“Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul” – John Muir

On a rare occasion, we experience a moment that is spent in awe of something so magnificent, that it fuels your soul.

When it happens you will know.

You will feel the moment become a part of you.

It becomes etched in your psyche.

Although moments like this are rare, they run deep and are never forgotten.

These moments are golden and can stay hidden until years later when something as simple as a scent or a phrase can ignite it from the darkness.

I am privileged to have had one of these intense moments happen right here on our property.

Long before we built our home, back when our weekends were a retreat to our crooked little cabin in the woods seeking solace and peace from a hectic world.

It was late on a lazy afternoon in the last days of September.

With my faithful furry companion at my side, I had been walking the paths on our property and had just settled down on my favorite grassy perch on the hilltop under a brilliant Missouri sky.

The sweet smell of hickory smoke lingered in the crisp autumn air.  Faint enough that you wanted more, to suck it in until your lungs reached capacity.

And there it was…

The western sky appeared to be on fire.  The sight of it was shocking.

My left hand reached up to clutch the neck of my jacket – I had never seen a sky in such blazing glory.

It didn’t look real – if it were a painting – you would think the artist messed up.  Sunsets don’t look like that in real life.

Just as I was focusing on the brilliance in the west, a crisp breeze began to swirl around me.

It was so refreshing I began to smile at the air.  Somehow, the way it brushed past my face and cheeks made me feel more alive.

The breeze then reached the cottonwood – its shimmering leaves launched into a chatty babble directly behind me.  It was as if the leaves were celebrating my joy.

In front of where I sat was our gulch.  The blazing sky danced across the sparkling waves that appeared to flash fire in its reflection.

The same water just moments before was like glass.

I was just a speck enveloped in splendor.

The view of the blazing sky, the faint aroma of the hickory smoke, the feel of the cool crisp air, the babble of the cottonwood, every ounce of my being was captivated.

I knew this was a moment that would never come again.

There is a comfort knowing this memory stays alive within me.

My soul fuel.

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All photos, thoughts, experiences, and opinions are my own.

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