Officially Walktober

Little hand, small flowers from the meadow.

[Walking] is the perfect way of moving if you want to see into the life of things.  It is the one way of freedom.  If you go to a place on anything but your own feet you are taken there too fast, and miss a thousand delicate joys that were waiting for you by the wayside.

~ Elizabeth von Arnim, The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rugen

Earth is so thick with divine possibility that it is a wonder we can walk anywhere without cracking our shins on altars.

~ Barbara Brown Taylor

Beginning of a walk.

So, guys, this is it.  The official Walktober post.  This is the one where you should leave your link or pingback.  This is where I’ll find your walk (or walks, since some of us like to take more than one) for the round-up post.  If you link to this post, a pingback will appear in the comments section.  Or, if you prefer, you can drop the link in the comments section on your own.  Either way, I’ll find it (and keep an eye out in case it ends up elsewhere).  I am not yet sure when I will do the round-up post.  It depends on whether or not anyone needs extra time.  If not, probably the week of the 21st.  If so, I might wait until November to do it.

A heart along the way.

Your Walktober reminder:  The dates for this year’s event are October 6th through the 19th but, as always, the dates are loosey-goosey.  If you’ve already taken your walk, go ahead and post your link now.  If you need extra time, let me know.  I’ll be glad to extend it.

If you’re new to this and not sure what Walktober is, there is a link over in the sidebar to help you out.  Just click on the photo labeled Walktober and that will take you to the “in a nutshell” explanation.

I’ve been Away again.  I was in the Bogs, otherwise known as Northeast Ohio, visiting with family.  I had a wonderful time.  A full time.  Very full.  We went to the Akron Zoo and took a ride on a steam train (via the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway and their Steam in the Valley event).  We splashed around in an indoor water park, took walks around the pond, had sleepovers, and did about a thousand other things.

Gateway.

On our way to the Bogs, M and I stopped at the abandoned turnpike (Pike2Bike) near Breezewood, Pennsylvania, for a little hike.  I’ve posted about it in the past (Take a hike) during a summer walk/hike.  We didn’t make it all the way to the tunnel this time around because we didn’t have time to make it that far.

Autumn bouquet.

There was not a lot of change in the foliage to be seen, even when we got into the mountains of Pennsylvania.  A little, here and there, on the way out.  A little more on our way back.  My guess is that this weekend is going to be the weekend that the fall foliage really puts on a show.  Or maybe next weekend.  They are just getting some cooler weather there.

On the abandoned road.

It was surprisingly warm, in the mountains and in the Bogs.  I don’t know why I was surprised by it.  It has been warm pretty much everywhere, hasn’t it?

Goldenrod and white asters.

I noticed that the purple asters are doing really well this year.  They were practically everywhere along the way once we got to western Maryland, into Pennsylvania, and Ohio.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to photograph them.  Had it been just me, not needing to be in any particular place at any particular time, I probably would have stopped every five minutes or so to take pictures of them.  They were so pretty.

Morning light in the trees.

I did not take the big camera with me on our Abandoned Turnpike walk.  I wish I had.  There were so many beautiful wildflowers blooming along the way, and the morning light was wonderful.  I did, however, have my phone with me.  The photos are not as good as with the big camera although I am kind of out of practice with the big camera and have been taking a lot of bad photos lately.  So, maybe the phone camera was for the best.

Danger.

I’m going to keep this post relatively short so you don’t have to scroll a lot to get to where you want to go if you’re dropping off your Walktober link.  Thank you for stopping by and walking some of the Abandoned Turnpike with me and my hiking partner, M.  Let’s go out to the Point for sunset this evening.  It’s very windy, but not nearly as hot and humid as it’s been for most of the week.  You might even need to wear long sleeves or a light jacket.  Sunset is scheduled for 6:43 PM.  I think I’ll go early just to enjoy the beach and the view.

Be good, be kind, be love.  ♥

My hiking partner.

A few of the 10,000 reasons to be happy:  1,166)  Time with family and friends.  Priceless.  1,167)  Hiking and walking and just being outdoors.  1,168)  Listening to a visiting loon in the early morning hours.  He or she must be wintering here, or resting before continuing on his or her migration.  1,169) Purple asters.  1,170)  The dance of the wind today.  Everything is moving and swaying with it.

Goldenrod in the meadow at Breezy Acres (in the Bogs).