In the neighborhood

A path through the woods

Fresh air impoverishes the doctor.

~ Danish proverb

Step by step

I’ve been in search of a primary care physician lately.  There’s nothing wrong.  I just thought it was time to find one so that when I need one, I have one.  It’s easier said than done.  The doctor I would like to see is no longer accepting new patients, nor is anyone else in that group practice.  Phooey.  While I continue to search, I will take the advice of the Danish proverb quoted at the beginning of this post and get plenty of fresh air.  Who needs a doctor when there are healing walks?

One of today’s views from the dock.

Lately I’ve been wandering off the Wabi-Sabi Ranch and exploring the neighborhood on my walks.  I hesitate to call it a neighborhood since we’re spaced so far apart.  It’s at least a half mile to the nearest neighbor’s house.

Looking the other way.

There are several different ways to walk about the neighborhood.  Go left at the end of the driveway and you’ll eventually reach the end of the road where you can go left again and walk to the Church in the Shire (which is not the name of the church).  Should you be in the mood for a longer walk, pass the church and keep going until you reach The Point.  You can take a walk along the beach at The Point, or start swimming if you want to continue straight ahead.  To the church and back is a 2-mile walk.  To The Point and back is a little over 4 miles.

Back in the woods

Today I took a right when I got to the end of the driveway.  About a half mile from the driveway is a curve in the road.  On the left side of the curve there is a driveway that is well marked with unwelcoming signs (KEEP OUT!!!!).  If you peer down the driveway, you’ll see a large, battered, Confederate flag waving in the breeze.  You might see the man who lives there.  Let’s call him Larry.  That’s not his name, but he looks like a Larry to me.  Larry is a big man, both tall and wide.  Larry owns several beagles, and it’s not unusual to hear one barking in the meadow here on the ranch.  Larry lets them out, one at a time, to roam as they will and chase rabbits.  He says it “gets it out of their system.”  Below the scraggly flag that’s seen better days is Larry’s workshop.  He’s a taxidermist.  Some of the folks who hunt around here go to Larry to have their prizes stuffed and mounted.

One of the interesting things about the woods near Larry’s place is that there always seems to be about 50 birds hanging out in the trees, singing and chatting.  I don’t know what kind of birds most of them are, and think there must be different types because I can hear several different songs.  There is at least one Red-Winged Blackbird in the bunch.  I know his call well.  I’m not sure what the attraction is in that part of the woods, but I do like to stand there on the road near the end of Larry’s driveway and listen to the musical sounds coming from the birds.

Onwards

If you continue around the curve, you will come to a straight section of road that bisects the fields of two farms.  Farther on there are a couple of houses, and eventually you will come to the bridge that passes over Back Creek.  Just before the bridge, the creek runs alongside the road for a bit, and it is from there that you can get a good view of our dock sitting out over the water.

I do not take a camera with me on my neighborhood walks.  I wish I had today.  I walked over to the bridge and the view of the creek was beautiful.  The clouds and sky and sunlight were just right for some gorgeous shots.  It had been gray and overcast earlier, with snow in the forecast, and it clouded up again later, but during my walk I had about an hour of sunshine and a break in the clouds (which you can see in some of the photos I took after I returned home).

This is the part of the Woodland Trail where M and I scattered grass seeds. I’m pretty sure the birds ate them all.

The walk to the bridge and back is about 2 miles.  Maybe a little more.  It’s the best direction to take on chilly days because there is not as much shade on the road as there is if you head towards the church.  Go towards the church on warm or hot days.  There are lots of shady spots where you can cool off.

We did not get any snow, by the way.  The prediction was a dusting to up to one inch, but I haven’t seen so much as a flake.  Tomorrow, they say, it will be sunny, but cold and windy.

Yesterday

I reckon that’s it from the Wabi-Sabi Ranch for today.  Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you’ve had a wonder-filled Wednesday.  I hear the clouds might clear in time for sunset.  The days have been growing longer, as they do after the Winter Solstice, and sunset is now at 5:53 pm.  Meet you out at the dock about ten minutes or so before that.  Maybe there will still be enough clouds around to put on a pretty show.  Be sure to bundle up.  It’s getting windy, and the temperature drops like a rock once the sun sets.  The low tonight is expected to be around 20°F.

Two robins

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