learning to count

Broken Bow Lake Meditation, originally uploaded by gurdonark.

Last night we went to a Mediterranean restaurant not at all to my taste.
Rather than the simple, nuanced fare I expected from the menu, my meal proved to be drowned in sauce.

I found myself feeling almost put upon about being charged a fairly expensive price for a barely adequate portion of what I considered a disappointing meal.

Earlier the same evening, I listened with rapt attention to the radio about the on-rushing economic crisis.

After the meal was over, I realized how ungrateful I was, being irritated because a meal was slightly imperfect, when people are being foreclosed, evicted and even edging into hunger. I thought I should learn to count things other than grievances.

prairie grass

Trinity Trail, near Lucas, Texas USA, November 15, 2008, originally uploaded by gurdonark.

Today I walked on Trinity Trail, about twenty minutes from my house. Although the temperature was in the high 50s or low 60s, the vigorous wind felt more chill than that reading.

Although I had my mp3 player earplugs on, ambient sounds from the surroundings added a soundtrack to the hike--the caws of a crow, the song of a warbler, the little Fall-cheep of a cardinal, and the sound of bells around labradors gently ringing.

I like the way the grass looks like a sea of yellow/brown in this season, and the sight of passing horse riders enjoying the chill day.

A few of the last of the butterflies flittered by, and the last blooms of Autumn flowers were making their last appearances.

I enjoy the meditative relaxation of hiking a rural trail.