Nature's Wake Up Call

It had been a long hike. Longer than he had remembered.

He had set out early, just in case he was wrong about hong long it would take him to reach the top. His coffee was finished well before the sun had even begun to brighten the morning sky. Everything was quiet. Peaceful. The houses in his neighborhood were still dark. Everyone was still tucked in - hours to go before the first alarm clocks began to go off. All that lit the path to his car were the remaining stars in the sky.

The terrain wasn't what it once was. Mother Nature had done some remodeling. Knocking down a couple trees, blocking the path with rocks and mounds of dirt. Some of the trail had even been washed away in early spring showers - swept into the river that flowed parallel, to become deposited somewhere else. There was the pleasant smell of wet, rotting leaves seeping from the forest floor. That unique smell of autumn.

The last time he had walked up this way was some time ago. When he was much younger. During the years that energy was still in surplus. He used to bound up the mountain with ease. No problem at all. Now he had to stop every so often to stretch his legs. Loosen them up. They weren't too bad yet - just tight. But he knew they'd complain the next day. Refusing to get out of bed. Moaning on their way down the stairs for coffee. It wasn't something he was looking forward to at all.

But as he stood there, looking out over the land, the sore muscles, blistered toes, and damp boots all became worth it. There really was nothing else like it. He could see for miles. Thousands of trees lined up before him, poking through the early dawn mist, as if they were waving good morning to him. The air was fresh. He could feel the dew in his throat with every breath. The breeze was cool and refreshing. He was in awe of its beauty. How untouched it all looked. Flawless.

And this morning, it was his.

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