I invite you to wander with me. No one can truly experience life from any perspective but their own, but I will attempt to give you a little insight in how I like to explore the world around me. For me every wander is a little different; I like to find new places and new roads. Sometimes I get lucky and the day I’m about to describe is a good example.
This wander started the night before, exploring Google maps in the general area I planned to go. I found a road that looked to have some promise. How did I determine this you might ask? Well, it had a few things going for it, it was off the beaten path, it was winding road and it was surrounded my ponds and lakes. This had to be a winner.
I got up early, before rush hour hit its peak and made my way from the South-East to the North-West of the city and beyond. I had my GPS, my map book and a plan in my head and all three needed to work together. Before looking for my magical winding road, I thought I’d make a stop at Big Hill Springs Park. The falls here are always pretty but it seemed almost devoid of wildlife this morning except for a couple ducks that didn’t want any part of me taking their picture. The sound of the running water was as beautiful as the waterfalls themselves. This is a sound that has a way of calming the mind for me like no other. I remember thinking you can’t bottle that sound, you have to be there. One other person was in the park enjoying the calm; he had found a quite spot across the water and it appeared he was doing his morning devotional. Can’t think of a better spot to try and connect to a greater being.
Now it was time to back track and find my road. The Mustang was none too happy about the gravel but got over it. I was rewarded a few minutes later. I had slowed down and opened my window to take in the sights and sounds of the morning, when I spotted a dark area at the bottom of a hill in a marshy pond. What I had found was moose and he also had found me. We stared at each other for a while. I managed a few pictures and try to get a better angle but as I walked down the road something spooked him and he splashed away. I walk down the road a ways and found him once more before he ran off for good. Moose are cool!
I explored my road further and found many ducks as one would expect but also found a lot of swans. All these were too shy for me to get too close, but I enjoyed it all the same. The road followed one of the narrow lakes and I managed to follow a few of the ducks and swans as they made their way along it. One other truck passed; rush hour on my road came and went in a moment.
At the end of my road I thought I’d check out another place I that I have returned to many times and that is the little village of Dogpound. The GPS wanted me to loop around but instead I decided to do a U-turn so I could experience my road one more time. I was wondering if I would see the moose again but it was not to be. There really is not much in Dogpound but it is in a pretty valley and it was a direction to go in. Along the way the landscape changed from the marshy ponds and lakes to more farmland. On many of the fences you will find birdhouses that other bird lovers have put in place. It was here were I found one of the most beautiful birds that have seen, the mountain blue bird. That deep iridescent blue like the sound of the water falls earlier in the day cannot be contained in a picture or any other artificial means.
From Dogpound, I started to make my way in the general direction of home, with no need to rush along. A general direction of south east found me some more back roads to explore. Some ended up as dead ends but at least one had a final gift to offer. I had found a road that divided another two long lakes and I spotted more ducks, geese and swans. I once more got out of the car to see and capture what I could on the camera. I then spotted a great blue heron; one last reward for the road less travelled.
After this my wandering for the day was done. My reward was a few good pictures among the 200 plus that I had snapped, the knowledge of a few new spots to return too, and a relief from the stresses of life. Not all my wanders find and many wonders as I found this morning, but they all have their reward. Thanks for coming along; keep wandering and the wonder will show itself.