Reframing the View
When a notoriously tough prison comes into view, minds may tend toward dark thoughts of prison life and infamous inmates from history. We imagine prisoners and guards isolated on a small, rocky island surrounded by treacherous waters. Yet from high on a hill, I look out over San Francisco Bay and see former federal penitentiary Alcatraz as one aesthetic element in the overall vista. Even with the prison facilities clearly in view, it is one integral part of a scene of beauty. How we see or feel about something can shift according to our mood, a change in circumstances, or by consciously reframing how we’re viewing that object, scene or situation. I recently took a short, belated memorial visit to the house I grew up in, in honor of my dad’s recent passing. I thought I might spend the entire visit feeling a powerful sense of loss and sadness. His funeral photo and urn sat on the mantelpiece above his empty chair, the chair he sat in for so many hours each day as his mobility waned. Watching favorite TV shows and movies became his main occupation, and that was his spot. My dad’s empty chair was the logical place for me to sit during my visit. Double negative logic here: I didn’t feel that he wasn’t there. I felt like I was channeling his positive, cheerful spirit as I sat in his space, watching his old favorites in companionship with others missing him. What might have been a time of great heartache somehow reframed itself into treasuring memories of time with my dad. Fears of overwhelming grief never came to pass. Maybe this was simply a serendipitous instance of positive perspective, as I wasn’t trying to avoid sadness. I realized that sad, dark things don’t necessarily manifest themselves as expected, but also that I probably could have consciously worked to embrace happy memories and gratitude if I’d needed to. May we all find ways to shift our perspectives and find silver linings during challenging times. This week’s Hike Notes, Black Point Historic Gardens-Fort Mason, leads readers on a hillside walk along historic flower gardens with a view of Alcatraz, Aquatic Park and the San Francisco Bay. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 New this week: Hike Notes 187: Black Point Historic Gardens-Fort Mason
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Canada Goose Time Travel
I knew the sound of Canada geese before I knew what they looked like. Growing up in the Adirondack foothills where seasons declared themselves boldly—hot humid, bug-filled summers countered by long winters where we said, “It’s warming up!” when temperatures rose up to freezing—migratory creatures were nature’s seasonal alarm clocks. From earliest childhood, I remember feeling both excitement (in spring) and heart-tugging nostalgia (in autumn) when I heard Canada geese fly overhead. I don’t think I saw a Canada goose up close for many years. My visual image of Canada geese for a very long time was a distant V undulating in the sky as they flew in formation. I didn’t need to see them, though. Their iconic honking made their presence known. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area where temperatures are moderate year-round, many Canada geese hang out seemingly without any compulsion to fly elsewhere. My image of them here is waddling in large groups (leaving large droppings) around ponds and lakes rather than flying. As I sit in my attic office, I occasionally hear a flock of Canada geese flying overhead. Like when I was a child, it’s not the sight of them but rather their honking call echoing in a Doppler effect as they fly over my skylight window that tugs at my heartstrings. I am transported back to the frost-covered lawn where I tipped my head back to look up at them as a child. What sounds, sights and smells transport you to good memories of another time and place? Tap into those uplifting senses when the opportunity arises! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Frolic Cove Walk-Mendocino, a scenic coastal walk featuring a shipwreck and the occasional Canada goose. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 140): Frolic Cove Walk-Mendocino Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 The Slippery Slope
“Careful, Sean!” I say as I watch my severely autistic son—who has difficulty with many basic life skills—navigate a wet, rocky path at a fast clip. In truth, Sean has rarely had a misstep on a hiking trail. I—and even our nimble-footed hiking buddy—have slipped on a steep sandy spot and landed on our bottoms momentarily more than once. I remember the look of surprise on Sean’s face the one time he lost his footing enough to hit the ground. The moment passed and he was on his way again. Sean freezes up due to sensory overload, but once the “on” switch clicks, he’s like a mountain goat chugging up steep trails. His walking is highlighted by repeated calls of, “Bench!” which means he expects a snack break somewhere ahead. Life itself is a slippery slope of sorts. I’ve avoided major pitfalls even during my riskiest life adventures. It’s when we’re not watching out, when we aren’t thinking something can go wrong, that we lose our footing and take the biggest falls. Despite the most astounding challenges we pick ourselves up, take a breath, and set one foot ahead of the other to continue our journey. May we all keep chugging up life’s hills, one step at a time! This week’s Hike Notes, Laurel Dell and Cataract Creek, takes readers on a scenic Mt. Tam hikes that includes both hillside ocean views and damp, rocky trails along a creek. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 New this week: Hike Notes 186: Laurel Dell and Cataract Creek Nature’s Cooling System
