A Walk in the Woods

Sorry, I'm not channelling Bill Bryson, just borrowing his title. How I wish I could write as funny as he did in the first 75 pages of that book! This is hardly the Appalachian trail, it's the trail around the small Hathaway's Pond where Rachel and I often walk with Molly the dog. Yesterday was so warm and beautiful, I turned left instead of right at a stop light that lead to me home or to the pond. I think it's probably a scant mile around the pond. Obviously the autumn leaves are mostly gone from the trees and are now underfoot, making a brown-gold cushion on which to walk.

One sees more when walking alone and not chatting so I took these pictures at spots I might not have noticed if I weren't alone. There were a couple of high school age girls, probably playing hookey, and I noticed a young guy once from across the pond but didn't see him close up. Otherwise I was alone and it was lovely.

These bare tree tops aren't really bare; they have bright green tufts of something like moss growing on them -- my biology is deficient. At places it looks like green fur which gives me a Dr. Seuss feeling about the tree, as if it might be a hang out for one of Dr. Seuss's characters.

I'm taking advantage of nice weather for walks. I notice without surprise, that I sleep better on days when I've had a good walk. I totally believe in the "use it or lose it" school of physical exercise and that it's not only the mobility but the whole sense of well being that can be lost when we don't exercise. There will be fewer beautiful days -- but some will be sunny and crisp and invigorating for walking. And I hope to get out and walk somewhere on those days too.