Thusday

This is the day I pick up our box of fresh produce from the farmers market.
We are a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with JR Organics http://www.jrorganicsfarm.com/home.php which I call our farm.
Most often I add more produce to our box, which is why I like picking it up at our neighborhood farmers market.
I get home and prepare to store our fresh produce.
I open the large box and the fragrance is a mixture of vegetation and dirt.
Each item I bring out has its own distinct aroma. The kitchen fills with the smells from our box.

Then late in the afternoon I meet for the Thursday night hike.
We hike within a city limits at Mission Trails Park http://www.mtrp.org/index.asp
This is a regional park encompassing 5800 acres, and we often hike to the tops of two of its mountains, North and South Fortuna.
We see rabbits, snakes, coyote droppings, birds, mice, and the every changing vegetation of chaparral, grassland, sage brush, and oakwood.
We hear the sounds of coyote hunting their prey, and birds singing to each other. We have heard stories about mountain lions being spotted, but have yet to see one.
There are also the faint sounds of urban life, like the buzz of the power lines in the moist air, and the hum of rush hour traffic as it crawls along route 52. But these are easy to ignore as we hike along for at least 2 hours.
There are spectacular vistas with impressive views of this region. On clear days we can see the Coronado Islands, deep into Mexico, downtown San Diego, east to the mountains, and far north.
The wind is brisk on the tops of each mountain. North Fortuna always seems cooler, so this time of year I find myself layering up to stay warm.
Although we are not totally out of the reaches of the urban sprawl of San Diego, for 2 hours we do get away.

Thursday, a day of real connection with my body, what I put in it and what is around me, and a day to appreciate what this earth gives to me.