1....2....READY GO!!!!

Although I cringe at the thought of this making me one of those Indie Trendy Kids and the realization that the following conjures up some ridiculous imagery, I'd liken my past few days to a Louisiana-eque Where the Wild Things Are....

Now, I caught the movie the weekend it came out, and while I liked it just fine, I wouldn't swear to you that it was life changing. BUT I will say that the cinematography was breathtaking. I'm a sucker for anything sun drenched.

On Thursday, as things settled down and family began to head out back home, we noticed that my daddy and Taunt (that would my aunt for all you non-French speaking folk) were missing from the group. They pedaled off down a trail a few hours before and no one had seen them since.

As other people searched around the park, I headed down Trail C or "Barred Owl Trek" as its called to see if they had stopped off somewhere on the trail, but 2 minutes past the wooden foot bridge and I was useless to the search party.

I firmly stand by the fact that I'm not a "nature girl" - snakes slithering about give me the ibee jeebies, mosquitos flying around make me look as though I have Tourette's, and honestly I don't know what Poison Sumac looks like so I avoid touching pretty much every leaf.

But as I jogged down the trail, my pace slowed down and I found myself in a standstill. I turned my face to the sky and found myself under a blanket of spidering tree limbs and an incredible kaleidoscope of fall colors. In the total silence of the woods, I found myself strangely at peace. I turned on my mental soundtrack as I tried to soak in every last detail of what was before me, and "All is Love" started up...

In a moment that can only be likened to that of a little kid, I began to pounce from tree stump to rock, singing aloud (and off key might I add), and snapping away on my iPhone.

I let my imagination run. I splayed my body across the cold damp ground as I let the sun shine on my face. I teetered as I tried to balance on the edge of the wooden bridge. I made up an Indian dance as I wore my feathered headband. I laughed aloud at the thought of someone coming up the trail and finding me in all my childish glory. I was ridiculous.

And I felt free.

I guess its one of those "have to be there" moments. And while I'm glad all you lovelies were not there to witness my 20 minutes of pure insanity, I'd love to share my some of my photos with y'all... (pssst... They're even better if you start of the video above as you look at 'em)

Yes. Thats an feathered Indian headband. They were "mandatory" in order to partake in our family's Thanksgiving celebration.

The last three are actually post woods-insanity. Lake Dauterive at Sunset.

If you've gone through this entire post wondering the fate of my daddy and Taunt, worry no more. They eventually made a winded return to Lodge after covering quite a bit of trails.

Also, if excessive amounts of trees, water, and sunlight make you want to puke until your insides fall out, I'd avoid Dixie Lust for the next few days. It's going to be teeming with photos from my new found love affair with the outdoors.