It’s great to be hiking again. I found a dirt road in the mountains, east of Delano. I followed this scenic path and saw lots of bare oak trees & tall pine trees. And after an hour of hiking, the snow became very deep. It must’ve snowed a lot yesterday when it was raining in the valley. I wore my running shoes. I should’ve put on my boots. And I should’ve brought some gloves too, it was very cold. I didn’t feel too cold most of the time, except for my hands.

I wanted to find a quiet place to read a book. I should’ve left the book in my car because the wilderness has a story of its own. It’s a movie. You’re the audience. The screen is 360 degrees. While I was walking, I saw a lot of animal tracks, but no animals. The only animals I saw were a few ravens. No sparrows or jays. No squirrels or rabbits. Not even any bugs...but that didn’t bug me. I guess it was too cold for any life. The road was muddy at times because of the melting snow. I looked at a thin stream of water and realized: this is how raging rivers begin—with a patch of snow. The snow was a white blanket covering the green grass & brown mulch of dead leaves and pine needles. The whole landscape was painted brown, green, and white. And the sky was painted light blue with white and grey clouds. And after a few hours, the yellow sun became a red sunset that painted the clouds bright red as well. And so that was how the day ended. And then I found myself walking in deep snow. I was up to my ankles in snow. And the scene was getting darker. The darkness seemed to shade everything quickly. I became afraid of the dark. But the moon reflected the light from the sun and illuminated the snow, and the stars burned brightly. So then I felt comforted. I turned back and came to a snow-covered clearing in the woods. I stood on a rock and looked at the urban lights in the distance. Then I walked on the muddy path for about 30 minutes and I suddenly saw the road where my car was parked. I changed into some walking shoes and then drove home.

I should be living in the mountains. I don’t have time for urban people and their sick minds. There’s something about the fresh air in the mountains...it makes me feel better. And there are no people to tell me what to do or how to live my life. There are no demands for me to win a sporting event, or make good grades, or be the most productive worker in the factory/office/retail business. I’m at peace in the natural world.