Tree! But it's not a Joshua Tree. I sigh.
Then off we went for a 20 to 30 mile bike ride today, across some mountains. The companion found us a motel in Livermore (20 miles) and one in Pleasanton (30). He said: if we get to Livermore with time to get Pleasanton we will go on more. He was worried about the hills.
The companion was ready for a hard day. However, he rested yesterday and he was stronger, and the mountains here in California are not the Rockies. The hills were rolling and pretty but not steep. There were some steep ones but not badly.
But what was nice was the hills! They are so green! All of them green, like spring. There was no wind, and the day was quiet. So quiet that we could hear the birds singing, and the frogs with a bass! The companion joined in with some strange song “And did those feet in ancient times walk upon England’s mountains green.” What?
And that is all he knew. Soon he became quiet. And he climbed a hill or two, and let his thoughts relax. While he let his thoughts relax, and looked at the hills of green, I focused on the animals that were around or had passed recently. The smells were so clean, and clear. Oh boy, I had a good time today on those hills.
Then he stopped the bike and looked at me and said: today Livermore, then Monday in San Jose, Tuesday San Bruno, Wednesday San Fran, and Thursday our triumphant finish. We are four days away from doing something I never thought I would have been able to do. We are going to finish in just four days.
He was filled with so much hope and optimism! I was so happy to hear him like this today. And he wrote a lovely caption for this picture: “The hills are green with the greenness of spring: it is a fresh green, a new green, a green filled with the promise of good things to come: it is a green that fills your soul, it pushes out the deadness of winter, the darkness of depression, and leaves you looking up to the blue sky, highlighted with clouds.”Amen: let’s lift our eyes up to the sky!
See what having a dog can do for you!
The picture and the caption are both lovely. After reading the previous post and this one, I thought of Psalm 121, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills..." I am not a religious person, but something about the fear and the hope spoke to me. Tell your Companion that he will be OK, because he can feel his connection to the greenness and the hills and the tomatoes in his garden.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of your Companion's song can be found here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a262.html
I am so happy for you both to be nearing the end of your Great Adventure!