Too much information

Photo by: Tim Bindner

There is a lyric from a song called Too Much Information by The Police that was appropriate for how I felt this weekend. The lyrics are “Too much information running through my brain. Too much information driving me insane”.

Between Friday night and Saturday, I experienced a lot of stimuli and decision making that had my head spinning. I will discuss that in a later post, but today I want to talk about Sunday.

Sunday morning, I needed a break. My body needed a break, and so did my mind. I received a new camera lens in the mail and made plans to meet Mark at Mt. Saint Francis at 8am for a hike. I hoped for a peaceful walk to clear my head.

When I arrived, the lot was full of cars, and Mark was sitting parked in his. I pulled in next to him, got out, grabbed my gear, and prepared for a trek. The 52-degree air had me questioning whether I should go short sleeve or a hoodie. I chose short sleeves. It was a wonderful decision. I was sweating by the time I returned to my car.

Hiking in nature in the fall is a truly magical experience. Hiking in nature in the fall offers the experience of crisp and cool air. As I hike through the woods, I am surrounded by stunning scenery, from towering maples, oaks, and my favorite local tree the birch.

We made our way downhill toward the pond. I was not expecting much color in the trees, but saw some spots of bright red, orange, and yellow. Mark and I discussed my new lens as we reached the dock. We took a few shots. The water in the lake was calm, with a mirrored reflection of the colors on the tree making for a wonderful backdrop. While Mark took shots from the shore, I walked out on the wobbly dock and snapped a few shots of my own. Upon returning to shore, I noticed a few lily pads on the side of the dock on the shoreline. The dark murky water and bright green lily pads, along with some cattails, made an interesting photo.

Back on land, we made our way toward the trail. The colors were showing, and the cool air added to the ambiance. Around the lake we went, across the bridge and then deeper into the woods. I had seen many cars in the parking lot, but on today’s journey we only saw one person. A solo jogger who would pass us twice this day.

My mind was racing as I continued to process the past few days and I tried to slow it down by looking for shots. It drew me to the leaves on the ground in the trees and even on a bench. Mark and I continued to chat as we made our way through 4 miles of trails, eventually reaching the cars and parting ways.

I need relief, though my brain never quite cleared as it might have if I was hiking alone. I enjoyed the hike with Mark today and snapped a few random photographs. One of which was saved as a computer wallpaper by a coworker I shared it with. “New wallpaper alert!!! Thanks Tim”.

This weekend I will hit the trails alone. It is my me time and a time to process and slow down from an eventful week. My way to slow down the “too much information running through my brain.” I am so glad I discovered this outlet back in 2017. Not sure what kind of tangled mess I would be without it.

Until next time,

Tim