walk-about

Swamp Bucket – Day 1036

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Puddle Resident – Photo: L. Weikel

Swamp Bucket

Camouflage in the Swamp Bucket – Photo: L. Weikel

I walk past this little pond every time I do my ‘walk-about,’ which is the longer version of my more frequent ‘walk-around.’ The walk-about is almost, but not quite, twice as long as my walk-around and it contains a hill of a not insignificant grade. (If you haven’t walked it in a while, it can kick your behind.) The last handful of times I’ve walked past this marshy little swamp bucket, though, I’ve felt a compulsion to stop and just take in the entire milieu. Something was there; I could feel it.

The feeling literally stopped me in my tracks. Something was present. There was some sort of creature waiting for me, either hiding in the tall native grasses surrounding the pool of water or poised on the edge, in the mud, or swimming in the water itself. In order to seize upon the element of surprise, the last few times I came upon it, I consciously slowed my pace and distracted Spartacus so he was actually walking along the other side of the road.

Nope. In spite of my spidey-sense urging me to pay attention, not even a frog hopped into the water, which was surprising. At least three or four frogs managed to screech in surprise and plop into the water all along the rest of my circuit, including right outside our front door. That’s three or four per pool of creek water. Even a few puddles are charging rent now; the recent rains have produced a bumper crop of frogs.

Pay Dirt

Aah. But today my patience was rewarded.

Yes, I did still sense I might catch a creature unawares if I were stealthy enough, but what was the use? With that attitude, I almost missed it. But something tickled my brain and told me to stop once again; to drink in the entire ecosystem.

There she waits – Photo: L. Weikel

Wow. Well, the puzzle is solved. No wonder there are no frogs jumping into this particular pond. No wonder indeed.

Do you see her?

Of course, I have no idea whether she’s a she or a he, but I’m choosing to assign her my own gender, if for no other reason than I admire her skills of camouflage and stealth, her uncanny patience. The depth of instinct she embodies is profound and a little bit unnerving.

On some level, though, I’ve been sensing her presence. Finally laying eyes on her feels cool. And intimate.

And beyond that? An encouragement to trust my instincts. To know that when I sense something, I need to respect myself enough to trust that inner knowing. While I may not be able to put my finger on it right away, if I follow up and pay attention, who knows what I might discover?

(T-75)

Late Nights – Day 987

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Swooping Cloud Owl – Photo: L. Weikel

Late Nights

I’ve had a couple of really late nights recently. I was up into the wee hours of the morning last night writing my post and yet I didn’t make up for lost time (if that’s even possible) by sleeping in.

While I did manage to squeeze in a walk – and a longer one at that – it nevertheless felt like my timing was off all day. For instance, most of the day there was a rather reliable blanket of overcast lurking above. It managed to shield us from the direct rays of the sun for most of the day, but yowza! When the sun did break through, the air instantaneously turned even swampier than a moment earlier. The air became so thick it was almost like breathing jello through a straw.

I waited and waited, keeping an eye on the weather and hoping something would shift enough to make a ‘walk-around’ an activity that would make either Spartacus or me keel over. Finally, as the afternoon became late, we decided to set out. We even decided, perhaps impulsively, to do a walk-about instead.

Naturally, I kid you not, as soon as Spartacus and I started down our flagstone path, a handful of fat splats of rain fell from the sky. Internally I shrugged. I’d waited long enough. A glance at the variations of darkness mottling the sky above me suggested that these were mere drops squeezed from the clouds above because there simply was no more room at the inn.

Chanced It – Worth It

We decided to set out on our walk in spite of those aggressively hefty raindrops nipping at our heels. It was a wise decision, as not a single drop fell upon us again for the entire four miles.

In fact, as we crested Fox Kit hill (I just named it for this lovely one from exactly three months ago) the skies had cleared and magnificent thunderheads were dressing up in the distance. One, however, looked distinctly like an owl swooping in on us.

