Just a walk down life's path

It is always lovely when we can experience some of life's many simple pleasures; and although today started off kind of slow, after four games of Crazy Rummy with Tom, we popped into the little red car and drove into the Gulf Shores State Park and stopped at the nature trail. We had driven past this spot innumerable times while camped in the park, on our way to the local WalMart or grocery store, pharmacy or restaurant; and always said, "We need to see what that is all about" as we continued on our way. Today, with a clear blue sky overhead and chilly temperature, we bundled up and started across the little wooden bridge to the paved trail. As we trod the bridge a couple greeted us and mentioned that they had seen an alligator while taking a moment to show us the evidence on their digital camera. You just 'gotta' love this modern digital age...anyway, we embarked upon our stroll and found ourselves headed into what appeared to be a Spanish moss draped wooded cave. The path meandered through trees heavily adorned with the lace of the grayish green filaments giving the forest a kind of primeval appearance. The sun dappled the ground with shade and dry leaves, disturbed by the flight of the squirrels, rustled as we continued on our way. We did see the alligator, on the far side of a pond, with his head and upper body submerged in the tea colored water and his sizeable tail on the bank, in full sun, looking like a large log. We could only speculate as to his size, but he appeared to be quite the grand specimen.
I guess we walked for about half an hour before we decided to retrace our steps. Except for a couple of bicyclists, all of the other visitors seemed to have gone and we were left to enjoy the quiet. This time of year evening comes so early and the lengthening shadows heralded the beginning signs of sunset and we could feel the temperatures significantly dropping. It felt good to have spent a little time in the fresh air and even though my muscles felt a bit tight, my legs (long overdue for some exercise) tingled as we approached the car. I have to admit that the leather seats and toasty interior felt pretty good as we buckled up for the drive back.
On the way home we stopped at the Dollar Store for some tortilla chips and salsa so we could finish off some leftover taco filling in a salad. Nothing like a satisfying meal without having to cook...if you don't count reheating in the microwave.
Now I'm just finishing up a tasty cup of hot cocoa, laced with some O'Reilly's White Chocolate Irish Cream and looking forward to a movie on the boob tube.
Oh yes, one last thought. One of the several benches that lined the walking trail was inscribed with a bible reference, Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
I guess that's about it, in a nutshell.