Fires, earthquakes, atmospheric rivers, drought, extreme heat. These are some of the natural disasters Californians think about. People in other regions worry about hurricanes, tornadoes, avalanches, monsoons, or typhoons. Amid challenges like the recent heat waves around the world, we are lucky to find counterbalances within nature itself. As a kid in Upstate New York, hot, humid days made parts of the summer miserable. My brothers and I knew that a walk down our big hill, past the apple trees, and through a barbed wire fence would lead us to Beaver Creek, where we could put our bare feet in icy cold water under shady trees, a great respite from the heat. Now I live a short walk from Ocean Beach, a broad sandy expanse facing the Pacific that offers water cold enough to numb one’s ankles even in the heat of summer. The 100-degree Fahrenheit inland temperatures bounce back from the ocean, bringing us cool foggy mornings when we still need to wear a jacket. We remind ourselves to be grateful for the coolness that our foggy neighborhood offers. As worrisome as changes in nature and our environment can be, it helps to stop, take a deep breath, and be thankful for the things that still work as they should. Find ways to stay cool, physically and mentally, and keep looking ahead. This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Ocean Beach-North End, a wide open beach at San Francisco’s western edge featuring icy water and cooling fog most days. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 22): Ocean Beach-North End Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 May the Force
You don’t have to stumble onto a Yoda statue to feel that some sort of positive force is with you. We can sense a nameless, uplifting force from love that emanates from people we care about, or from the mutual support we find within a community. Some people “feel the force” by attending religious gatherings. For some of us, being out in nature is our own personal church, where we understand that infinite, inexplicable forces surround us. Remember that the powers of goodness, hope and strength reverberate all around if we allow ourselves to tap into them. May we all find ways to connect with helpful, inspiring forces surrounding us. Keep putting one foot forward! This week’s Hike Notes, Yoda Fountain Stroll-The Presidio, introduces a lovely city walk on the manicured grounds of the Letterman Digital Arts Center/Lucasfilm area of the Presidio, highlighted by a fountain overseen by Yoda himself. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 New this week: Hike Notes 185: Yoda Fountain Stroll-The Presidio Playing with Water
Set toddlers in a tub with some toys and they’ll splash and play as if the properties of liquid are their own original discovery. Water has the entrancing quality of being simultaneously invigorating and calming. Highlights of my childhood memories—spent inland away from the ocean—include wading through the icy ripples of our back creek, canoeing on pristine lakes lined by pine trees, and swimming in friends’ pools. My sons grew up by the Pacific Ocean, absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of broad ocean beaches with powerful waves from infancy. You don’t need a major body of water to enjoy the inexplicable magic of water, though. My boys played for hours with a backyard kiddie pool, moving water from one container to another, or spraying the hose. May we all find time in our summer to enjoy the mesmerizing joy of water, whether by watering flowers, walking barefoot along a shore, swimming, surfing, or gliding over a shimmering surface by sail or paddle. Keep finding simple joys! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Rockaway Beach to Pacifica State Beach, a relatively short walk that connects two scenic beaches popular with surfers. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 77): Rockaway Beach to Pacifica State Beach Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 The Shimmer Beyond the Shadows
Walking along a wide, sunlit beach, my heart feels bright and open. As I hike along a deep forest path, trees blocking the sun, my heart stirs with a sense of mystery. I don’t recall ever feeling spooked on a beach, but I’ve definitely felt a tingle on the back of my neck when walking in dark woods. Do those of us who walk in nature to refresh our bodies and minds process thoughts differently in the sunlit open spaces from when we walk on shadowy trails? I don’t know. I’ll observe where my mind shifts on upcoming hikes. One of the great pleasures of forest walks is seeing a break in the trees up ahead. Our step quickens to see what’s in the bright glow before us. There is value both in shady places and in places of illumination, whether on a hiking trail or a passage of life. May our life journeys, dark stretches and light, offer revelations that keep us moving forward! This week’s Hike Notes, Mallard Lake-Golden Gate Park, is one of three charming tiny lakes clustered in the same area of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 New this week: Hike Notes 184: Mallard Lake-Golden Gate Park And the Livin’ Is Easy
