Urban walk

As I’ve mentioned here many times before, I love to walk.  If I had the time, I’d go for a long walk every day. 

Up until last week, we walked the girls to school, which was a great way for the four of us to start the day.   On the  weekends, I try to go for a long walk by myself each day.  I loved wandering through our neighborhood and admiring everyone’s efforts in their yards.

Pete and I have been walkers for years.  In that era Before Children, we walked almost every evening after dinner.  He was the driving force back then, as I was lazy and would whine about going out.  But I went and we had some marvelous conversations while we explored our neighborhood.

Now that we’ve moved, our walking habits will change.  No more walking to school.  Bummer. 

On Tuesday, we drove the girls back to our old neighborhood, but parked near a small park/nature trail that winds through the area.  We walked across the bridge, up a trail, and then across the street to the school.  It wasn’t much of a walk, but it got our blood pumping. 

Wednesday, we got rain, freezing, rain, sleet, and a little snow, so Pete drove the girls practically to the front door of the school. 

Thursday, the park’s trails were too muddy for walking, so he again drove the girls straight to school.  Since Pete chauffered the girls to school, I took that opportunity to go for a walk.  I haven’t had much time for that lately and really needed 30-40 minutes to just walk and think.  It was great.

Our street parallels one of the major roads into our little downtown.  This road is lined with large old houses, which I’ve mentioned before.  The road also goes the opposite direction, away from downtown, and that is the way I went yesterday. 

At first, the houses were consistently large and old.  But, after a block, things changed.  The nature of the neighborhood changed from one of affluence to one where things were a bit less polished and kept up.  The larger houses changed to smaller ones.  There were small Colonials and Cape Cods, as well as cute cottages, modest bungalows, and other wee dwellings.  The further I walked, the more the houses changed.  Toward the end of the street, there were even some duplexes.  It was interesting to see this transition occur within just a mile.

But even more important to me were people’s yards.  Even though it’s the dead of winter, I can tell that there are some gems on this stretch of road.  Huge old trees that will give off lots of shade.  Stands of mature azaleas, lilacs, and other flowering shrubs.  And, some mulched areas that promise of flowers galore in just a few months.

I wound my way through the neighborhood, admiring the views close to my feet and off in the distance.  Ours is a hilly town and I was at a high point, so I could even see the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west.

And then I headed home.  Our street intersects with a major road and I’ve wondered about those first few houses that are so close to the traffic.  (We’re back at the end, so we are not so impacted by the traffic or the noise.)  The first house on the right is a very modest little cottage, but it’s the yard that grabbed my attention last summer and which has fascinated me since then.  Imagine, if you will, a small yard that is CHOCK FULL of trees, shrubs, and flowers.  Imagine an arbor that is groaning under the weight of a prolific trumpet vine.  Imagine huge swaths of bulbs in the spring.  All that and more is in this one little yard. 

Yesterday, I met the gardener himself.  Retired, but not terribly old.  Frankly, not very friendly until I mentioned how much I had admired his gardens last year.  Then, his eyes lit up and he started talking.  He gestured here and there and became more animated.  He’s passionate about his gardens and it shows.  I am hopeful I will be given a tour this spring, when his lovely old lilacs are in bloom.

So that was my urban walk yesterday.  Today, I headed off in a new direction and explored different streets.  And this weekend I’ll go further afield.  And so on and so forth until I am familiar with all the yards and gardens within a two mile radius.