Walking Journal

Just about a year ago I decided to take up walking. I started in the summer by walking the high school track everyday. I was pretty dedicated to to the task and made sure I walked nearly every day of the summer. I kept a little log book of how many miles I walked per day and in August I logged about 58 miles. When Autumn came, and the days got shorter, I was no longer able to use the track since there were football games and then it got dark much earlier. I began making up the best routes around my neighborhood and by the time winter was winding down I found that I'd become very familiar with the details of each route. In short, I was seeing things I hadn't noticed from just driving by everything all the time. I took in details on the houses, the architecture of buildings, saw Christmas lights up close, rustic porches, the flowers that began to bloom in the spring and even paintings on mailboxes. I came to appreciate our historic district and all its beauty and even found a walking trail that ran through some fallow corn fields beyond main Street.

I at first thought getting in a decent walk in the winter months would be difficult, but it proved to be a worthy experience. I'm ready to get back on the track but I enjoyed my time traveling the local roads and streets, even in the cold of January, because there's nothing like watching those deep orange winter sunsets. How many people actually watch sunsets when it's 20 degrees out? Call me crazy, but the experience was worth the misery. And there's nothing like getting back into a warm house after freezing out on the streets! Kind of like getting into the air conditioning after sweltering out on the track in July.

Man's Best Friend

Maxie’s best days are behind him now. He’s getting old (pushing 12) and has kidney disease so he’s slowed down quite a bit over the past year. He can’t do walks anymore, and he doesn’t stay out in the back yard much these days either, so one way to get him out and about is to take him to the pet supply store.

When I first got Maxie from the shelter I started looking for dog friendly places to walk him. We branched out from our neighborhood streets to quiet roads in the farm areas in town, to the woodlands and on to the beaches. Maxie has been to Canada, the White Mountains, Maine, and Vermont and just all over. We’ve covered countless walking miles on roads and trails over the years. Maxie was my best traveling buddy and he rode shotgun with gusto. Shake the keys and he would head straight for the door and stand there staring forward until I opened it and set him free (he still does that sometimes but he has to be “airlifted” out). Mention the word “park” and he would dance in circles and run wild through the house. His ears still perk up, but his racing and dancing days are over. I would actually have to avoid driving past the park if I didn’t intend to stop because if he caught sight of it through the window he’d get all crazy right in the car.

Maxie was hard on the neighbors, too. He would patrol the back fence that separates my yard from the condos behind us and many of those people walk their own dogs in the back lot. Maxie would hang out back watching and as soon as there was a hint of movement he was on them yapping and racing along the fence until they finally disappeared beyond the buildings. Maxie was no more forgiving of my other neighbors and they would be victimized in their own yards. Maxie owned everything and everywhere we went became his territory. Sadly, he doesn’t bark anymore either now that he’s in his sunset years. We still go to the park where he meanders quietly sniffing trees until he gets tired, but everyone gets by him with just a look and a slight perking of the ears. The neighbors don’t get stalked anymore and the days of hiking together in the woods are done. Anyone who's had a dog knows how sad it is to have to start leaving them behind and going off on your own. It’s like, well, losing your best friend.

It's December...

It’s December and the Christmas season is upon us once again. It’s time for the grumpy among us to start complaining about the music, the snow, the crowds, etc. However, I really enjoy this time of year and view it as a nice diversion from our regular daily lives. I like the different music, and the snow, but not the crowds, only the collective excitement of the season. People are on a mission. I don’t care for the commercialism, true, and so I try to keep my shopping low-key. I try to keep a “let’s count our blessings” perspective going with the kids. When I go to the stores I have a plan, I know where I’m going and what I’m looking for, and gone are the days of schlepping from store to store until my feet are screaming and my temper is flaring. I also try to get the kids minds off the merchandise they hope to receive and get them to enjoy the other little things like beautiful Christmas trees everywhere, and decorations, the smell of pine in the air and the beauty of lights on cold, crisp nights. The elegant and the gaudy all come together for one shiny bright show. Okay, I like presents, too. I love the colorful wrapping paper, and tearing it up to reveal something that I really wanted, and it feels good that somebody knew me well enough to get it just right. In the end though, I love a peaceful Christmas Eve sitting by a lit tree, and sometimes I’ll take a quiet, late-night walk and see other lit trees twinkling through windows that have little electric candles glowing in the dark. The little things that you don’t find in the store…ya know?

