Christmas day, and no snow. It rained for hours yesterday, so lots of water on the ground. Now the temperature is 25 F, so no mud, just ice patches.

The sun is shining bright, not a cloud in the sky. The sky always seems more blue on cold sunny days. It was just too beautiful out to consider letting it go to waste.

So I put on some warm running gear, grabed a water bottle, and headed off to the 200 acre woods a short run from the house.

When I left the sidewalk and entered the park trail, I could feel the frozen grass breaking beneath my shoes. It also made a nice crunching sound. Simple pleasures ; )

Running through the woods is always a fun part of the run since the trail twists, turns, goes up and down a bit, and is loaded with tree roots.

The trail through the woods opens into a large meadow surrounded by thick tall woods. The trail around the meadow is a peaceful quite place to enjoy a relaxing run.

The center of the meadow is full of tall dorment grass, now golden and softly swaying with the gentle breeze.

All of this beauty focuses your mind in a way much like meditation. OM!

All I could think about was a certain unexpected recent friend. Our time together seems so special, I have to feel a bit sorry for others that search for, yet never find such a connection.

As I run, thinking of my friend, and the possibilities, the sun seems brighter, the sky even richer blue, the trees taller, and the grass more golden.

People beleive what they want to beleive. And I want to beleive that this connection is real, special, and worth nurturing.

The 5 mile run seems much easier today. As I breath the cool air in, I also think of the possibilities. Perhaps each breath is the same air that my friend breathed half way around the world.

Perhaps her sweet breath drifted here to me. People beleive what they want to beleive. And I beleive that I breathed in a few of her sweet breaths ; )