Whiteside Mountain Vista ©Lynne Buchanan
All Rights Reserved, Watermarked by Digimarc
This morning I went for a walk on the mountain near where we are staying in North Carolina. For some reason, I decided to go down this narrow trail a little before the summit, which is a lot safer since it has a fence to keep you from falling over the edge. The view looked stunning. I wondered for a moment if I should continue following the path, or if it was too dangerous since the rocks were very wet from the rain and there was such a sheer drop. Then I noticed a mall mound with some grasses growing out of it. There were shrubs most of the way there that I realized I could hold on to, and then I inched the last few feet on my bottom. The wind was blowing quite a bit and the sky was putting on quite a show. The sun was going in and out of the clouds and its rays were lighting up the moist rocky outcropping where I was perched precariously. I sat a little stiller than usual taking it all in, alone in communion with the heavens. I wasn't quite sure how I was fortunate enough to get to such a beautiful spot at precisely the right moment. After all, until very recently, I was petrified of heights. As I had made my way there, I felt like I was being directed by some higher power. Whether this was true or not I had no idea, but it had felt so strongly like that is what I was supposed to do that I hadn't been able to stop myself. I drank some water and had a snack and marveled at all I saw. Then it got colder and colder and the fog started blowing in. I decided it was time to make my way back. When I turned around, I realized I must have been insane! The rocks looked even more slippery. I crouched down as much as I could, remembering the story I had read of the heroic rescue on this trail and realizing there was no one here to help me. Fortunately, all went well and I made it back to the main trail, though my heart was pounding for quite awhile. I felt so alive and supremely grateful to be here.
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