Motivated by the fact I promised a running buddy that I’d walk a virtual 5K while she ran a half marathon this coming weekend, I went out to a local park on Monday to see how walking further than from the couch to the fridge would feel.
I haven’t been out there to walk on the bike path since I did the CRIM race back in August. The race where I fell at the end and broke my finger. A finger injury seemed a good excuse not to exercise for, well, eight months. Or so.
I won’t lie and say it was easy, but it wasn’t really hard either. Monday I only walked 3.1 miles, the length of a 5K, just to see what my time was. Yep…moseying along at my comfortable pace it took me an hour. I’m not really in race condition, but at least I was out there. Right?
And while I was out there trying hard not to take pictures with my phone, which slows me down but also makes me happy, I noticed that spring was just about to pop and I wished I had my regular camera. So right then and there, before I turned around at the 1.5 mile marker I decided I’d go back the next day, Tuesday, with my camera and go just a little bit further.
Because, you see, I saw cowslips in bloom along a stream at the 1.25 mile marker, but they weren’t in a spot that was easy to reach. And I knew, at mile 2.1 there was a marsh that would be full of them. And a photo of those cowslips (also known as marsh marigolds) was my goal.
Of course I saw plenty of other pretty things on my way back into the woods. Plenty of things that were (almost) as good as marsh marigolds in bloom in the morning sun.
In fact, I’m sharing a few of them here. Surprise!
Tuesday I went early in the morning, around 8, and it was a bit nippy, but I warmed right up as I walked. There’s a 1 mile walk down a big hill, out in the open that’s always colder than it is once you get back into the woods. I just pulled my hands into my sleeves when I wasn’t shooting an image. Which turned out to be rare moments.
I like the open part of the path, even though it runs next to a road, because you get to see hills with golden grass and a view of the sky.
Once you’re in the woods there’s not a lot of sky to see, but there are oh so many other things to notice if you take the time. I’m always reminding myself how lucky I am to have several parks like this near.
There were a few people out, mainly on bikes, or jogging. A few other walkers, but everyone was very careful to keep their social distance. We just smiled and nodded at each other as we went by.
I didn’t see anyone else out there with a camera. They all seemed to be out there for exercise. Hmmmm….I thought maybe I’d get exercise credit…but my phone, which was tracking my walk, sounded more and more condescending as the walk went on.
“Total distance is 1 mile, total time is 21 minutes, 9 seconds.” Well that’s a little slow even for me. But my excuse was that I took a couple pictures of the hills, and the sky, and well, you know.
“Total distance is 2 miles, split pace is 25 minutes 49 seconds.” Maybe I should pick up the pace, but that mile is my favorite mile back in the woods and the sun was shining off the old beach leaves.
“Total distance is 3 miles, split pace is 35 minutes 58 seconds.” Well, there were the cowslips in the third mile. I spent a lot of time there. So really, I wasn’t walking that slow. Really.
Total distance is 4 miles, split pace is….not worth telling you about.” 🙂
Anyway, maybe I can’t claim this walk was exercise, but I can claim that it was a lot of fun and I got some beautiful images. Including the one that posted yesterday for Wordless Wednesday. I’ll wait while you pop over there to check it out if you haven’t seen it yet.
I was almost back at the car when I heard the crane. They make a very distinctive sound. I couldn’t see him, but I got my camera ready, and darn if he didn’t come my way. He went to the east of me, quite a ways away and I got some shots, but nothing spectacular. Still he made me smile.
Then he did a big u-turn and flew back toward me, right over my head! It was really, really cool.
So that was the end to my 4 point something mile walk. I felt like the whole thing was a huge success, regardless of my turtle speed. Oh…and the cowslips, the marsh marigolds? Did I get a shot of them?
Well of course I did. And I hope they make you smile as much as they did me.
Almost guaranteed that they will.
April 30, 2020 at 6:51 am
Very successful!! I have not been out running in 5 weeks. Too many people all over, but I may try to get out at 6am when no one is around yet, Love your pics as always, they are a welcome view.
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May 1, 2020 at 12:53 pm
I haven’t been running in 8 months. I might be a walker now. Glad you enjoyed the pictures…it’s a beautiful time of the year.
