Walktober 2015: The round-up

A path in the woods somewhere in time and space.

Keep walking, though there’s no place to get to.
Don’t try to see through the distances.
That’s not for human beings.
Move within, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened.
Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

~ Rumi

Early in the morning on Friday, just after sunrise. Let’s walk out to the meadow.

Walktober was a bit of a mess this year, wasn’t it?  That’s my fault.  I brought up the subject too early, and then confused us all when it came to where to leave a link or a pingback so now I’m out searching for everyone’s walks.  I will do better next year.  I promise.

My walk was supposed to take place Elsewhere, but I will have to settle for Here.  The photos for this post are from last Friday morning when I took my back-up walk around the Wabi-Sabi Ranch.  I did not find the time (or the good weather) to go Elsewhere, and I was busy around the house getting ready to write without having chores nagging me in the background.  As you might recall, I am taking that leap of faith and immersing myself in NaNoWriMo.  I think all my walks might have prepared me for this.  It is, after all, another walk, another journey.

On the way down. Moon set Friday morning.

The first walker to step up, so to speak, is someone new to Walktober.  I am fairly new to her blog too, and if you haven’t been there for her Monday Musings, please put aside a little time on a Monday and stop by Yesterday and Today: Merril’s historical musings.  For Walktober, Merril starts at the Valley Green Inn and then walks down Forbidden Drive along the Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I was curious about why it was called the Forbidden Drive, and alas, it’s not quite as ominous as it sounds.  It’s still a great name.  In the 1920’s, cars were banned (forbidden) from the drive, but I think I’d like to explore it in my imagination as forbidden for other reasons.  Wouldn’t you?

Merril’s Walktober contribution is beautiful.  She paints vivid and gorgeous pictures with her poetry as well as with her images.  And in the end?  Well, you’ll have to go read to find out, but I feel compelled, in good way, to say thank you, Merril, for a beautiful walk and a beautiful day.

Sinking behind the fall foliage.

Frank, who is a regular at these Walktober events, was next.  I was thrilled and surprised to find Frank had traveled to Spain and his walk takes us to Alhambra.  Oh my, I was blown away, seeing a place that is on my lifetime list of places I want to visit.  Frank not only walks us through Alhambra, but he provides us with some historical information.  Thank you, Frank, for the surprise and the delight of being able to walk Alhambra with you.

The spider web in the meadow (without the Halloween decorations).

Here is where I start to get confused so if I’m mistaken, my apologies.  And if I leave you out, my apologies.  I promise to make it up to you somehow.  As for keeping things in order, I’m completely lost, but I will do my best.

Eliza is next with a walk in Chapel Brook Reservation.  Eliza’s photos are stunning, and the walk might just leave you breathless, but it’s worth the climb up for the view.  The autumn colors she captured are wonderful, and I’d love to visit the water slide in the summer months.  I also enjoyed learning more about Eliza’s childhood and a little family history while on this walk with her.

Grasses edging the creek.

Next up is Dale at A Delectable Life.  Dale is a fabulous storyteller and another first time Walktober contributor.  She took a walk through a section of Old Boucherville where we pass some lovely trees, a Canada goose or two, a Fort ruin, and two gorgeous, historic homes.  Dale also caught some great shots of a turkey vulture.  I happen to like turkey vultures.  They are hard workers and help make the world a cleaner place.

Bright lights, no city.

Sallyann, another Walktober regular, takes us on a walk along the Birmingham Main Line Trail in Wolverhamptom.  I love towpath and canal trails, and this one is no exception.  As Sallyann commented to me, ” stepping onto a tow path is like stepping into a time warp and the pace of life around you suddenly slows down.”  Thank you, Sallyann, for a lovely walk and for reminding me of tow path trails I’ve walked in the past.

In the grass.

Dawn, who walked a gazillion miles during her trips to Canada and D.C. recently, took us on a gorgeous Walktober walk in one of her favorite places, Kensington Metro Park when she returned home.  Dawn does some very important work in an effort to keep us all safe, and before we get to her walk, if you live in the U.S., you really should read her post about Sorrow to Strength.  I know I should be concentrating on her walk, but this paragraph sums up Dawn’s work regarding safety on our roads well:

Safety can not be partisan. It just can’t. Trucks kill nearly 4000 people every year. They injure another 100,000 annually. They irreparably damage Democrat and Republican families, people of every religion, every nationality. This is one issue that should be first on the minds of everyone regardless of beliefs.

I am so very glad, and thankful, that Dawn can step away from the sorrow and from the Very Important Work she does to enjoy the beauty in her area and share it with us.  She even spotted some Sandhill Cranes!  I would love to be able to walk this area with Dawn someday and see the beautiful reflections, the Sandhill Cranes, and spend some time chatting about whatever comes to mind.

The morning lights sparkle.

I think that is about it for Walktober this year.  I will try to make this less confusing next year.  Thank you to everyone who participated!  I always enjoying walking, and it is even more fun when we share our walks with each other.

Tight rope.

Thank you for visiting today.  For those inquiring minds who want to know, my word count is now up to a whopping 4,951 words.  Possibly more as I’ve been fitting in more writing time today, but haven’t paid much attention to the word count as I dip and in out of the story.  Something surprising happened this morning, something that makes this project much more exciting for me.  I’ll tell you all about it soon (although some of you may already know if we’re writing buddies or Facebook friends).

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

Sparklers.

Today’s joys:  Finding my enthusiasm; a rainy day as an excuse to sit and write from time to time; a beautiful salad for lunch; Izzy warming my lap while I sit at the computer; music to brighten up the day; good news from my father who is hopefully going home today.