There are many perks to working for Winter Park Resort. One is the three free weekly passes for the Grand Park Community Recreation Center. The Aquatics area includes a lap pool (I love swimming), a hot tub, a sauna, and a steam room. Perfect! I waited for my day off to sit in the hot tub to help heal my aching calf muscle.
It worked, it really did! I feel so much better, that for the other half of the day, I go for a short two-hour hike.
With the days being shorter, I don't get to hike in the woods as much as I wish. While my morning and evening walks after work offer breathtaking mountain views, it is not the experience I cherish so much, such as hiking beneath the trees or along a stream.
I am avoiding skiing this holiday break as I still want to rest my calf and avoid the crowds. I am taking this morning slow, as slow as a turtle. I plan to sit and write to catch up on a few posts I am working on for later when I am ready to share, but my legs are aching to hike.
Therefore,I put on my hiking boots and crossed the road. Honestly, most of my drafts are born during my hikes. That is how a post is created, from recording my inner thoughts while hiking. Nature is where I feel I belong to myself most. It's where I find the space to dig deeper, think with an open mind, and see things from a broader perspective.
My thoughts are wandering as I navigate a period of time where I need to make tough decisions on my own. I deeply respect my close friend’s opinions, and creating my own definition of the word advice helps me appreciate their thoughts. Advice is the perspective of someone else, offered as a suggestion or idea. It is not a command but an opportunity to see things in a different light. Advice grants the freedom to consider, reflect, and ultimately make your own choice.
Back on the same trail, I head up Jim Creek. I follow the path that snowshoes padded for me. Otherwise, I would sink into the deep snow. I pass the same trees, and their familiar beauty makes me feel at home.
Half an hour into the hike, snow gently sprinkles down, adding to the stunning white wonderland. Two hours into my hike, the falling snow increased its passion, and it is time to turn around.
At one point, I reached a section of trees that created a cocoon-like shelter from the snow hitting my face. I paused there for a short break, appreciating the stillness of the air and the peaceful power the woods always gift me.
Want to read another Lost and Found story? I like this one—well, I like them all. They are full of happy endings and the power of hope.
Bradley approached the Lost and Found window with a sad look in his eyes. By now, I can tell who arrives with high hopes of finding their lost item and who is just giving it a shot.
Bradley had lost his right mitten. He wasn't sure where he had dropped it, but it was gone. I encouraged him to fill out a lost item form just in case it showed up. After all, it was a unique mitten with a distinctive design.
Three weeks later, we received a big black garbage bag stuffed with gloves, mittens, and hats from one of the lifts. I spilled the contents onto the floor and began sorting through the pile. Because Bradley's mitten was so unique, I spotted it immediately, peeking out from between the stack.
Now, it was time to put on my detective hat and comb through all the blue forms, hoping Bradley had written a clear description. After fifteen minutes of searching, I found what I was looking for.
There's nothing quite like hearing the excitement in someone's voice when I call to let them know their lost item has been found. Bradley was thrilled! He couldn't believe it! I was even more delighted when he came to pick it up while I was at work. His smile made my day!
It was bound to happen. I have been sick in bed for three days, fighting a cold. I don't remember when I last had a cold. I am one of the lucky ones who never even got sick with Covid. I guess living and working around so many people has its ups and downs.
Meanwhile, snow continues to pile up on my car while I rest. These are the kinds of problems you face in the land of winter wonderland.
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