Badlands: Our Reminder of Life's Fragility?

Surfers Stepping on Shore Set the Birds to Fly

It is not easy getting sick. Being a migraine, allergy rhinitis and asthma sufferer, I do have my bouts of health challenges from time to time. The attacks come often by surprise, like a thief entering the household whether it be day or night. Usually, when asthma and allergies hit me, I would be at an emotional low, wishing for good health. When I feel better, I would usually seek  the outdoors for being out is just soooooo goooood, really good!!!! God is so kind, so gracious. He just knows how to shower us with priceless gifts outside that will last us a lifetime if only we take time and open our eyes and heart to His majestic gifts!!

Gulls @ Sunset

It is already a known fact to those who follow this site enough that my favorite place in San Diego to seek peacefulness and healing is Torrey Pines.

Reflection of Torrey Pine Cliffs on Sand @ Low Tide

I could not count the many ways why I love Torrey Pines and why being here gives me such rejuvenating energy. It must be the scent of the ocean, the power of the waves, the sculpting in the eroded cliffs,

Badlands at Torrey Pines

the magical twisting of Torrey Pine trees,

A Torrey Pine Tree in Fog

and topping them all, Torrey Pines combines two of my favorite outdoor activities,

Reflection of Torrey Pine Cliffs on Sand @ Low Tide

hiking and the ocean. Torrey Pines does not only offer me a beach to play in and chase the waves, but also gives me miles of leisurely trails on top of the bluffs.

KTL @ Guy Fleming Trail

Though the change in elevation here is only 350 ft, but if I combine several trails, that is go up, then, go down, and up,and down, then, it would be equivalent also to having hiked up several thousands feet :)

I call the badlands at Torrey Pines as "desert by the sea". Being directly exposed to the elements, these cliffs are easily eroded by the unforgiving forces of nature resulting to Earth's sculpting like no other.

Badlands at Torrey Pines

I love badlands. For me, their presence reminds us of how fragile our Earth and our life is. God blessed us with intelligence to study these natural forces that had shaped our land so that, hopefully, our world will not end up with all badlands! Hopefully, we get to keep our deeply forested resources too and the diversity of life around. Nature opens our eyes to what we can and need to do. As much as we contribute our little ways to help preserve our natural resources, we also do our best to keep ourselves fit and healthy. I guess, one of the reasons why I continue to seek hiking and the ocean is because I dread getting another migraine, asthma or allergy rhinitis. Knowing my medical and health fragility, I always see to it we get good Medicare supplement plans from our health and other plans, since we do not want all that we earned be eroded so quickly by humongous hospital bills and everything be swept off just like the eroded soil in badlands. Whenever I feel healthy, I feel like celebrating life, and the quickest celebration I can go to is Torrey Pines, whether it be day or night. At night, when more surfers start to get out of water, as they step on shore, they create a shock to the birds, which would case a huge flock of birds to fly away.

Fly.....

During the day, I get to see the bandlands reflected on the sand that is washed by the sea.

Or I can soar up high these badlands overlooking the sea, well, in my dreams :)

The badlands are to me the symbol of how temporary our life here on Earth is, and how fragile are our resources. And though we are blessed with intelligence, but it is not enough to fathom God's marvelous creation. I remember Albert Einstein once said, "the more we understand the forces of the universe, the more we realize there is so much we do not know and we acknowledge the presence of a God."
Everything on Earth is temporary. We just have to enjoy every moment given to us, for tomorrow may be another story. Maybe, another beautiful story. For the beauty in life, is up to the person who breathes it!!

Ahhh, The Joys of Simple Life, you can not find them at the mall but they are everywhere around you, they do not come with a price, but their memories last a lifetime.

♥♥