It has been longer than planned since my last entry, but I needed a break from the events roiling about in this world and my life. So, the dog, my wife, and I escaped the confines of Denver, Colorado and spent four days in the desert area around Moab, Utah.

What came of it? The stillness and silence of the backcountry, like the silence in the bowels of a live cave, rejuvenates the mind and body simply by being there. In the city, seized with the stressors of everyday life, it is easy to become habituated to the sounds of traffic, aircraft, the TV, all colored by a constant barrage of white electrical noise; never realizing the toll this compound pressure is taking on you.

But in the silence of the desert canyons, with each breath tension evaporates, hunched muscles relax in waves that settle your feet into the stones and sand.

I want to take this moment and encourage everyone to keep their mental health in mind. It is OK to take a break from everything. Don’t worry, it will all still be there when you return.