Manzanita Moment

My friend, Charles, will recognize the letters “P.O.D.” as Plan of the Day, a term every Navy woman or man knows well. But I use it today to mean “Picture of the Day”…and this is it. Eight o’clock in the morning; 38 degrees outside; morning walk. I tried to think how I could frame this picture in my mind. I’d like to pull it up again, even after I’ve walked away and become immersed in something else. Here’s what came to my mind. Thanks to F.S. Pierpoint, who, in 1864 wrote the lovely hymn “For The Beauty of The Earth”, I have a morning mantra that rises to the surface during most morning outings. I hope Mr. Pierpoint won’t mind if I change the pronouns in the first verse, so that the wonderful lyric goes like this: “For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from (my) birth over and around (me) lies, Lord of all to Thee (I) raise this (my) hymn of grateful praise.” Try reciting those words to yourself, over and over again, when you walk the earth, and all will be well. Press on.