Translate

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Walking Window

I missed my window of opportunity to walk this morning because I slept in. It's already too hot for me to walk today. Odd how May is ending with August weather. I'm glad Bill and I went for a walk together yesterday because he called at 9:00 and I got it into gear and we went on a pleasant walk in the woods and then had brunch. Today I glanced at my clock and it was too early so I went back to sleep and then repeated that until almost 10:00. Too weird how I can sleep so late. It's a blessing in a way. I remember how sleeping until 7:00 am was sleeping late no matter when I went to bed. Now I can sleep later than I've slept since I was a teenager. This started after my surgeries for melanoma and I suppose may have something to do with the meds I take. I am very sympathetic towards people who are dealing with active cancer and insomnia or are dealing with insomnia without cancer for that matter but reading people's blogs who I've gotten to know through the MPIP, I hate it when I know that for some insomnia is a constant problem. Nothing is worse than needing sleep and not getting it. It's odd but sleep is the one thing I can almost always do these days. I will need to start going to bed earlier though so I can walk early enough to beat the heat which is coming on full force lately. For today though I'm getting my nature fix by going back through some of the photographs I took in the mountains. One of the reasons I'm not interested in walking at the indoor track at my YMCA or mall walking is that I don't merely walk for exercise although that's an important part of it. I also walk for the sights, sounds, and smells I get outdoors. I'm lucky in that I can go sit in the shade under my crepe myrtle tree and listen to the birds, smell the honeysuckle and be surrounded by flowers. Even with that option, I still like to walk away from my house to see the changes elsewhere. It's always interesting to me to see how much further along certain plants are in the neighborhood gardens as opposed to the greenway trails which cut through the woods in the little wild sliver the city has kept for walking paths. I can see the same thing for that matter in different sections of my garden, depending in large part on shade, sun exposure, and even different soils which retain or drain rainfall. I've come to realize that many sun plants actually do fine in more shade but they are slower to flower and aren't usually as big, even when started at the same time. I also like to check out the woods for wildflowers I like. That way I know what to weed and what to leave be. There are so many lovely flowers that volunteer all over the place and if left be they are a free treat. Wild rasberries is another one. I love rasberries and I have a lot of rasberry plants in my garden, not because I planted them, but because I didn't pull them up when they volunteered at my place. A few years ago I noticed wild rasberries along one of the trails near my house and I realized that they kept trying to volunteer in my garden, but I was pulling them up. Last year I picked quite a few rasberries for my cereal fresh from my garden because I finally knew enough not to pull the plants up.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

All the cycles of bloom time and keeping things in the right spot for their required light has caused us to move many plants to locations where they now thrive. And where the deer won't eat them. : )
Your pictures are beautiful! I feel like I have been for a walk in the forest. Enjoy that crepe myrtle...ours has not yet flowered... we sure won't be movign it!
***********************************
It's not that easy being green.
-Kermit the Frog

King (Kathie) said...

Carver,

Great pics, as always. I haven't walked in 3 days because I've been doing some painting. But, I'll be up and out in the AM - I really miss my walks.

Stay Strong

King (Kathie)
Stage IV 7/05 Liver mets

Anonymous said...

I feel like when you blog and post your photos I'm on my own walk thru your beautiful lush country and I dont' even have to exercise. lol I can smell the great outdoors without the bugs biting me or the humidity casusing breathing restrictions - it's all so sweet. Your raspberry story reminds me of when Kristy was young, well maybe not that young but prob around 8 or 9 we had planted cantalope and she decided to weed the garden..the cantalope ws yanked with her thnking it was a weed. That was the last time we tried to grow melons. Here our growing season is too short altho we did plant a couple this year and we'll wait and see how it goes. I enjoy my walks with you. cheers, sue

Jackie said...

thanks for your comment on my xanga blog. I've read Traveling Mercies... my first Anne Lamott book. I started reading Bird by Bird, but never finished it. She has another one out that continues along the same vein as Traveling Mercies. I read through the first chapter while sitting in a bookstore sipping a latte. I really liked it... but I never buy books for full price. :) So I'll get it sooner or later.

Kinda funny -- you're experiencing August in May, and here in Texas we're experiencing March in May. It's been very rainy and cool. I LOVE it!