Mileage today: 1.5 miles acquired during the daily constitutional, 4.39 total for the day
Unfortunately, the last several days have not been the best for walking. A combination of factors are to blame. First, there was the trip to Lisle, Illinois for the accreditation forum. I was able to get out on both Wednesday, May 12 and Thursday, May 13, getting miles in around the Marriott Conference Center. In fact, there was a wetlands area nearby, and I sighted a snowy egret, redwing blackbirds, and (heard) vocal frogs along the way to the Starbucks.
Really, there is an egret in the picture above. The important part of walking while away from home is to observe the natural setting that could be wedged between the civilized domain of a strip mall and the wildness that lies just beyond the parking lot.
The second factor was the rain, incessant rain, all weekend. But I am happiest, I think, when I return to my accustomed routes and sights. Here are the wild roses I saw today when I stepped out around 11:00 AM near the practice football field.
My plan was to go around Maple Avenue Lake, but the geese commandeered the path. I have encountered the same geese family this spring. I think they are notable because they have at least 12 goslings in their brood. Even for geese they seem particularly fecund. For some reason I don’t want to challenge them for the right of way. Instead I backtracked to the wetlands route, where I found a broken stump with life emerging.
I have also started Wuthering Heights, the most Yorkshire and most Bronte of the novels I plan to read. More on the novel in the next posting.
