Not Mere Walks!

I go on nature walk once or multiple times a day to inject happiness to my days. I like chronicling them and inspiring my readers.

So, let me share about my two walks.

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As much as I love my family, I want to run away from them periodically.

So on a Sunday morning, I gave them breakfast — tea and fermented pancake crêpes — and walked into the neighborhood.

This is the one thing I have absolute control over in a world that’s increasingly oppressive. And as I ventured out, I started having fun.

I stood under the crepe myrtle tree in our front yard. The sunlight bursting through the canopy was delightful.

As I walked, I saw bushtit birds chirping from the Australian willow tree canopy.

People are always complaining about their skin tone and trying to change it with chemicals. But see, everything in evolution has a reason. Tender young rose leaves are red to protect against sunlight, while aging leaves have done their work. The chlorophyll fades, while xanthophylls and tannins take over.

Can we just appreciate what age gives us, instead of fighting it?

Then I saw a monarch butterfly flutter by. Swallows were flying too. They’re our guests for only a few more weeks. Soon, they’ll depart for South America. They are migratory. A turkey vulture was soaring above.

I picked some New Zealand Christmas tree leaves from another yard to make the art piece below.

I noticed spurge growing from the cracks in hot concrete. It’s a relative of the poinsettia, the beloved Christmas icon. Both belong to the Euphorbiaceae family. But spurge is overlooked by most people. It grows in harsh conditions and that inspires me.

The sycamore leaves were already rust-colored. Autumn is just around the corner.

I sat there on the bench, stretched out, soaking in the sunlight, and it felt so right. I wonder why people blame the sun so much. Tender morning sun is the best medicine you can have.

I dictated this story and few more drafts. I could talk to my heart’s content without interruption while in solitude.

I remember Franz Kafka’s saying on nature “I don’t feel particularly proud of myself. But when I walk alone in the woods or lie in the meadows, all is well”.

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It was a cloudy morning, and we set out for a neighborhood walk. I told the little boy, “Let’s pack in as many findings as we can during this walk.” We did exactly one hour.

The neighborhood looked lively with the crepe myrtle blooms coloring the landscape.

Also, the trumpet bush flowers were vibrant, and there were lots of hummingbirds today.

We saw prolific white roses and stopped to inhale their beautiful scent.

We spotted some mushrooms too. I told my son the difference between edible and inedible mushrooms, and he replied that he likes his mushrooms on pizza. I nodded.

We admired the vistas from different spots . There’s something about a dirt trail that soothes the heart.

We came across beds of Mexican daisies. They bloom vigorously.

Creativity is important to me, so I made heart shapes with shamrock and shriveled rose petals. I hope they will delight people who come across them.

In my region, leaves change color when under stress due to the heat.

We observed the senescent leaves of the Southern Magnolia, carrotwood, and bay laurel.

We picked some kumquats and strawberry tree fruits. We also collected the peeling bark of the crepe myrtle to mulch our garden bed. We even found a dime on the road and saw a neighbor’s cat sitting on the windowsill.

It was a beautiful hour spent. I’m most happy about how the little boy is soaking in everything I share with him.

Walks are our teaching and learning time — free from the constraints of space, time, and routine.

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Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

Note: These stories were previously published in Medium.

I will come back with more stories on nature and life philosophy.