Spring Walks In My Small Town

I should really count my blessings. I have been happily married for 24 years to a wonderful man and we live in paradise. I am disabled with low stamina, but I try to stay in shape by walking every day. Actually, I am well known around town, since I do all my errands on foot and try never to drive my gas guzzling Jeep Wrangler unless I have to.

Spring is my favorite season. If it is going to be a hot day, I will set out in the morning as I did on the day I took some of these photos.


I surprised this bunny and was no more than 10 feet (3 meters) away when I got this photo. Notice the poison ivy in the background.

We have two public accesses to the river in our town. This one, was designed by Sean gratis for the town almost 20 years ago. His design included the gazebo and a viewing deck, as well as park areas with a free flowing sidewalk, a parking lot and boat loading ramp. This is only 5-10 minutes walk from my house.


The gazebo's initial design had turned wooden balusters under the railing, but vandals kept breaking them. That doesn't keep wedding couples from having their photos taken here though.


Across the river is a State Park and creek for kayaking and some small boats can get through at high tide. You can get there from the landing but you have to cross river traffic which can be daunting in the summer for a lone kayaker when your visibility is nil and boats are heading for you at 30 knots.


These are some roses that I lust for down the street from the landing. I can't tell if they are teas or wild, but I really want to steal them. I'm sure the people wouldn't grudge me some! Aren't they beautiful!


These roses growing on a fence seem to be doing very well. They look large and healthy. We had some pink ones like these growing on a stone wall at our other property that we now rent. We have some dark pink ones like these where we live now. But if you cut them, they don't last.



I also have a thing for columbines. I have not had any luck with them since we left our old property. These are some purple ones that I pass on my walk. I could have just ripped out a whole plant and taken it home and put it into the ground. But the owner was right there. Shucks! Below is a close up of them.



I love how these johnny jump ups have volunteered right at the sidewalk in the shade.


More pretty columbines for me to lust after.


Another well tended garden that I visit and watch as the seasons go by. Great gardeners, like this one, plan for something to bloom each season.


Here is the second public water access in our town. On this side of the stone bridge, opposite side of the road, there is a boat loading ramp into the cove. If you put your kayak, row boat or canoe in, you have to go under the bridge and towards us to go out the cove and into the river. There were some plein air oil painters that I had to push past to get this shot. They were painting the marina at the other end of the cove. I hate marinas. They are an eyesore in my opinion.


Here is the other side looking up the cove. You can see the steam from the scenic railway steamtrain that has just passed. I wasn't fast enough to get the train. Sorry. Tide is up but going out. I took this photo standing on the end of the ramp.

So you might ask me "Sue, it looks like you live in the kayaking center of the world! Why do not go kayaking?" Well, you're right, I do live in the kayaking center of the world. But I'll tell you why I don't go that often.

Because by the time I drag my kayak out of the metal building and heave it into my Jeep, drive my Jeep down to the landing, haul my kayak into the water, park my Jeep and launch the kayak (okay, now I am ready to roll) I might be already exhausted from my disability. And, even if I am not, I still have to haul my kayak out of the water when I get back and into my Jeep and drive home and put it away. Plain and simple I require assistance to kayaking. What can I say, my disability makes me a pussy.

So I stick to walking. I can do right from my front door.