Out to play

After some very brisk cold weather, we had a nice warm day today. I relished the opportunity to go out to the park and enjoy a walk. At the perimeter was a memorial to a local girl who'd been slain several years ago; near the memorial, someone had placed two ornaments in an evergreen tree. If you look closely, very closely, the dark blob reflected in the silver is me.

As I wandered further down the path, I heard rustling under some leaves and dried grass. Rodent-like rustling, I fancied, though I never found out because the critter didn't show itself even after a good five minutes of silent waiting. So be it. I moved on. Shortly down the trail, I found the first of two things I snagged and brought back with me--a stick, just the right size for walking with. It was a perfect fit in the palm of my hand, bearing just enough weight to keep my troublesome right knee from protesting too loudly at the inclines and declines of the trail.

One thing I love about the walking trail is the trees. I'm a self-proclaimed tree hugger, but even I'd give this one its space:

Wicked looking thing, innit?

I thought about snagging some spikes from the tree but decided against it ultimately. I wouldn't want to carry it around, see. No, I would be better served carrying back a piece of glass. Much safer. I presume it came from a decorative window pane; it's red, with some texturing in it. I think it will be beautiful once it's washed and I figure out something crafty to do with it.

All in all, I had my hands full--a walking stick in one hand (I've a blister to prove it) and a partial pane of glass in the other. The sun was just beginning to set as I finished the thirty-minute ramble, and the day's warm temperatures were beginning to chill, and not just in the random pockets of cold air I kept walking in and out of at the beginning of the hike. The only thing that would have made it more lovely would be if my camera's battery hadn't died before I could snag a shot of a gorgeous molten sunset. Ah well. There will be other times, other walks, other sunsets.