Walking with my stroller buddy
It has been a month since I wrote last, and two months since I measured and totaled my miles. One of the reasons I decided to measure my steps on the AT, besides wishing I could actually be on that trail, was to encourage me to walk more. Somehow it has not worked these last months. Between babysitting, sickness and cold weather, I have sat around. The baby and I enjoyed sitting outside on a blanket, having an “outside day,” which is always enjoyable. Also I push the stroller through the neighborhood, and we enjoy those short walks. One day I decided to take the baby to my favorite place, Seven Island Birding Park. It was mid February, a rare beautiful sunny day. I packed a lunch, a baby bottle, and off we went. The parking lot is deep loose gravel, very hard to push a heavy stroller through, but we made it. Baby and I watched song birds fight over the feeders, the first thing you see on this trail. The park has 9 miles of trails, with about 3 miles ADA rated. Baby and I walked along the nice paved trail and looked around, enjoying the scenery. Even though it was February, the sun was bright and hot. I took off my flannel shirt and tried to drape it across the stroller top to keep the sun out of his eyes. It was very bright. We walked all the way to the bridge over the French Broad River. I eventually figured out how to tie the sleeve of my shirt onto the handle, and wrap the rest of it in a way that it didn’t fall off, but as we turned left and right I had to retie everything. I decided to cross the bridge and walk on a regular trail, get into the trees and find a nice place to eat my lunch. In the trees I pushed over roots and bumps, struggling with the stroller to find a good spot. The hoped for shade wasn’t there. Silly me, there are no leaves on the trees yet. We found a bench, I turned the stroller out of the shade and enjoyed my lunch. It was wonderful. I watched the sky, heard geese and various song birds. Baby seemed happy.
This is what I mean when I say I want to eat out. Baby is giving me side eye, he wants food too.
Since there wasn’t really any shade I decided to walk on to find a better place to give him his bottle. We bounced back to the ADA paved trail, and I struggled again with keeping the bright sun out of his eyes. I decided to risk another regular trail, hoping for a better spot to maybe just sit and enjoy, and we bounced again. This trail followed the river, and was grassy, so easier to push, but still no shade. I was beginning to worry about giving a 5 month old baby a sunburn. One flannel shirt does not make an easy sunscreen. A little spider dropped onto the top of the stroller and I reached to flick it off. It fell into the seat with the baby, by his leg. I reached in with my hand, and squish, my fingers were covered by, well, a diaper blow out. Now I had to find a shady like place to change his diaper. We pushed into the trees some, and I realized I didn’t have anything to lay him on. I used the flannel shirt. I got him changed, but ran out of wipes before I could clean my hands well. I wiped them on grass. Luckily he was smiling and enjoying the afternoon. We meandered back towards the parking lot, where I struggled to push the stroller through the heavy gravel again. Exhausted we drove home. I fed him, and we both rested. But, you know what, it was a fun day, and he didn’t get sunburned. I might do it again.
French Broad River at Birding Park
The monks finished their walk, and I believe they inspired half our country to focus on mindfulness, breathing, and peace. So many people met them at all of their stops, so many posted and reposted their talks. The question is, will we continue to think about these things. The main monk who organized the walk was interviewed after he returned to his monastery. He said, “If you have followed us, read every post, and yet don’t continue breathing and practicing peace, our journey has failed.” Everything is that way. We are not supposed to be consumers of knowledge, we must be practitioners of knowledge. We must always be transformed by what we learn, givers and sharers of the good things we learn. May today be my peaceful day.
I walked 35 miles since the last blog, and am on mile 557 on the AT. This puts me one mile from Ceres VA, a tiny town in Bland County. Pictures look like rolling green hills, and not much else. I would probably like it. Get outside and enjoy the day, and let today be your peaceful day.
