Thoreau

From "Walking":

"My vicinity affords many good walks; and though for so many years I have walked almost every day, and sometimes for several days together, I have not yet exhausted them. An absolutely new prospect is a great happiness, and I can still get this any afternoon. Two or three hours’ walking will carry me to as strange a country as I expect ever to see. A single farmhouse which I had not seen before is sometimes as good as the dominions of the king of Dahomey. There is in fact a sort of harmony discoverable between the capabilities of the landscape within a circle of ten miles’ radius, or the limits of an afternoon walk, and the threescore years and ten of human life. It will never become quite familiar to you."

Tidal?

Walking outside, I saw the waning moon still up. 

This lake drains into Flushing Bay, not sure how tidal the manmade "lake" is, but the water was lower today. Low tide is 8:04am and high tide is 1:43pm. So I was there near low tide. (source)

Lost a tree

 I went for a walk and when I got home they were cutting down the tree in front of my window. It's dying, and sickley, but it still had leaves. I kept pointing to the tree that didn't have leaves this year, that definitely died, and they said it was because of the alternate side parking that left the road relatively car free. They also get work orders from the boss man. But they also said if I really was upset about it they might not have cut it down. So my walk today got my tree chopped down. I was heartened that they were modifiable, and might have listened to me if I asked them not to chop it down. They were good guys and I really liked talking to them.

They said that Covid also has a backlog in planting new trees so don't expect a new one soon, but eventually I should get a new tree. I sit there and meditate and look out at that tree, but of course everything is a lesson on impermanence. They really believe in planting a million trees, and they're all about planting trees.

He talked about the microbursts in 2010 when like 500 trees were knocked over in 10 minutes. I know the tree in the park that got knocked over, I mourn that tree often. Also Sandy in 2012 knocked down a lot of trees. I'm sure they'll be back some time for the tree across the street. There are a lot of wonderful trees on my street, even with the one I stare at when I open my eyes in mediation is gone.

The guy said the microburst was 2006, I think it was 2010, and he said Hurricane Sandy was the next year, and that would be 2007 according to him, but it was 2012. I used to not care about dates, and often people will ask date questions where I don't know the answer, but I'm learning dates, it's not so bad if you can look them up for writing.

My daughter was in such a good mood because it snowed this morning. A light dusting that was quickly gone.

Getting cold feet

 

I wanted to get my daughter into Willow Lake. She wanted to go down this morning. So we went but she put her foot into a hole and got her foot wet. Then later, we were navigating logs and she got her feet wet again. She said, "This is the worst day ever." I hate to hear such a bleak rewrite of the experience, but I know it's an emotional expression. She wasn't so devastated that she couldn't play in the park. 

There was a dog there, her owner had a collar remote in which she explained low voltage shocks don't really hurt, it's communication. The dog was a little wild, but the lady had a clicker and a communicating collar that you could up the voltage if you had to. She said she paid people to help train her. Seemed like she was addressing a special needs dog quite well. She let my daughter feed her some kibble. My daughter likes dogs, and even though she's been knocked down a few times she's still not scared.

There were ducks on the lake, and I love seeing the V of birds migrating south, but I don't think they're going too far south this winter, it's a pretty mild winter.

My daughter has a bag of chips in case she gets snacky 

Lake

 I might be moving in a couple months, so some last photos of Willow Lake.

Something ate a bird

 Something ate a bird

Can you see the plane taking off and banking?

Rainy day walk to Willow Lake, man made, feels like a pond to me, someone said a "city lake". There's a workout area just before the bridge over to Flushing Meadows Park, and the Pat Dolan Trail to Willow Lake. I tested out the exercise equipment, I'm going to have to start working out more. I want to live long for my children.

Thoreau died at age 44. He had TB and health challenges like Bronchitis challenged him, he was in decline. "His friends were alarmed at his diminished appearance and were fascinated by his tranquil acceptance of death. When his aunt Louisa asked him in his last weeks if he had made his peace with God, Thoreau responded, "I did not know we had ever quarreled."" (Wikipedia). That reminds me of the Leonard Cohen lyric, "When they said repent, I wondered what they mean." I wonder if he got that from Thoreau. 

Comparing yourself to others is the road to unhappiness, but I've lived a lot longer than Thoreau and I haven't really go much to show for it. Shifting to appreciation, his appreciation of nature is inspiring, his idea that you could live differently gives non-conformists like me courage. His desire to live his life is an inspiration. I think his civil disobedience is cool, but these days the wrong people pick up unrighteous causes and the wrong people are quoting Martin Luther King, whom we celebrated this week. I think our times are out of whack, and social media means everyone thinks they can blather on about things. Look at me here. 

The back is between two highways. I used to run along the Lake Shore park in Chicago when I visited my parents. Parks and highways go together in cities. I cross the Van Wyche to get to the path, the park. It's a pleasant walk from my daughter's school.

It wasn't much of a forest bath because it's not green, it's winter time, but it's still peaceful to see the ducks on the lake. I haven't been down to the lake in a while, but it was really nice in the rain today.