Pathways

I'm always intrigued by paths and pathways. As an avid hiker and walker, I'm always searching for new paths and also returning to old paths. The new paths satisfy my desire for discovery, adventure, mystery and wonder, even when the newly found path is relatively close to home. The old paths are like putting on that old, worn, homey, humble, yet cozy sweater you've owned since college but just can't seem to part with. The interesting thing is, that there are often just as many possibilites, adventures, mysteries and wonder on the old familiar paths, the ones we see everyday. I think the "old paths" sometimes get us to look deeper into our lives, our neighborhoods, our relationships with friends and family and matters of the spirit precisely because they are so familiar. We aren't always quite as smitten with the old worn paths as we are with the shiny new paths and yet there is a reason we keep returning to them, just as the leaves fall in the Autumn and the new leaves emerge in the Spring.

Today I've posted two images of paths. The first is from Plum Blossom Cottage. This is a new path, created this past summer from 2 tons of Montana Bluestone that we found for a bargain! The path leads from the back gate to the cottage, a gently wending to this "new" adventure in AirBnB hosting. The second photo is from the top of one of the "secret" stairs in our hilly neighborhood. Although the stairs aren't really all that "secret" and in fact are vey public, I find the stairs a magical part of living here in this extraordinarily pedestrian friendly city. Several of these public access stairs are in easy walking distance to Plum Blossom Cottage! (here's some links to more information: http://portland.daveknows.org/2012/02/28/the-public-staircases-of-portland/,  http://www.amazon.com/Portland-Stairs-Book-Laura-Foster/dp/1604690690)