Lakewood Park

It’s cold and damp this morning. The world is shrouded in thick, swirling fog. Objects seem to float, suspended in the haze and sound is muffled. Halos glow around every light. I can hear the lake lapping gently against the break wall, but I can’t see the water. We walk to the lookout at the east end of Lakewood Park, but downtown is utterly invisible. Suddenly, I see a flash of blue. A jay perches near the trail. We traipse across the grassy fields and I can hear a hawk “talking” in one of the treetops. Finally, I spot two hawks perched high in a tree. I stop to watch them fluff their feathers. They stare down and scold me for staring. So, we move off into the mist.

We enjoyed a long and gorgeous autumn. It’s sad to see flamboyant fall colors fade, leaving the world a bit grim and bare. But there is a different kind of beauty in the monochromatic tones of winter. I’m looking forward to white white snow and stark tree trunks and frozen lakes.

Today, we got our first taste of the coming season. The wind was wild over the lake. Gray waves crashed against the break wall throwing up impressive spray. Gulls pushed against the wind. Every now and then, we saw one catch and tumble back, wings akimbo before righting itself and continuing on its way.

I was happy to see our old friend, the red-tailed hawk, perched high in a tree. Its feathers lifted in the wind like Marilyn’s skirt and it looked curiously at us. A flurry of snow began to fall, tiny flakes swirling in the wind. We stayed as long as we could before my cold hands couldn’t bear it anymore and we headed home to thaw out.

Lakewood Park is cold and windy this time of year. The lake is gray and agitated. Huge flocks of Canada geese gather on the athletic fields, honking loudly and pooping everywhere. As we headed towards the lake, we could still see the moon hovering in the morning sky.

We spotted a few birds along the path, but nothing unusual. Then, at the bottom of the solstice steps, I saw an unfamiliar bird among the rocks. Chuck took calmly with me while I waited for it to hop up into clear view. It was beautiful and definitely not a familiar friend. When I got home, I looked it up and found that we had seen a snow bunting. It’s an arctic bird that can be seen here during its winter migration. It’s hard to imagine these delicate little things traveling so far and living most of its life in such harsh conditions.

This morning was rainy and chilly. The sky was dark and the sidewalks were glossy. Puddles pooled in the corners of uneven slabs and gathered at the curbs. It was the kind of morning that might lure one into a second cup of coffee and appreciation from the comfort of the couch.

But, because of Chuck, I go outside every day. She doesn’t mind inclement weather. In fact, she seems to revel in it. She turns her face into the wind and rain and smiles. It makes me happy to see her happy. And I am grateful for her relentless need for walks.

Today, we walked to Lakewood Park and ran in the fields and jumped on the solstice steps. We tilted back our heads and watched huge flocks of geese fly overhead. We let the rain mist our faces and looked out at the gray lake crashing against the shore.

When we got home, we were soaked to the skin. Chuck is not a fan of being dried off, so I always drape a towel over her. It seems to calm her and resign her to the process. Then, she eats breakfast and curls up in her crate while I get ready for work.

It’s still August and we have a lot of hot days ahead of us, but there must be something in the air signaling the coming of winter. The squirrels at Lakewood Park are all VERY busy throwing nuts down out of trees, filling their little bellies, building nests and generally creating quite a commotion! Check out the guy making eating an extreme sport. He was just hanging upside down, snacking away!

After watching the squirrels for awhile, we wandered down to the water front path to take a look at downtown. It’s still there, sitting serenely to the east at the edge of the lake. I looked for birds along the path, but there was very little activity today. As we headed back up the hill, I spotted a bare branch jutting out above the water. This is just the sort of perch that birds like, so I gave it a good look. Sure enough, there at the tip, was one of my favorite birds, the belted kingfisher!

We couldn’t linger long today, so we meandered back through the park grabbing a pic of a mourning dove on a light post and watching a bald eagle soar overhead before we had to get on with the day.

I love taking pictures. When I walk with a camera in hand, I look at the world differently. I perceive and appreciate light and color and shape in a way I don’t when I’m not behind a lens. I really work at “looking” and I am rewarded with little beautiful details that otherwise might pass me by.

If you’ve never tried it, I encourage you to pick up a camera and go look at the world. It doesn’t have to be a fancy device. A phone or a simple point and shoot camera will do the trick. Heck, even imagining you have a camera and just freezing images in your mind can work. Once you start to see the art in the world around you, it’s impossible not to crave more experience, more scenes, more magic moments.

Try it. You’ll see.

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