by kimqi | Dec 18, 2022 | Hiking, Nature, Qi, Winter, Winter Hiking
Tiny birds scattered in the frigid air as I ducked under a partially fallen tree crossing the trail. I searched above for the bird making a racket, probably warning the little birds of the invasion that was me. The world looked gray. A tall, sturdy tree stood dark...
by kimqi | Nov 13, 2022 | Fall Hiking, Hiking, Michigan, North Country Trail, YinYang, Seasons
The Michigan State Trooper rolled down his window and gave me a questioning look with a tentative thumbs up. I was on the side of the road with my hazards on, looking at a map. I channeled my grandma Leta who once gave her doctor a check, requesting he deliver it to...
by kimqi | Nov 5, 2022 | Hiking, Michigan, YinYang, Seasons
The feeder trail was long, hot and dusty. It was early July and the smell of pine was sharp from the heat. My thirteen-year-old nephew and I walked under the power lines. Power companies clearcut land but generously allow trails on their property. The cost of these...
by kimqi | Oct 23, 2022 | Buddhism, Nature, YinYang, Seasons
I found a tiny burr on my dress, the dress I wore for the Colorado mountain wedding in September. I pinched it off and casually threw it in the waste basket. I have thought about the burr a lot. I wish I had put it in the woods. It traveled so far. It did its job. It...
by kimqi | Oct 9, 2022 | Nature, Winter, YinYang, YinYang, Seasons
Here we are, on the dark side of the equinox, bracing ourselves for the inevitable. Winter. At the risk of sounding bossy and redundant– gather your books, journals, sketchbooks, pens and pencils. Don’t forget the eraser. You’ll need it. Unearth the velvet...
by kimqi | Oct 2, 2022 | Colorado, Crested Butte, Wedding
A road trip is a quest. Twenty hours in a car proved exhausting, but we were rewarded with understanding exactly where we were when we arrived. Geographical orientation was a benefit of the journey. Our trip to Crested Butte was 1,151 miles. The last hundred miles...
by kimqi | Aug 21, 2022 | Sandwich Fair, Sandwich Illinois
I broke my toe. Or jammed it. It doesn’t matter. She’s taped to her big sister for stability. Just to clarify, it doesn’t matter if it’s broken or jammed, but the fact that the injury occurred matters a lot. Kid me had a temper tantrum all week. I was going camping,...
by kimqi | Aug 1, 2022 | Camping, Michigan, North Country Trail
I got up really early Friday so I could complete the five-and-a-half-hour drive to Bitely, Michigan, and get a good campsite. Only nine at Highbank Lake and I planned the weekend’s hike around this campground. I have learned that my plan doesn’t matter to anyone else;...
by kimqi | Jul 28, 2022 | Hiking, Michigan, North Country Trail
There were acres of lilies in vast shallow bodies of water. I had never seen anything like it. The lilies weren’t just around the perimeter of the marsh but everywhere. Huge white flowers appeared to float on the water’s surface while the leaves covered it like green...
by kimqi | May 28, 2022 | Hiking, meditation, Nature, YinYang
“I had never heard of a Witness Tree, a tree that’s lived a very long time, standing silently, having witnessed a historical event. I would argue that each moment of every day is historical, and no one has to deem the day’s events worthy of remembering, so, from...
