The First Nature Walk of 2025

March 4, 2025 19:22:56 Robert Freeman-Day (PresGas)

A late winter path with no snow and not much foot traffic. — The path taken, down to the valley.

On the advice of my emotional health and the sunny but cold day, I took a look for a place near town to go and take a little walk. I'd forgotten how cooped up I had been these last cold weeks; the Midwest definitely got their share of Polar Vortex.

A sunny, late winter, wooded path. The bottom is the person's top part of their head, in a grey woollen cap and glasses. — The author getting ready to head down into the valley.

What was amazing about the walk was how many different, but peaceful soundscapes I experienced. All of this was in a mile walk, if that. It was early enough that not all the animals were out. So there were spots where it was utterly silent. 30 yards further, two alarmed birds were letting me know they noticed me...relatively calmly.

A macro picture of moss growing in the late winter — I didn't get to touch grass, but I definitely touched moss!! Soooooooo Soooofty!!!

Throughout the area there was a little brook that meandered around. I'd run into it, like a dog that went off exploring and then would come back to check on me. The babbling sounds it would make on greeting me definitely helped restore my calm. It made me think of my two 15 yo dogs that wouldn't be able to walk very far these days. Not that they'd keep a calming pace or vibe when they were younger. :-)

A landscape with a brook in the foreground being partially fed by water coming out of a karst rock cliff — Water was coming out of the karst. Always a nice time to get out and see/hear that.

I really need to make a habit of this.

Any suggestions or thoughts? Feel free to lemme know!