Everything is practice

A path in the woods. (Kiptopeke State Park, Virginia)

I believe in going back to the magic of the earth and the lake, the sky and the universe. That kind of magic. I believe in that kind of religion. A religion of the rocks, the lake, the water, the sky. Yes, that’s what I believe in.

~ George Morrison, Grand Portage Ojibwe

Parksley, Virginia.

I just returned (yesterday) from a trip to the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia.  It was such a wonderful trip, filled with all kinds of beautiful sights and sounds and hikes.  We took our time getting there and coming back so there were hikes and walks on either side of the tour and hike through the swamp.  Our first stop was the small town of Parksley, Virginia.  Parksley is home to about 850 people and the Eastern Shore Railway Museum.  The museum itself was not open.  It’s a seasonal thing, open from March or April through October.  You can — and I did — walk around and look at the train cars outside of the little museum.

Railroad museum. Parksley, Virginia

I was too lazy to break out the big camera.  All of my photos of Parksley were taken with my phone camera.  I strolled a block or two into the main thoroughfare in town where they have a couple of stores.  It was nice to have music with my walk.  They have speakers up on the telephone poles and it was a surprise to hear Coldplay in Parksley.  I don’t know if the speakers are up year-round or if they are there for the Christmas season to accompany the decorations.  Whatever radio station they were broadcasting was not yet playing Christmas music (thank goodness, because I’m not ready for that until after Thanksgiving!).

A few of the cute buildings.

There are some cute buildings in Parksley.  There is a small grocery store, a hardware store, other businesses/buildings I didn’t identify, and a five-and-dime.  Parksley was also the site of the Shore National Guard Armory and the airfield was used by the Civil Air Patrol during World War II, guarding against a German invasion of the U.S.

I think it’s probably more “& up” than “5¢ to 5.00.”

It was, in a way, a quick trip.  We left on Tuesday morning and came back yesterday.  At the same time, it felt longer than quick because we were able to take our time, see what we wanted to see or what there was to see.  The Eastern Shore (both Maryland and Virginia) have a lot of small towns, wildlife refuges/sanctuaries and preserves to explore.  I think it could take many years to visit all of it.  A lifetime, perhaps.

Historical marker.

(Note:  In case you are unable to read the marker in the photo, you can find it at the Historical Marker Database here.)

Slow travel, when we can do it, is such a wonderful practice.  Like meditation and yoga, it can warp time in your favor so that you feel as if you can be in the moment.  Time stretches in such a way that it feels like there is enough.

Class X23 Box Car, built in 1913.

There’s so much more to show you even before we get to the Great Dismal Swamp.  I also have tons of photos from our trip to North Carolina that are still waiting to make an appearance of some kind on Ye Olde Blogge.  Perhaps winter will be a good time to get caught up.  Thank you so much for stopping by today.  Let’s meet out at the Point for sunset.  It’s scheduled for 4:49 PM.  The weather has taken a turn for the chilly.  Bundle up.  It’ll be cold out there.

Please be safe, be well, and take a little time to just Be.

I wondered, when I saw this, if they still make Bazooka gum. The answer is yes, which I should have remembered because M bought some for the Wookie and Peanut just for the experience of it. They still include comics with the gum, too.

A few of the 10,000 reasons to be happy:  3,041)  Slow travel.  Being able to take our time and stop wherever we wanted to stop to see what there was to see.  3,042)  Time warps.  Life gives us ways and means to experience them.  3,043)  A wonderful and amazing travel partner, in life and on road trips.  3,044)  Learning a little more about where I live.  3,045)  This beautiful, blue-sky, autumn day.

Still hanging in there.