I’m partial to owls, as many of you know. They, like hawks, are messengers of a sort.

Judging from the size of this Cloud Owl, I’d say if there’s any correlation between messenger and message, I’d better pay attention.

So I’m going to address the immediate message before me: I’m heading to bed. If there’s more to this message, I trust revelations will continue (if I’m lucky).

Here’s to all of us as we head into this final week of July 2021. I wonder what will be revealed this week.

Another Perspective of Swooping Cloud Owl – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-124)

On the Move – Day 861

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Half Moon Geese – Photo: L. Weikel

On the Move

There were a lot of creatures on the move today. From two leggeds to four leggeds to winged ones, movement was the name of the game.

For the first time in several days, I heard the distinctive call of the Red-shouldered Hawk again today. I’m pretty sure at least one pair made their nest directly across the road from us. Probably because the missus wanted to be near the raptor equivalent of Friendly’s (aka our bird feeders). Nevertheless, it was good to hear it again and know that they are staying close.

I was also excited to hear the calls of a couple fish crows today, too. I wonder if each week we’ll be welcoming another returning champion back into the fold.

Walk-about

Because we couldn’t allow today’s perfect weather to be enjoyed on a simple walk-around, we took the long way, a walk-about. I should’ve kept track of how many fields of deer we encountered along the way. It’s funny – they’re almost as common as sparrows anymore. It’s kind of surprising to think that a field full of deer doesn’t even merit a photo. I guess I didn’t even try to take photos when we encountered fields of 8 – 15 – 30 deer because they I simply couldn’t capture them from a perspective that did them justice.

But I did manage to sneak a photo of one lone doe as she tried her very best to blend into her background. I could almost hear her in my head, “You don’t see me; you don’t see me.”

They Can’t See Me, They Can’t See Me – Photo: L. Weikel

Winning the Prize

But the species that wins the prize for most raucous and greatest number of participants this weekend definitely goes to the Canadian Geese as they played their classic hit, ‘flying due North in huge flocks,’ a perennial favorite.

The geese flying North today were outrageously vocal and seemed to be flying in shifts. They kept coming, wave after wave of honking hollerers. By the time our entire walk-about was complete, we’d seen hundreds and hundreds of geese overhead.

They were fairly high, so I felt a similar trepidation in attempting to capture the beauty (and magnitude) of their flight as I did the herds of deer. But the photo I managed that includes the quarter square (half) moon felt worth the effort.

My movement tomorrow is going to consist of engaging in some serious clutter clearing. It’s time to get the energy flowing. The movement of all the critters has inspired me!

Only a Few of the Many – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-250)

Twelve Days – Day 704

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Created within 12 days – Photo: L. Weikel

Twelve Days

What a difference twelve days make.

Karl and I finally managed to drag our weary bones out to do the larger (4.1 mile) ‘walk-about’ today, and not a moment too soon. It’s been far too long since we took this longer route. It’s not that we weren’t game to walk it earlier this week – we were. It’s just that we found ourselves caught a bit flat-footed by how much earlier the sun was setting. While we yearned the past few days to do the longer walk-about, we found the darkening skies, both from the sun setting and a somewhat daunting cloud cover, persuasive in their insidious whispers cajoling us to only walk the shorter 2-mile walk-around.

And while you might be thinking this post’s initial sentence is referring to my realization of the shocking rapidity with which our bodies devolve into languid corporeal decrepitude when not consistently engaged, you would be incorrect. Well, not entirely, for that is actually also true; we did become slugs. But my main thrust was an astonishment at what can be accomplished in twelve days, as opposed to lost in that amount of time.

Massive Wasp Nest

Enter exhibit ‘A.’ We discovered this massive wasp’s nest hanging from a tree along our ‘walk-about’ route today. It was not there twelve days ago – not even as a fledgling nest. I suppose we may have missed seeing it, but it is directly at eye level and, as can be seen, rather conspicuously positioned.

