So much beauty in nature

In a recent homily, Fr. Jim talked about how much he enjoyed nature while he was on his vacation. That motivated me to really look around myself this week and find the beauty in nature and have it help me do some reflecting. So much energy goes into worrying about our environment but this week I focused on enjoying it. I live just three miles from the Erie Canal so I often ride my bicycle to it and get on the canal in Fairport. I did that this week and rode along the trail to Pittsford. While riding I stopped a few times along the way to just take in the scenery (I know it’s a stretch to say I’m out in nature when I’m along the canal because after all it is man-made but the greenery around it is the real deal.)  An endless line of trees is what my eyes followed. At one point the path goes under a canopy that resembles a rain forest. The ride was absolutely delightful with all of these wonderful scenes to take in. Additionally, the sun was glittering on the water and the trees were reflecting in it. All of these images have been there all along but I usually ride by so quickly I don’t take the time to focus on them and enjoy the scenery. There is so much to enjoy about what is around us, so while I know we’re all concerned about the future of our environment try to take time to appreciate it’s beauty and gain from it what you can.