Not Many Left

My walk this morning was tinged with a hint of sadness. Each morning it is a little darker and the sun is lower in the sky. Very soon I know it will be dark in the morning and my walk will have to take me along the road through the housing estates. These precious minutes, my special minutes will not be the same and I will be walking in the dawn. That will also have its beauty I am sure but I will miss walking in the park.

Little brown man was nowhere to be seen this morning and the usual suspects were doing their walks and runs around the park. There was a new face though or two new faces, a little old man and his Spaniel. The man was quite feeble looking and walked with a stick and the dog was old looking and was soaking wet probably had a swim in the nearby river. The man swung his arm and threw a tennis ball and the dog took off after it ears flapping and tail flying out behind him. He retrieved the ball and dutifully took it back to his master. This always amazes me as I have never been able to get my dog Dougal to fetch a ball or anything else for that matter.

My world of men and dogs and sunshine fingering its way through the trees onto green grass was shattered by the 7am news and I was thrown into a world of Syria and Nuclear bombs and an old man tragically murdered. I wondered what life would be like without the hourly reminder of all that is wrong with the world. I know you can turn the radio off and some mornings I do but you feel that you are missing something. (Mental note to self, turn it off tomorrow)

Now I am on the way hope through the green grass the pathway stretching out before me with the sun breaking through the gaps. This is a quieter end of the park, most people walk along the playing fields on the upper end, but I like this pathway and it leads me easier home.

Soon home now have a shower, porridge with John's blackcurrant cheese in it feed the animals and off then to work.

The Grass the Trees and Me

Last night going to bed I set my alarm for 7am.  I woke at 6am and contemplated turning over and sleeping until the alarm went off. The usual discussion went on in my head,

Voice: “You are tired, sleep on”

Me “but I feel so much better when I have my walk, it sets me up for the day.

Voice: “but you had a busy weekend and you deserve a rest”

Me: “I know that but I will feel guilty if I don’t get up and walk”

I really don’t know who the voice is but I think it is the lazy part of me, always looking out for my comfort and challenging the feel good part of me.

In any case Me won out and I jumped out of bed got dressed and put on my ankle supports and my  ECCO shoes that are my lifesavers a quick brush of my hair and wash my teeth, turned on imapmywalk and I was good to go. It was 6.22am.  Around the corner I turned on the radio on my phone and plugged in my earphones. I cannot turn the radio on coming out of the house because the signal goes as soon as I leave my row of houses so I wait until I am out of range of the wi-fi.

I headed towards the red bridge over the Griffeen River the pathway is steep here and you have to watch your footing or you will land on your bum.  I met that creepy looking brown guy that is always walking on that stretch of the path at that time.  (Mental  note to self, leave earlier.) I speak to him but he has a leery auld head on him and he makes me feel uncomfortable.

The morning is bright and the sun is creeping over the trees and gradually lighting the shadows left by the dark night. I climb the hill to the back of St Finians Estate, marvelling how easy it is for me to do that now.  Some months ago I struggled with this hill and it could knock the wind out of me, now is it easy peasy thank God, I do thank God regularly for helping me in my get fit efforts.

There were very few out and about, the roads were quiet and there was no bus at the bus stop. I walked on smartly up and past Superquinn and past the Lucan Harriers track. Just after I turned left at the next junction the imapmywalk voice said I had walked a mile in 17min 6 seconds a medium pace for me.  I crossed the road and walked along the high wall. The big black dogs were at the gate across the road and barked frantically as I walked by. I remember the first time I passed by their gate and they lifted me off the footpath in a fright. 

The sun was climbing in the cloudless sky and was now in my eyes.  The Living Word came on the radio. Last week it came from Plum Village and was about meditation and living mindfully it was interesting and made good listening.  I cannot even remember what this morning’s programme was about.

 I crossed the road and walked along by the park and through the housing estate bordering the park.  The river Griffeen was running low for a change and the park was lit well with sunshine.  I went through the gate and immediately before me was a woman walking two big dogs. Both were having a crap on the grass near the gate and she just walked off and left it. It wasn’t the first time I had witnessed something like that, the park is widely used by dog owners and a good percentage of them use the park as a toilet for their dog and do not clean up after them.

I walked by the new red and yellow gym machines standing empty wondering if they are being used much by anything other than kids. I was tempted to jump up on the air walker but resisted because I my back was still painful since yesterday. I walked down to and over the bridge, up by the empty dog run and up and around the playing field. Usually I would meet the woman with the beautiful dog at this stage and later the old man with the tanned skin running without a top.  The woman is pleasant and the dog is friendly but the man is either very rude or very focused on what he is doing. Neither was anywhere to be seen. 

My alarm went off for 7am and I had passed the 2 mile mark and was well on the way home. Churffed with myself I walked through the sunlit stretch of green grass which is surrounded by mature trees on both sides.  There were only the singing birds, the grass, the trees, the nearby river and me.  

What an absolutely perfect way to start a new week and was I ever glad I got out of bed.