A Walk in the Woods

 

I've just returned from traveling and have been feeling a little overwhelmed by the tasks I needed to attend to now that I'm home. 

So when the weekly birding email popped into my Inbox, my first thought was to delete it. No time right now for a walk in the woods. 

It's a delightful group led by a talented birder. They meet every Friday at a different park in my town. You just need to show up. The group is a mixture of the "pros" (those who can easily identify by sight or sound whatever birds are nearby) who come without fail every week and others -  like me - who come when they can. But that sort of thinking means that I won't go as often as I should. 

I say "should" because it's easy to forget what a walk in the woods will do for you. 

 

The morning was chilly and drizzly, okay by me since I like it cold. Traveling had made me feel as though I had missed autumn, one of my favorite seasons. This walk in the woods reminded me that I hadn't. I just needed to pay better attention.

 

I couldn't help thinking of Robert Frost's poem about "two paths in the woods." 

I missed the start time, but no problem as the leader's email had included which path the group would be on should any of us show up later. The birders were easy to spot with their cameras and binoculars, standing still and staring into the trees.  

Someone called this the "Halloween Tree" with the many vultures perched at the top.

It was a glorious morning. With the help of the "pros," I saw a white-throated sparrow, a creeper, mallards and wood ducks, among others. There were many more to be seen, but I'm not as quick with the binocs as the rest of the group. 

I returned home renewed and refreshed, so grateful I had taken the much needed time (that I hadn't realized how much I needed) to spend time in nature.