Summer in my San Francisco beach neighborhood is typically chilly and gray, but the other day felt like the quintessential summer day. The sky was a deep blue, the heat of the sun was tempered by a breeze, and flowers were zinging with vibrant colors. It was the last day of spring, and the next day, the first official day of summer, was just as perfect. When I was little, my dad played the piano after work, between household chores, and at night after we kids went to bed. We never knew if we’d hear Beethoven or Brubeck, or when the season arrived, his jazz rendition of Gershwin’s “Summertime.” As a kid who lived through very long winters and blink-of-an-eye summers, summer meant going to the beach at an Adirondack Lake. Just as the lake water finally started warming up in late July, we’d be hit with morning frost in August. There’s something magical about a beach, sun sparkling on the water, whether it’s at an Adirondack Lake, a California beach filled with surfers, or a Florida beach lined by white sand. This week HikingAutism features a new World Walks contribution. Check out Cape Francis Beach Walk, another Florida walk contributed from traveler friends from the Netherlands. We’ve just passed the summer solstice, and the days are already getting shorter. Take time to find special moments that bring the magic of summer for you! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Stinson Beach, an iconic California beach that makes me feel like I’ve started a beach vacation the minute I set foot on it. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 147): Stinson Beach Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 Someone to Walk With
I loved stepping out my front door as a kid and choosing which direction to walk on a whim. Through our apple orchard to the creek? Past the wild roses down the stone stairs into the back fields? Past the fallen barn, ducking under barbed wire to catch a glimpse of the swan and mallards on the Jones’s pond? Walk the 2.2 miles “around the block” on our country roads and hope none of the farm dogs were loose off their chains? Sometimes I walked with my brothers or dad, but I often went alone, sometimes with my beagle Spike alongside. Time outdoors on my own has long been a necessary treasure. Thoughts and feelings have a way of sorting themselves during the act of moving through a forest, along a shoreline, or even through city streets. I wonder if my severely autistic son wishes he could walk alone? We let him walk ahead on the trail a bit, when there aren’t crowds of people for him to bump into, but for the most part, someone is always within arm’s length to redirect him if needed. The concept of dangers such as electricity, fire, or falling from high places have not registered with him yet, despite being in his twenties, so even at home he’s under supervision. I believe that time outdoors is also a necessary treasure for my son. Since he still needs to walk with someone, I’m glad we family members are here to walk alongside him. May we all enjoy time soaking up nature, whether alone or with a companion, moving by the power of our feet or a wheelchair, or simply looking out our back window. Keep putting one foot forward! This week’s Hike Notes, Shakespeare Garden-Golden Gate Park, one of the many interesting nooks and crannies in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 New this week: Hike Notes 183: Shakespeare Garden-Golden Gate Park By Any Other Name
As a kid growing up in Upstate New York farm country, surrounded by fields, creeks and forests, I knew lots of plants by what they looked like, what they smelled like, and whether they could cause an itchy rash, cut my skin, or stick to my clothes, but I didn’t often know their formal names. It really didn’t matter. To this day, I don’t know the official name of the common weed with jagged-edged leafy structures radiating from the center that were so common in my childhood stomping grounds. “Watch out for the prickers!” my brothers and I would warn each other if we were running outside barefoot, which we usually were. Having moved to California as an adult, though I still absorb the essence of my surroundings through my senses, I have a much stronger tendency to ask the name of plants, trees, and other items around me. I can list dozens of Northern California plants off the top of my head, but can’t do the same for the plants where I grew up, though I can pull up their images from memory. The natural childhood skill of soaking up our surroundings by sight, sound, smell, taste and touch is something we can retain and hone again, even as we process information about our world more analytically as adults. The flower photo featured with this Insights post is from the Fuchsia Dell in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, but it doesn’t look like the fuchsia I’m most familiar with. Could this be a different kind of flower that just happened to be growing near the various fuchsia in this dell? Again, it really doesn’t matter. A lovely flower is a lovely flower is a lovely flower, regardless of how we label it. May we all tap into our childlike superpower of absorbing nature’s offerings through our senses, and not always worry about what to call things! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Fuchsia Dell-Golden Gate Park, a shady section of San Francisco’s urban oasis featuring a variety of fuchsia. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 134): Fuchsia Dell-Golden Gate Park Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 |
Lisa LouisSharing insights and hiking highlights (Hikes, Hike Search by Area) from the special needs caregiver front in San Francisco. Archives
May 2024
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