I want to be known as the guy you see on the trail who’s always smiling and doing little things to repair the trails.

I venture off into the forest on my day off. The temperature is 25 degrees and I’m adequately layered. The ground is frozen, and it looks really cool. As the moisture evaporated from the soil, it froze, leaving the look of an elevated ground, with air pockets beneath. You hear an audible crunch with every step.

After I’ve wandered for a few hours, I read a book written by a friend of my father while lying in my spot under the trees. It’s a small rock outcrop, overlooking a trail below. It’s comfortably covered in lichen, perfect for relaxing on. I read a chapter each time I go. I finish reading and return to my wandering, heading home. The sky sometimes clears up and is partially blue with the vibrant sun rays glowing through the forest foliage. As I run through the trees, the natural curves of the land flowing beneath my feet give me air and I leap and spin around with joy. I come out of the forest onto the street, and to my surprise a dog is there to greet me.

The dog runs away down the street and barks at me. I can tell it wants me to stay clear of its owners property. I understand, so I carry on with my day. The view from the top of the hill is a masterpiece. I’ll try to describe it as best I can. To the left is downtown, and in the foreground a few quaint Victorian houses and some douglas fir and birch trees. Above one tree, following its curve, is a rainbow in the sky. Not very brilliant, but not faint either. It’s half-arc goes over downtown, making it look like the pot of gold, if that’s a real thing. To the right further, you look out following the road north to Canada. The mountains are all covered in brilliant white snow, a masterpiece. On the side of the road, the Victorian houses glow with the sun rays and blue sky above. The clouds are surreal waves with sharp, crisp tips, and moving rather fast. The winds at higher elevations are raging. Mount Baker peaks out between the smaller rolling mountains. The slopes jagged, glaciers covered with fresh snow. Past the houses to the right, there are more shrubs and trees. The side road that leads to other houses is there. The dog from earlier stands in the middle of the road, looking up at the sky. Above the dog, the sky goes from a grayish color over the forest, and clears? up to blue sky with the interesting clouds. To finish off, behind me is the forest I came from, glowing with sunlight. A slight fog through the mid-sections of the taller trees makes the colors really pop!

I go into the house to get some warmth. I sit on my couch collecting my thoughts. As I’m writing, I have the strangest sense of déjà-vu. I don’t know why, but it’s like I’ve done this before.