After months of winter, followed by a season that has been more winter than spring, we finally got back to “our” dirt trail along Lake Bemidji today for our noon-hour walk, which was not the pleasant outing we’d envisioned.
The birds were very welcome. Seeing the seagulls, ducks and geese along the shore is one of the nicest things about walking through the waterfront park en route to the trail. But we ran across another form of wildlife we didn’t like so much: Tiny bugs — gnats, maybe — that swarmed around our faces sort of like in “The Birds,” only not so deadly. They surrounded our heads in little black bug-clouds and drove us crazy. It was quite a bit better once we got on the trail, but we still had to sweep them away all the time. I got a few in my nose but managed to avoid any in my mouth. I was glad we had sunglasses on.
Bethany has posted about being pregnant (she’s due in mid-to Late June), but with winter coats and bulky hoodies, it really hasn’t shown. Today was our first short-sleeved day — I actually had a sweatshirt on when she drove in my driveway and I decided to switch to short sleeves as soon as I saw what she was wearing, and I’m glad I did, because the temperature was lovely.
So here’s the first real Trail Mix look at The Belly:
Other than the bugs, it was nice to be back on the trail, looking at the open waters of the lake as we walked. It’s nice to live so close to such beauty.
The ground looks pretty brown from a distance, but as you get closer, there’s lots of green popping up, which is a welcome sight, especially after the white we had just this past weekend.
Today’s walk was more tiring than normal. It always takes us some time to get in shape for the trail, which offers a more rigorous walk than the sidewalks and streets do. I love the trail walk. It feels refreshing and makes me feel energized and physical. But it takes some getting used to every spring.
I was curious what this is:
It looks like it may have room for a post in the center. A buoy, maybe?
The stairs by 10th Street were as far as we were going to get today. I don’t think Bethany will be up for springing over that wall anytime soon!
On this pretty spring day, I noticed a bunch of cute things in people’s yard as we walked back to my house. I thought this birdhouse — or perhaps a bird condo — was really cute.
We also saw a grill that looks like it’s been getting plenty of use and a pretty hummingbird garden decoration whose red color glows brightly when the sun hits it. The U.S. flag that we saw yesterday on the ground was back up, waving in the slight breeze. It was just a pleasant hour all around — a nice time to relax, chit-chat and catch up, while also covering some work topics. Our work hours overlap so little that we don’t always get a chance to talk much when we’re not walking.
I’ll leave you with this image, which I think speaks volumes. It’s a peaceful reminder that even in times of trouble, there is still so much beauty in the world and so much appreciation for it.
