Looming Shadows
            Some people are jolted by birthdays ending in zero.
            For special needs families, the scary birthday is 22. The age when guaranteed-by-law school services end. When a shortage of programs for the tsunami of special needs youth “aging out” of the school system means some families suddenly have a highly-challenged young adult at home. All day, every day. 
            No engaging activities in the community for the special needs individual. No income earning time available for a parent on 24/7 supervision duty. It is a daunting possibility.
            There are dedicated social workers and organizations doing their best to offer support. For a day program. For the help of an assistant a few hours a day. For a residential placement. 
            But the upswing in the special needs young adult population is overwhelming, and resources have yet to catch up. The need will not diminish anytime soon.
            When our autistic son was in his mid-teens, workshops to prepare for the big “transition” left us depressed. Our gloom about the future lightened with the appearance of a magical “autism whisperer” for our son. Working miracles in a remarkably short time, this gifted young teacher raised our hopes. Spirits plunged again with his sudden passing (In Memory and Thanks, Getting Sean Out).
            We picked ourselves up, found wonderful new support, and kept our son on a path of progress. Time flew by.
            And now we are here. I wrote the draft of this Insights post on my son’s 22nd birthday. We hope for an opening in a good program when he finishes the school year.
            The looming shadow of the future we dreaded so long has arrived. Yet we keep getting up and getting outdoors. Putting one hiking boot in front of the other. 
            This week’s Hike Notes are about the Julian Trail - Marin Headlands, a path edged by geological formations on one side, views of rolling shadowy hills facing Rodeo Valley on the other. How fortunate we are to have the support system of nature all around us.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 51: Julian Trail – Marin Headlands

Peace in the Fields
            Cows chewing cud in the pasture. An occasional “moo” reverberating from across the road. As a girl growing up across from a dairy farm in the foothills of the Adirondacks, these brought a mellow sense of stability and peace. The cows meandered out to the field every morning, and ambled back to the barn every evening.
            Finding that kind of quiet, reassuring rhythm is not as easy in a city. We regularly seek the calming effects of nature, which we are lucky to have in abundance in the San Francisco Bay Area. Given the choice, I would head for a steep trail on Mt. Tam rather than a field full of cows.
            So what a delightful surprise it was to be introduced to an idyllic ridge walk above Olema, cows looking up from the grass as we walked by.
            This week’s Hike Notes (Number 50!) are about a peaceful walk through the cow pastures along the Bolinas Ridge Trail near Samuel P. Taylor State Park at Point Reyes. This Olema Bolinas Ridge Walk can be as short or as long as you wish to make it, with Tomales Bay and Bolinas Lagoon in view.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 50: Olema Bolinas Ridge Walk

Maxfield Parrish Moments
            Even my hard-core “fine arts only” friends have a glowing spot in their hearts for popular American illustrator Maxfield Parrish. Images burst with saturated blues, purples, and orange-golds. Viewers are transported to a quiet, distant dimension.
            Looking at printed images can calm an agitated soul. That “other time and place” tranquility can be found in multiple dimensions when we step out in nature.
            Any of us can feel distressed or anxious in our day-to-day lives. Some stretches of life toss more stress-grenades at us than others.
            People on the autism spectrum like our son often experience anxiety and agitation, for countless reasons, not all of them easy to discern.
            Parents of individuals on the autism spectrum, particularly mothers, have been found in studies to experience PTSD and stress levels akin to combat stress. Having participated in a study on the physical effects of chronic, high level stress on autism moms, I can back that assertion.
            There is no magic pill that will truly eliminate stress.
            Yet even in the most challenging, overwhelming moments, stepping out for a breath of fresh air or an invigorating walk works wonders. The feel of the air, the sound of birds, and the changing patterns of trees, grass, mountains and water: These are spirit soothers we know we can rely on.
            This week’s Hike Notes are about a lovely walk on the Shoreline Trail from China Camp Campsite to Chicken Coop Hill in San Rafael. Whether in a mystical foggy haze or a Maxfield Parrish-hued glow, this is always a beautiful area to walk.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 49: China Camp Campsite to Chicken Coop Hill

Unexpected Light
            Bright spots appear when we least expect them.
            We all find ourselves in a dark funk once in awhile. Indulging in a little pessimism when the road is bumpy isn’t such a bad thing.
            Dipping our feet into the pool of our troubles, even wallowing briefly, can actually help negative vibes depart more quickly.
            On rare occasions, a hike ends up literally in a dark place. A trail at dusk offers an enveloping, welcoming kind of darkness. As I feel my way along a path lit only by evening light, though counterintuitive, the gloomy spots I was stewing over sometimes dissipate.
            Last rays of sun, suddenly beaming from behind a hill: A match lighting the candle of optimism. Embrace these flashes of positive light. Stop, breathe, and appreciate their uplifting glow.
            This week’s Hike Notes introduce a hike to Battery Townsley. This short steep hike above Marin’s Rodeo Beach offers amazing views with a little cardio kick from the climb up to this World War II gun battery hidden in the Marin Headlands. Beautiful in the morning, midday, or for a mystical sunset walk, this is one of our favorite Bay Area hikes.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 48: Battery Townsley