The Hollow Log

Deep in the woods, away from the sounds of the city and the noise from the road, the only thing that breaks the silence is the sound of my footsteps, panting of my dog and the songs of the birds. It is a glorious quiet.

Preparing for Africa is fun so far. I have made plans to put lots of miles on my shoes and see some amazing new places. All of the training and outdoor hikes will prepare me well, I think. I am as excited about the journey as I am the destination - maybe even more so. Sort of by accident, I am working my way through the highest points in the states surrounding Texas. By the end of 2026, I will have visited the highpoints in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi and Colorado. It started pretty simply - I needed to gain some elevation in Texas, so Googled the highest place there. The search came back with the Guadalupe Peak at 8751 feet. Then, I thought it would be fun to do the same in New Mexico - Wheeler Peak at 13,161 feet. Now, I look at the highest point in every state and find it! Apparently, it is something that a lot of people do. Who knew??

The first stop on our highpoint trek was Magazine Mountain in Arkansas. It was really pretty. The road was curved and hilly. We had to take it pretty slow. It was nice to be forced to slow down, though. Everything would have been a blur otherwise. Who wants that? We would have missed the best part of the whole day. God loves it when we slow down. He has created this beautiful world for us to enjoy, yet most of the time we rush through it and don't even notice the beauty it holds.

The forest around the mountain was beautiful. It was so thick and shady. It was neat to see the life cycle of the trees. Some had died and fallen, others were brand new little saplings. One that had fallen was a very old, big tree. It was hollow down the middle. I bet that tree had witnessed some amazing things in its lifetime. I bet it provided shade and shelter for many little animals. I bet it lived an incredible life. Now, as it decomposes, it is bringing life to still more little plants around it. As it melts into the earth, it will provide sustenance for all of the little saplings that will come after it. Life giving way to death giving way to life.

I have never been afraid of death or aging. I have always embraced different stages of my life. I am embracing this one, too. I look at it as a new beginning - a different chapter. It is exciting to see the close of one and the opening of another. I am looking forward to seeing what pops up from the remnants of the life I have left behind.