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April 30, 2020 at 8:05 am
I appreciate your photos more than you can know. While I’m able to walk around our neighborhood, which is lovely, I cannot walk in any parks so I haven’t seen nature like you share here in a couple of months. It is lovely & refreshing, no matter how fast or slowly you were going by it.
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May 1, 2020 at 12:54 pm
Oh Ally Bean. I hope you can walk in a park soon, so you don’t miss all of spring! I know I feel like I’ve been in a time warp when I get in the car and go further than the grocery store. I’ve done that 2x so far since this all started in mid March. There are things blooming and greening and I haven’t seen any of it develop!
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April 30, 2020 at 8:20 am
I think it was a huge success too. I wouldn’t enjoy my walks half so much if I wasn’t looking out for plants and flowers along the way.
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May 1, 2020 at 12:56 pm
I think looking for those things is the purpose of most of my walks. Even when I was running I was always pointing out to my running partners things they would have missed. A bird or a flower or the way light shifted in the trees. I used to write ‘nature reports’ after every run and share them with my running friends. They became expected and when I ran alone I’d concentrate on remembering the things I’d seen. I did a marathon once, and did a nature report after, one thing for every mile. It helped me get through the miles to keep the stuff fresh in my head. Each mile I’d add one more thing, and repeat the whole list so I could remember it once I got home. Don’t know if I could do that these days!
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April 30, 2020 at 8:36 am
Sounds like a good day to me. Especially with the crane encounter.
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May 1, 2020 at 1:07 pm
It was a very good day!
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April 30, 2020 at 9:26 am
You were outside and moving, so I guess it can count as exercise 😉 Taking photos is always funand you got some nice ones. Very much a smile worthy event.
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May 1, 2020 at 1:07 pm
I was smiling through the whole thing, even the one mile uphill back to the car.
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May 1, 2020 at 4:22 pm
I’m sure you were 🙂
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April 30, 2020 at 9:27 am
Such great photos and I just Love getting out and walking too! The outdoors and all of nature’s beauty is so healing to the mind and soul! This post DEFINITELY made me SMILE!! 😍😀
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May 1, 2020 at 1:07 pm
I’m glad!
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April 30, 2020 at 9:37 am
A huge success? I would say say so! And then to have the crane fly overhead just made it even better.
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May 1, 2020 at 1:08 pm
Yep, that crane was pretty darn cool.
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April 30, 2020 at 10:21 am
Oh you definitely MUST count this as exercise, Dawn! You were outside in the fresh air, walking, using your eyes and brain to frame photos, seeing humanity and nature — all positives. And what lovely photos you got, too — I especially love the marsh marigold, red-winged blackbird, and hearing that only one of those five dogs put up a protest!
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May 1, 2020 at 1:08 pm
LOL…OK, it was definitely steps on my fitbit! So I’ll count it.
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April 30, 2020 at 10:38 am
Our parks are due to open tomorrow and I can’t wait! This was a great walk, Dawn. We were going for photos not time, right…..anyone can walk fast. But can they take pictures that tell a story and walk at the same time? I think not!
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May 1, 2020 at 1:09 pm
I hope you are out enjoying your park right this minute!
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April 30, 2020 at 10:40 am
A walk in the woods with a sprinkle of comedy. Love it. Guess I shouldn’t reveal that I’ve been grazing in the blueberry patch for a week now. How arrogant of me, I know!
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May 1, 2020 at 1:10 pm
Really? Already? We don’t get blueberries until August!
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April 30, 2020 at 8:23 pm
Glad you were able to get outside and walk. Dad has been walking me quite a bit lately.
Your second to last photo of the road going through the forest made me think of a Robert Frost poem. You know the one with the lines:
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
Dog Speed,
Joe & Gemini
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May 1, 2020 at 1:10 pm
Hi Gemini! I hear it’s getting kind of hot down there, so I hope you get your walks in early in the morning! Yes, I like that poem a lot too!
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May 1, 2020 at 10:20 am
Lovely photos! Anytime you are moving with a purpose – it’s exercise! The past few days for me it’s been cloudy and rainy and today the sunshine! Gonna move with purpose today…. hope you do, too. Stay well, safe, and healthy.
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May 1, 2020 at 1:11 pm
We’ve had rain for the past two or three days too…but today it’s beautiful and sunny and warm! I hope you are having a beautiful day as well!
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