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

In late spring I went to my Doc thinking I was dying. I'm not usually a dramatic person but my symptoms were very similar to my husband's when he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and I know I didn't want that trouble. It turned out to be borderline high blood pressure and I breathed a great big sigh of relief. On the down side I needed meds and I AM paranoid when it comes to the pharmaceutical companies. I hate pills. I told my doctor, as I clutched my prescription, that I was definitely getting off these pills. He looked skeptical. I guess he has a right since I expect most people ignore his advice, but I knew that I'd gone off-track lately and was ignoring my health, so I left his office with a determined "I'll show him" attitude in my head.

My first, and best, change was to make friends with our local high school track. I'm kind of lucky because I have the summer off from work. As a school cook I was able to peel out of the parking lot (just kidding) on 6/22 and not look back for over 2 months. I get unemployment, which is less than my already low pay, but it's better than getting nothing, and I know that so I don't kevetch. So, I was off to the track, just about every day. I started at a modest 3/4 of a mile and by August I was doing 2 miles a day, and sometimes more, like 2 1/2 or even 3 miles. There were some regulars there that started to say "hi" as we passed and I found that I really enjoyed getting up and spending my morning at the track. I felt like I was really doing something positive. My blood pressure is way down and I just plain feel better.

It's getting into Fall now and it's verboten for people to use the track during school hours, but I have to work anyway, so I go at night. Even in the dark people are still walking. I feel really proud of myself because I walked on the hot days and even on the rainy days. Most people didn't show up unless it was nice but a few of us pressed on no matter what the weather. I wonder what it will be like when it snows...

One Summer Morning...

My husband and I were in the car one morning when I happened to look over and see this bird sitting on a fence. (This picture is from the Internet) I was very excited and thought it one of the most beautiful birds I had ever seen. In the morning sun its feathers glowed a brilliant orange contrasted by the black of its wings. It was one of those moments where I kick myself for not having brought a camera along.

Now, every time I drive down that road I look over every bit of the fence to see if the bird is around. I expect it was a one shot deal, but it's that kind of moment that just makes my whole day. Once I saw a beautiful green orchard oriole, and I've been lucky enough to see a few great herons. Once in a great while I even get to see a cardinal. Catching glimpses of colorful birds is one of the simple, and free, pleasures in life.

Memorial Weekend

Rare freedom! My daughter was off to Girl Scout camp for her first overnighter so we just had to do something. I didn't want to put in too much effort though because I was feeling lazy so my husband suggested we pick up some sandwiches and head to Saybrook Point, a favorite drive of mine. This time we decided to take along our chairs and sit awhile so after taking in all the scenery by car we found this nice shady spot and and just set a spell.

An old couple had a picnic at a nearby table, fisherman came and went, a gardener was sprucing up the place and people were walking all around. Nearby, at a marina and restaurant, a photographer was taking pictures of a happy wedding couple and their party.

Maxie and I took a stroll and passed by the most potent smelling honeysuckle bush I've ever encountered, and truth be told, I gagged from the sickening sweet aroma.

We sat and enjoyed our sandwiches with iced tea and the moderate wind blowing off the water, so it only goes to show that a fun day out really doesn't take much work or planning. Just find a scenic spot and park your backside.

Maine State Line

While vacationing in northern New England we decided on a drive into the very western fringes of Maine. Probably an area most tourists have never even heard of since the coast is where people usually choose to visit. We couldn't have asked for a better day. Blue skies, temperatures in the fifties and the bugs haven't really woken up yet so it was a great day to be out driving around.

We enjoyed looking down at the Androscoggin River as it flowed along just below the embankment of route 2 and then route 26. We passed dormant campgrounds that would soon be filled with the smell of woodsmoke as people connect with the remote outdoors. Shabby buildings offering antiques appeared every few miles just outside of very small towns that actually had no strip malls or chain stores. What a concept!

Ah, but nothing is ever perfect and while there may have been plenty of peace and quiet on this sleepy Maine road, there was also a little construction too, and we found ourselves sitting in a minor traffic jam for just a few dusty minutes until it was our turn to pass through. No matter though, since I was able to sit back and look out at the rolling pine cover hills, watch the river water flow smoothly over hundreds of slick, shiny rocks and glance at some of the worn-out, rusty wares being offered at a nearby antiques barn. The air was fresh and filled with unspoiled earthy scents (except near the spot where they were working on the road) and it was nice being in a remote area so far from home, even for just a little while.