by kimqi | Mar 20, 2023 | Hiking, Illinois, Taoism, Winter, Winter Hiking, YinYang
It was cold but sunny, the perfect morning to wander around Matthiessen. Tonight is the Equinox, the beginning of Spring. A time of balance, night and day are the same length; Yin equals Yang. This hike is a quest to find Spring, I thought. I laughed and shivered....
by kimqi | Mar 11, 2023 | Hiking, Illinois
Recent hikes in the Shawnee National Forest inspired me to research critters I was unfamiliar with; bobcats, rattlesnakes and copperheads. The process led me to consider fear in general. We are afraid of things we don’t understand, right? In theory, education will...
by kimqi | Feb 18, 2023 | Hiking, Illinois, Nature, Winter Hiking
Every February, I long to get away. This year, I took time off work, so I would go, no matter what. I wanted to visit somewhere warm, which didn’t happen, mainly because I couldn’t coordinate it. Last week, I impulsively chose Shawnee National Forest over Hocking...
by kimqi | Jan 29, 2023 | YinYang, Seasons
It was cold, but the snow had stopped, and there wasn’t more forecast. I love the snow. It will only get colder, I reasoned. It was decided. I bundled up and went to a small local forest preserve early Sunday morning. It sure WAS cold. I’ve gained a little weight...
by kimqi | Jan 23, 2023 | Lunar New Year, Taoism
I saw my daughter’s sweet face in a dream and smiled. Other images of her followed, dancing and twirling until my heart felt like it would explode with joy. The vision suddenly shattered and settled, spreading out, arranging itself like a Gustav Klimt painting, tiny...
