I Love the Park

I love the park. Any time of day and any time of year as it is always changing with the seasons.

In the winter the ground is crisp and crunches beneath my feet. In the summer the smell and the heat from the sun feels clean and fresh on my face. The spring brings the best breeze as the wind melts and dries the snow and slush. The fall is so full of colours and leaves falling in the breeze it is hard not to prefer it to all the others.

Some days it is too cold or too bitter to go out but otherwise every day I walk here. My favorite is the spring. The sun on my face in the early day or on my back in the evening. Like tonight. The smells and the freshness of the new growth. It is so easy to just walk on autopilot and enjoy the scenery.

I walk along content, relaxed. Not an angry trudge but a relaxed stroll in the early evening.

I can smell the grass growing, the flowers blooming along the path. I can see the ducks and geese swimming on the river nearby.

The temperature is warm as it is late may, just before the long weekend, in Canada.

The winter was mild and barely there for a country that has been cold and snowy in the past for up to 6 months or longer. The temperature never dipped lower than -25 or so.

A long winter makes the spring so much sweeter. Tonight, I did not care. I enjoyed the spring as much as any other time. It is sweet and I am glad to be outside in it and enjoying it. Walking makes it so much more enjoyable.

As I walk the winding path following the river on its quiet way, tumbling over rocks along its journey. I notice the river and the rocks the water flows over. There are small creatures under the water. I can see them moving and swimming with the current. Are they crayfish? They look like little lobsters, but they are not. Can they see me? I doubt it. 

I continue by the bend in the river where the logs and debris left over from the winter thaw gather. There is quite a bit of wood and brush gathered in that spot and I watch as it moves with the current, light though it is. It reminds me of a beaver dam but there is none near this place. No beavers either near here there are too many people.

The path is well worn from the use of many feet and is worn smooth. It winds along and is easy to walk on. There are very few rocks and roots in the path to trip over. I carry on down the path alone but not lonely. The night is inviting and comforting.

The trees are scattered and arranged around the edges of the river and beside the path on both sides. So, the path fells like it is in the forest but easy to navigate through and not too thick. A beautiful spot to walk where there is shade but the sun peaks through in spots. A layered look.

I walk easily among the trees and stop to feel their old bark for their energy which passes into me and I share some of my energy with them. We share a connection as old as time. I stand there with my hand upon the tree listening for inspiration. I wish everyone would allow themselves to feel it too. They would be better for it.

Maybe it will be enough today to keep me moving forward on my journey, to keep me striving for excellence. I spend my days writing when I am not working at the nursing home to make ends meet to pay for my new writing career. I know it will work itself out, I just have to be patient and never give up.

I have a long way to go and walking through the park stretches my legs and feels so good after a long day of sitting. It feels so good to straighten my back and walk a long way. The trail continues beside the river around the park and takes over an hour to walk. I enjoy the daily repetition of it and the exercise is good for me.

I walk along and watch the birds and the squirrels romp and play along the branches and up and down the trees as if their playground was not shared by humans on foot, bikes, and scooters. They run and jump as unimpeded by my presence as if they know I posed no threat to them. I do not. Do they know or is life just too short to be bothered?

I wonder if the creatures around me notice it too or if it is just me. Even relaxed I am so noisy that they must always know where I am. They can always hear me walking by.

As I approach the other end of the park. The end of my journey I see the moon and I watch it rise in the sky and become more prominent in its fullness. Even in the late sunlight the moon shines brightly in the sky reflecting the setting sunlight in its surface. Clearly visible in the light of the evening the moon is hanging in the sky.

I wonder at the moon and how I can use this beauty in a story or a blog? The exercise of just walking and letting my mind wander has produced little but enjoyment tonight but it may manifest into something else at a later date. Sometimes it takes a while for my thoughts to congeal and become something more than just the thoughts in my head. 

They can become words on the page to entertain you and bring you into my story. They can turn into poetry or a blog to educate and entertain you. Sometimes, and sometimes they are just words. I will try again tomorrow. There is always more to experience and write about tomorrow on my next walk.