Walking. With a very little blow.

Posted on by Live & Learn

1,488 consecutive (almost) days that I’ve been on this daybreak walk at Cove Island Park. 12 days from 1,500 — more than four years of this Thing.

“And life slips by like a field mouse
Not shaking the grass.” – Ezra Pound

But before I leave the house, I flip through the morning papers. I know better, I do. But can’t seem to resist the rubbernecking. Ukraine. Israel. Gaza. Washington cesspool. China. Russia. North Korea. All feels dark and getting darker – the world’s shadows deepen.

“I could feel hope traveling backward to find us,
to whisper into our chests,
There will be music for you one day.” — Andrea Gibson

Weather app reads 59° F (?), but there’s a brisk wind from the North. Am I in Greenland? Glad I wore a jacket, I zip up.

I walk.

4:30 am. Wildlife is up. Smallest birds with the loudest voices break the silence of early morning. 4 other insomniacs are out sharing this twilight hour, each lost in their own quiet rhythm.

“Birdsong, wind, and waves. 
It requires nothing more than to meet noise with stillness 
and not commentary.” – Martin Laird

I walk.

Egrets fish.  Herons stand stoic. Swans hiss, protective of their cygnet. I spot the antagonist along the break wall where a raccoon lurks. And the cormorants – frenetic, purposeful – my spirit birds. 

Driving home, I spot Ma & Pa Canada Geese on Weed Avenue. Pa stands defiantly on the roadway, staring down me and my 5000 pound car. Ma is busy with her brood of 12, trying to shuffle them to safety.

I slow as I approach, and note oncoming traffic is not slowing at all. Pa remains unmoved.  Ma is unable to get the goslings to clear. I stop and flash my headlights. The oncoming car slows, and then too stops. We both watch the family cross the highway – pleased that a catastrophe has been averted. The other driver waves and passes along his thanks.

“We can’t all strike very big blows,
 and even the little ones count for something.” — Arthur Conan Doyle

I pull into the driveway.

What’s this, that stirs?

Hope?

A glimmer of Light? 

“Even if we lose hope for a good outcome, we need not lose hope of being good people.” – Brian D. McLaren. 

Photo up top is a DK Photo from 4:41 am this morning. More photos from this morning’s walk here: Twilight here. Egrets here. Swans & Cygnet here.

51 thoughts on “Walking. With a very little blow.”

  1. you were the good news story of the day that will never be read in the morning papers. I also am a newspaper reader

      1. Every very little piece of good news adds up Dave! I just had a thought… A tiny tiny way to celebrate day 1500: Do not look at the news…NONE. Not even a headline! The news will still be there on day 1501. (Just a thought. Do what ya Gotta do!) However, that is what I AM GOING TO DO on day 1500… to celebrate your special day. Peace.

        (Putting this on my calendar right now!)

          2. You might want to take a quick look at James Harriot’s Wikipedia page (I just did). It turns out that “all creatures, great, and small“ is a collection of his first six short books, combined into a single volume. I had not known that. He has also written some stuff I was not aware of, which makes me very happy! Time for me to do some more reading 🙂

  4. You are a gift DK. Dare I say YOU are the light? I shall tell no one.

    12 days from 1500? I plan to be there too. Makes me wonder what my number is. 😉

  6. Whew! You could have called the police and had them put up a traffic detail to “Make Way for Goslings.” It works for ducklings.

    So glad the other guy stopped. What a story you had to tell when you got home.

          1. ❤️
            I didn’t feel well this week. Much better now.
            This place is home, thank you for that.

          3. Glad you’re feeling better Sawsan 🙂
            Agree: this blog does feel like “a home“.
            I’m so grateful we have such high-quality people here!

            To DK: THANK YOU For creating and maintaining this ‘home’.
            I know there is significant effort involved. I’m grateful for your hard work.
            – Paul / “The Happy Lizard“

          6. Thank you Paul. Glad you are “in the house” here. I do find it exhausting at time to keep Sawsan and her Jr Apprentice in line, but in the end, all the others in the community make it so worthwhile.

  11. a wonderful tiny treasure chest with goodies from DK‘s morning run. so many different gifts from so many different corners. Agree with all comments and also from me a BIT thank you.

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