Yin Yang

“Oh, a storm is threat’ning

My very life today

If I don’t get some shelter

Oh yea, I’m gonna fade away.”

Taylor and I were out on the trails by 6:45 AM today. Sunrise wouldn’t be till 7:24 AM. The clouds were already ominous, and yet beautiful. All the colours I had become accustomed to once bright and vibrant were now dark and muted. I could hear Mick wailing away in my head, warning me of what may come if I don’t time this hike right.

I just came back home to the Bay Area yesterday, and quite frankly a little tired and a little sad, with phenomenal memories now in the rearview mirror. It’s been an epic month that seemed to whiz by much too quickly, very much like the entire year. In a month dedicated to and dominated by my family and my friends, I lived and loved in New York City, Washington DC, Tampa, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Francisco. And while I crave my solitude, it does constant battle with my need and love for those near and dear to me, opposing forces giving rise and sustenance to the other. My personal yin and yang battling for acknowledgement and superiority.

With those thoughts in my head this morning, Taylor and I have had the entire Headlands to ourselves save for a few minutes with a little dachshund named Stella scampering (much faster than you would initially think with her little legs), literally running circles around Taylor. He’d found himself a new admirer. Taylor always did have a way with the bitches. While Taylor was peacocking in front of Stella, I was deep in thought, recollecting all the many moments of the last few weeks, of that most wonderful time of the year.

Ultimately, the storms didn’t come this morning. As we were walking back arriving closer to our place, the sun started to shine. And instead of Mick, I heard George.

“Here comes the sun

Here comes the sun, and I say

It’s all right

It’s all right”

Happy New Year.

2016 is around the corner.

I’ve a feeling it will be epic.