Early

The first morning in Far-Away Mountains, I woke up early, since my body was still on eastern standard time. I put on my sneakers, grabbed my camera, and went out quietly out the front door to explore. A mist was just clearing from the meadow, and grasses brushed the hems of my sweatpants until they were wet.

I followed a dirt road that wound through the woods, past a little pond and then a woodpile. The ferns and skunk cabbage were huge, and I’ve never seen such lush mosses. Some trees were completely covered in green, as if they’d been gift-wrapped by a leprechaun.

By the time I got back to the ranch, the sun was shining through the mist, and the clouds were parting to show the mountains. Lilting Voice was making coffee, and the scent greeted me as I entered the kitchen where my friends gathered gradually, everyone hungry for breakfast and conversation.