{"id":808,"date":"2019-11-28T00:05:46","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T00:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/?page_id=808"},"modified":"2019-11-28T00:28:22","modified_gmt":"2019-11-28T00:28:22","slug":"mt-diablo","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/?page_id=808","title":{"rendered":"Mt. Diablo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I was mountain biking a lot.\u00a0\u00a0So\u00a0I decided to go for a hike on Mt. Diablo. \u00a0I didn’t take my binoculars; I just listened to the birds–California Thrasher, Cassin’s Vireo, Oak Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Scrub Jay, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak– just the ordinary birds of summer. \u00a0Then what do you know, a Golden Eagle appeared overhead soaring high above. \u00a0I was reminded of why I enjoy hiking so much; it gives me such joy. \u00a0Instead of memorizing a poem as I often do on my meanderings I felt a poem composing in my head and here it is:<\/p>\n

Mt. Diablo
By Michelle Brodie
June 20, 2013<\/p>\n

Mt. Diablo so beautiful I want to hug her<\/p>\n

When I round Highway 24 there she is in all her grandeur<\/p>\n

Lush with green just three months of the year and brown the rest<\/p>\n

I want to put my arms around her bounteous breasts<\/p>\n

A hike from Burma Road to the Summit will make your waist line plummet<\/p>\n

This place I hold so dear<\/p>\n

inspiring she bursts with Penstemon, Purple owl’s clover, and Ithuriel’s Spears all the year<\/p>\n

Black-tailed deer and if you are lucky and quiet and respect this mighty place,<\/p>\n

you’ll see a Bobcat, Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Alameda Whipsnake, Horned Toad, or Western Rattlesnake.<\/p>\n

Oh how I love her, the place that has given me such solace<\/p>\n

That even walking her trails in summer’s glaring heat I long to reach her summit at 3849 feet<\/p>\n

For when I am feeling sad and obsessing on something ridiculous<\/p>\n

She reminds me that I am just a smote of dust\u00a0 compared to forces such as plate tectonics<\/p>\n

that formed her oak filled valleys circled by chamise lined\u00a0 lofty peaks,<\/p>\n

More powerful than all of us<\/p>\n

And then instead of the day’s anxieties<\/p>\n

My heart and mind fill with all that pleases<\/p>\n

The song of the returning Lazuli Bunting<\/p>\n

A pack of coyotes laughing<\/p>\n

Soaring Golden Eagle hunting<\/p>\n

Mt. Diablo–\u00a0 refulgent blessing<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was mountain biking a lot.\u00a0\u00a0So\u00a0I decided to go for a hike on Mt. Diablo. \u00a0I didn’t take my binoculars; I just listened to the birds–California Thrasher, Cassin’s Vireo, Oak Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Scrub Jay, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak– just the ordinary birds of summer. \u00a0Then what do you know, a Golden Eagle appeared overhead soaring high above. \u00a0I was reminded of why I enjoy hiking so much; it gives me such joy. \u00a0Instead of memorizing a poem as I often do on my meanderings I felt a poem composing in my head and here it is: Mt. DiabloBy Michelle BrodieJune 20, 2013 Mt. Diablo so beautiful I want to hug her When I round Highway 24 there she is in all her grandeur Lush with green just three months of the year and brown the rest I want to put my arms around her bounteous breasts A hike from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":770,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-808","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=808"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":814,"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/808\/revisions\/814"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michellebrodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}