Yesterday we hiked a trail with blue blazes. It was more than a hike. It took us to a river. One of us waded in the river. The water was cold. We saw a small kingfisher flying downriver. We discovered a current flowing the opposite direction of the main current. It seemed oddly cool.

When we moved away from the river there were fantastic surprises. One of them was dark and mysterious. It was hole. We thought there used to be a pipe in it…maybe now it’s just a rabbit hole? As we looked around, we found more wonders. There was an old rusty pipe cover with bolts still attached. The entire thing was dotted with small splotches of lichen.

Our curious minds led us to the south, just beyond the pipe cover. There we came to an old wall. Trees had broken through the blocks and the cement mortar which held them together. We wondered who had constructed this wall and when had they done it. We thought about how much longer it would last. One of us said, “Nature is reclaiming things.” The one of us with the active imagination said, “This could have been the site of an ancient castle!”

We realized there might be someone waiting for us at our house. It was time for us to journey homeward. We started the back trail and saw the blue blazes that marked the trail. There were so many of them. Our last adventure found us sitting at the edge of the rushing river. The water wasn’t just blue, there was green, clear, white and even a pale like blue. It was a quiet and peaceful place. We wrote a list of things we’d seen and liked.

You see it was more than just a hike. We enjoyed each other’s company. We discovered surprises. Wading is clear water is refreshing. Finding old things was exciting. Our bodies got plenty of exercise. Our eyes saw beauty and strength in just small things most pass by without noticing. It was more than a hike. We saw God’s creation, His power and love.