I’m on edge — which is why tranquil views like this help restore my soul. 
However, I am standing on a precipice to obtain this view. 
Is the tension — the battle — between fear and beauty worth it? 
I contemplate. 
There is an easier path. 
It’s beautiful too; 
stunning, in fact. 
Perhaps I need wind through a path that leads me back and forth from the edge, 
so I may observe the inner fear, 
mull it over carefully, dissect and unearth its hold on me 
and then venture back to the precipice to explore what it holds for me.
Photos © Sondra Sula.
Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions.
If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you.
As Rob and I drove over Big River Bridge, I noticed the sand bar below had shimmied over the river mouth to allow non-Wellington walking along the shoreline.
When we reached the beach, we split up because I wanted to explore the north end and he was drawn to the south. I came across a variety of objects that tickled my fancy: a fine-edged feather, a curiously curled leaf and a crab carapace.
As I ventured further I noted a recently fallen pine juxtaposed with paw prints—most likely a dog. I followed the base of the rocky bluffs and came to a smooth sand cove showcasing stubby, polished pieces of driftwood. A mussel shell poised in mid-clap revered a massive horizontal tree trunk.
A twisted branch in the sand reminded me how our environment can shape us. I’m being shaped by the scenery here—letting each wave of beauty wash over me in a never-ending motion. My rough edges are being polished.
I rejoined Rob. He had made new furry friends. I frolicked with an Australian Shepherd mix and as we played fetch with seaweed, we came across a dozen roses in the sand. We both stopped to smell them. The blooms confirmed I am on the “Path of Flowers”—a path God set me upon years ago that is coming to fruition. To which path have you been called?
Big River welcomed me with open arms. It seemed to want to embrace me as soon as I got out of the car. I almost immediately found a portal into its world: a large post and lintel structure made from three robust logs. I stepped through.
Even though there was no apparent outward change, I knew my “wonder spectacles” were now firmly in place, ready to see the walk as a child might. And I was not disappointed as I came upon an angelic figure created from a fallen conifer branch, her gown’s train trailing off the path. Bicolored sweet peas wore fanciful bonnets above their plump faces.
I laughed out loud when I spied a giant burlap sausage on the ground twisted upon itself in the shape of a soft pretzel. I surmised it was used to curb erosion or flooding, but I was enjoying it as if it were a piece of 
When I turned around to retrace my steps, a pair of thistles whirred before me like pinwheels, the effect almost dizzying. Both bud and open flower boasted white pointy edges, the latter due to powdery pollen.
All photos © Sondra Sula.
Sondra Sula's Blog: The Nature of Spirituality 