It is a work of art. And of course, me being who I am, I ‘see’ things – expressions, if you will – within the patterns of the paper wasps’ creation. But I will leave each of you to see what you see.

Photo: L. Weikel

New Moon Tomorrow

This reminds me that tomorrow (Friday, October 16th, 2020) a new moon occurs at 3:30 p.m. eastern time. What do you hope to create over the next two weeks? Or what seeds do you wish to plant that will flourish in six months’ time? Or a year from now?

It’s amazing what can be accomplished in twelve days by tiny, if ferocious, creatures. I’m feeling inspired.

(T-407)

Hunkered Down – Day 524

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No social distancing – Photo: L. Weikel

Hunkered Down

By mid afternoon today, Karl and I had hunkered down. All five of our animals were in the same room with us, four of them observing absolutely no social distancing. The fifth, Precious, was to the surprise of no one, enjoying the ‘togetherness’ from the other side of the room.

It was cold outside. The weather app said it was 42 degrees – but felt like 38. That’s chilly. And the day was gray gray gray. It was a perfect day to curl up with a good book, cuddle with the beasts, and maybe – just maybe – take a quick nap.

After writing a bit in my journal, I sat up and declared, “I don’t want to take a walk today.”

“Ok,” Karl agreed, not needing to have his arm twisted. I sat back in my chair, relieved that he wasn’t going to guilt me today. Usually we act as the voice of conscience for each other, each taking up the mantel of Goader in Chief when the other is of a mind to skip a day of mindful meandering. But sometimes neither one of us can muster it up, so we take a day. All things in balance.

I resumed my writing. He resumed his reading.

Duty Called

All of a sudden, I realized sunlight was streaming in the window from over my shoulder. Glancing out that window, not only did the blanket of overcast appear to be breaking apart, but there were also some very obviously annoyed cardinals flitting about the lawn underneath the empty feeders. A blue jay clung to the equally empty peanut loop and glared in my general direction.

Reaching for the bag of peanuts so I could refresh the peanut loop, I realized just how hard I’ve been hitting these babies lately. Nevertheless, I forced myself to fill the loop and, while I was at it and the sun seemed to shine even brighter minute by minute, I filled all the feeders with their favorite black oil sunflower seeds.

By this time, I realize the sky was indeed clearing up. The decision not to walk today was a lame one. No, I didn’t feel like walking. It was definitely still brilliantly cold out. But the sun was shining and the day was gorgeous. How could I to say no to this chance to walk my talk?

Change of Plans

I walked inside and as easily as I’d declared the day to be a no-walk day, I rescinded my assessment. “We need to walk,” I stated matter-of-factly.

Karl sighed. “Alright. We’ll do a two,” he conceded. “But that’s it.”  He was being a great sport. He’d been snuggled under a blanket and Spartacus had been cuddling. That would be tough to leave under any circumstances.

But rally he did. And once we got on the road, the weather seemed to soften even more. With barely a reference to it, we took the long way.

It ended up being a four mile walk today in spite of ourselves. From hunkered down to taking the ‘long way.’ I guess you could say we ‘went with the flow’ and listened.

And the clouds responded by showing us some love.

Love clouds – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-587)

Summer Solstice – Day 222

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Summer Solstice

Seems Like a Lucky Number

And so, it would appear, it is. Or was? (Not that I even recalled during the day that tonight’s post was #222!)

The luck and the grace of ‘Day #222’ manifested when Karl and I managed to take a phenomenal walk early this evening. Quite unexpectedly, late this afternoon, the humidity level of the atmosphere dropped significantly. That meant we could walk and feel a cool breeze ruffle our hair. We could walk and not feel like we were going to keel over from heat exhaustion.

Best of all, it meant we could thank our bedroom air conditioner for its service the past few nights – and then promptly and almost joyously turn on the whole house fan again, throwing open the windows and opening the front door to allow cross-breezes galore.

