Autumn Evenings

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One good thing about Autumn, beyond the delightful fact that there are no more 100+ degree days, is the frequency of clouds and the chance to see awesome sunsets. Today was the first day I turned on the heater in the house and tomorrow a storm comes in. Today it is calm. Today was a day for a long walk. Look up.

Summer Daze

You may have noticed (I hope you noticed) that spring came and went without a new issue of Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine. And, summer is marching on. What can I say but that the writer’s block is just starting *knock wood* to melt away a drop at a time. My block is/was made out of ice, you see, and I have been frozen in front of the keyboard.

A long vacation with The Taste Tester helped. And, I’ve been reading a ton–replenishing the well, I guess.

Here’s some street art I ran into the other day (I had to look way up) and appreciated. Perhaps you will too. Climbed any utility poles lately?

birdhouses on utility polebirdhouse signI’ll be talking to you again…hopefully sooner rather than later.

22 Days ’til Christmas: Naturally

Christmas is the only holiday I deem worthy of decorations (except the jack-o’-lanterns on Halloween) because it lasts longer that a day. I’ll be putting up some more decorations this weekend while we wait until much closer to the 25th to get our tree. Walking by the river lately we’ve come across two reindeer some unknown artist has crafted from detritus and just a little wire. Oak galls, twigs, berries, and even some trash all add up to some excellent seasonal, if ephemeral, art. We heard from another walker that there was another deer that we missed. Aren’t they cool?

Natural Reindeer, artist unknownNatural Rudolph, artist unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why not walk through your neighborhood to see the outdoor decorations at other people’s houses? Or do some foraging for twigs and pinecones to make your own like the anonymous artist did for the reindeer above. Happy walking.

Go for a Walk

Whew! Got sucked down the rabbit hole of The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear there for a bit. But I’m back since who knows how long the wait will be until we see the third Rothfuss book. On to today’s musings….

Do you walk JUST to walk? Not because it’s good exercise, not because it’s a mode of transportation? I’m not sure that happens very often. I love to go out for a walk and always feel better afterward so maybe it’s never just a walk. Some of my best ideas come during or just after one of my jaunts. And, I usually have my camera in my pocket to record anything interesting–mostly bugs–or eye-catching so a walk becomes a photo expedition as well. Or I need fresh air or to burn off excess energy.

One Yellow Leaf

Photo from a recent walk.

Something that amazes me is how few people The Taste Tester and I run into on some of our weekend walks. We have some amazing open space with flat paths all throughout nearby. How many other walkers do we see on our hour plus rambles? Maybe 6. That seems sad.

Being me (and you’ll come to know this in time), I’ve been reading up on the subject. Also pondering the subject of walking while walking which seems sort of meta. Wanderlust: A History of Walking by one of my favorite essayists, Rebecca Solnit and The Lost Art of Walking: The History, Science, Philosophy and Literature of Pedestrianism (which ended up being kind of annoying) by Geoff Nicholson were my books of choice. That was quite a bit to ponder and the Solnit book especially was the inspiration for the following question.

When you say “I’m going for a walk,” what is your primary motive?
1. Get exercise
2. Get fresh air
3. See things
4. Calm down
5. Escape
6. Reclaim public space
7. Think
8. Other (If you would drop a line to say what this “other” is, that would be groovy.)

Why not go for a walk today? If it’s raining, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll melt. If it’s cold, you can bundle up. If it’s hot, don’t wear too much. Maybe you’ll see something new. You’ll most likely get some fresh air. And exercise is not a bad thing. I’ll be out there too. Seeing things, thinking, getting fresh air & exercise, and taking photos.