While I was cat sitting in northern Michigan I considered where to take you on the annual Walktober. I didn’t want to waste the fact that I was in northern Michigan, and you can’t get a better location for a Walktober than that.
Lake Michigan was pulling at me to take you on a beach walk. But many years ago I did exactly that, and if I can find it I’ll add the link to that post here. (You really should go look at it, it was an entirely different sort of day!)
I didn’t want to repeat myself. You might be bored with another walk along the same beach.
Of course back than I and the friend who lives here had wandered north. I could always take you south this year. As I stared at the lake on a warm Saturay morning that seemed like the perfect solution.
Until I got down to the dune above the lake.
A wedding was happening just to the south of me. Sure, I could walk past it. I mean people were actually swimming at the public beach right there. But I didn’t want to infringe on their moment. So I turned north.
After all, that last beachy Walktober was a long time ago. And every beach walk is different, right?
So off I went toward that point just up the way a bit.
I was immediately drawn to a footprint in the damp sand. I thought about how transient our footsteps are. How fleeting our whole lives are.
The waves were already lapping at the footprint, ready to erase it forever. I spent a long time photographing that footprint, wondering who had been there just before me.
There were plenty of other pretty things to photograph along the way. It must have rained the night before, or maybe even just before I left the house.
There were soft little sandy divots everywhere. It looked and felt something like a moon landscape.
It was a beautiful day, the sun was out, the cloudless sky was a deep blue. And on the beach were other signs of beings who had gotten outside to enjoy the day long before I had.
I wondered what kind of little animal had scurried across the beach that morning. And then I wondered what made it decide to go in a different direction.
I kept going straight, along the shore, noticing the way the light bounced off the water…
…and off a railing creating modern art on the beach.
Resting kayaks were waiting for another trip out on the lake this season, and I imagined them glad of the warm fall day, just like I was.
Chairs were waiting patiently for their people to rest and watch another sunset.
But mostly I was watching the water and the sand in front of me as I approached my destination, the point.
The lapping waves, sliding over the sand was making the most beautiful art.
And it had left behind sadly beautiful artifacts too.
And of course there were those footprints, always a step ahead of me, combining with the sand art, moving steadily forward.
As in life, once you reach your destination point you always see another point in the distance. Maybe instead of turning around I should head toward that new point, way up there.
There was bound to be more to see.
But as I got closer to that far away point I noticed someone playing with her dog.
And I thought maybe it was best to leave them be, just as I had let the wedding be. Bookmarked by a dog’s play and a wedding day, I was happy with what I had seen on my Walktober. I hope you enjoyed it too.
Oh…and the footprints… those I had been following on my slow walk north?
The owner of the prints came back toward me and we exchanged pleasantries about what a beautiful day it was and then she continued on her walk heading south toward home.
And I did the same.
There’s still time for you to get a walk in, post about it and link it to the Official Walktober post. I’ll gather them all up and do a recap post in early November. We can’t wait to see where you’ve been!
Change Is Hard 