A Solstice Stroll

The canvas of the sky seemed irresistible to the clouds. They created unbelievable landscapes and played hide and seek with the sun as it set on the longest day of the year: the Summer Solstice.

Considering I wrote a post on the shortest day of the year, I just want to say how boggled my mind is to realize I’ve been writing posts through two solstices now. (I’d also like to parenthetically comment on how grateful I am that I didn’t have another intense encounter today like I did on the Winter Solstice.)

And I know; I can do the math. Obviously, since I’m on Day 222, I technically passed the “halfway through the year’ mark back when I was at Amadell. In fact – and WOW, I did not realize this until this moment – the halfway-through-my-first-year of my 1111 Devotion was Mother’s Day.

Somehow that seems appropriate. That ‘synchronicity’ makes me smile.

Alas, No Fire

I’d love to say that Karl and I had a Solstice fire this evening to honor and celebrate this longest ‘day’ of the year. But we didn’t. It was a long week. And the best we could muster was hauling our bones around the ‘walk-about’ (the four mile version of our countryside excursions) and simply delighting in the rays of sunshine slanting through cracks in the clouds and listening to the scratchy gratch of red-winged blackbirds that seemed to be announcing our passage beside their meadow homes.

Silly, I know, but I feel a tug in my heart revealing my truth: I don’t want the days to get shorter again. “Not yet,” I hear myself whispering.

But that’s the way it is. That’s the way life is: a series of never-ending cycles, changes, and moments.

Setting Summer Solstice Sun – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-889)

Missing My Walks – Day 220

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Sunset – no filter – 18 June 19; Photo: L. Weikel

Missing My Walks

It’s been two days and I’m cranky as all get out.

I got home too late last night to take a walk. It was all I could do to eat dinner and write my post. And while I was tempted to do a quick ‘walk-around’ (which is our usual 2.2 mile trek – which I swear, we’ll be taking even after we’ve shed our mortal coils, we’ve walked it so many times throughout the 34 years we’ve lived here), Karl disabused me of that notion when he described how he and Spartacus got caught in a drenching downpour a bit earlier.

The air was so thick with mugginess when I walked from my car into the house, I could practically wring it out like a terrycloth towel. So no, I wasn’t inclined to risk it.

75% Chance of a Soak? No Thanks

Then tonight, even though I was tired, I was itching to walk. Missing one day is ok. Going two days without my time in nature doesn’t sit well with me. But again, the atmosphere was laden with moisture. It was gross, frankly, and while Karl said he was game for a ‘walk around,’ he checked his phone’s weather app.

“75% chance of a storm – right now,” he said grimly. “75% in an hour, too. And oh look! The hour after that it bumps up to 85%.”

Well, that put the kibosh on that idea. And now I’m kicking myself because I don’t think it actually ended up raining this evening (although it is now). In fact, I just checked again and we’re under a Flash Flood Watch from now until Friday at 1:00 a.m. – over the next 24 hours we could get up to 3” of rain!

So here I am. I may need to suck it up and walk in the rain tomorrow. It won’t be pleasant for the pups, but we may have to go for it anyway.

I’m sharing the photo below, which I took over the weekend, to remind us all of sunnier days. You have to admit, those are two happy, if a tad tuckered, pups. I took this after we’d taken the longer (4.1 mile) ‘walk-about,’ (as opposed to the 2.2  ‘walk-around’ – we need to keep our terms tight here, folks!) at one of their favorite places along our route where they always, without fail, stop, drop, and roll around in the lush green grass.

Spartacus & Sheila ‘chillaxin’ – Photo: L. Weikel

And the photo leading off this post is actually one I took last night as I was driving home from a session. (I was actually at a stop light. I wasn’t driving!) This was before I started encountering banks of fog along the river.

I just had to share. (And FYI, it took over 13 hours for Verizon Wireless to deliver this photo to my email! What the heck?)

Have a great day – here’s hoping for some Walk Time (or your equivalent) for all of us.

(T-891)