In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds. Â
Robert Green Ingersoll
I don’t know about you but the question “What do you want for your birthday/Christmas/Mother’s Day?” always makes me a little uncomfortable. Â I know the asker means well but I don’t like telling people they have to give me something and then there’s the chance that my lack of an answer means I might be a little disappointed on the big day when I receive a gift that comes from a place of love but isn’t really something I want or need. Â First-world problems indeed…
As a way around this, I’ve started asking for things I know John and Ryan won’t say no to if I present it as my gift. Â Things like waking up at 6am on a Sunday morning so we can hike to a quiet riverbank for lunch.
This year I tried to think of an object they could give me but what I truly wanted was quiet. Â A peaceful stretch of time away from noise, news, social media, politics, bills; you name it, I wanted a break. Â We can’t leave home for a big trip now but I do have a list of hikes I want to try this summer and this one along the Stillaguamish River looked like a good way to start the season. Â Sure enough, an hour down the trail I asked everyone to stop and we stood together in the forest unable to hear a single man-made sound. Â It was wonderful.
So, how do I tie this experience into a post about transience? Â By using the quote above and substituting a few words to match current experiences. Â For me, the day served as a reminder that in the presence of nature, external pressures fade away. Â We made it to the river in time to eat our picnic lunch and enjoy this pretty little cairn on the beach. Â Mini mountains tumbled to smoothness over time, preparing for their next adventure.
Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Â Transient.
Northwest Frame of Mind 
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