The Beginning
What cabin fever + depression are to winter, house arrest + lethargy are to summer.
Too hot to move or think straight
However, intrepid middle-aged suburbanites that we are, on Sunday afternoon we managed to get up on our hind legs, voluntarily leaving our air-conditioned home to go for a walk in a popular township park.
A glorious sunny day
It was the sort of day that usually brings out everybody and their dog and their grandma, but instead of a hundred people at the park there were maybe 10. Too sweltering outside I suspect. Still the lack of people was a bit… disconcerting… odd… unexpected.
Not at all normal
Nonetheless we slowly meandered around the paved paths, free from human distraction, not needing to wear our masks obviously. And for posterity I snapped a few photos of the stunningly blue sky and the amazingly green grass.
Of a lovely park, with or without the people
The End
We haven’t walked our local park because it’s been full of people. I’ve enjoyed walking the neighborhood and can tell you who did house projects this summer and who didn’t weed. Your park is lovely and I like them best without lots of people.
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Kate, we were surprised that this park was so empty. We thought it’d be filled to the gills. Like you I know a lot more about my neighbors’ yard projects this summer, walking by them daily as I do now.
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I even know the neighbors who changed their front door color!
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I love that. I notice things like that, too. Especially when the color change is for the better. 🙄
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Most are but a house with a dark pottery colored door recently went to a brown door. I don’t think it works with their brick color but it’s very “in.”
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Ugh. I wouldn’t like that color combo either. Around here blue doors are the IN thing. Some are gorgeous, but others don’t go with the trim/brick and look most peculiar. However, so be it…
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We have a bright yellow door like that in a neighborhood near us. Yellow also an in thing but on this particular gray sided house, it looks wrong.
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We have one of those, too. Not here, but nearby and it is a sight to behold. Not a good sight, that is. I wonder if it’ll be the new blue for this neighborhood soon?
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Blue is big here too.
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Do you have a lot of beveled glass front doors now, too? Real showy ones that let you see inside the house? They’re not for me, but oh so popular… suddenly.
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There is one beautiful double door that is all cut glass but you can’t see in. There are a few others that are single but not as showy. They are beautiful.
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No people allows for really being able to see the gorgeous greens and blues without distraction. What a great little park that is. I’ve been noticing things as I wander the neighborhood with our dog, Benny. Fortunately it hasn’t been swelteringly hot here. In fact, this morning is cloudy with a touch of drizzle. Happy Tuesday!
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Janet, you’re right about how easy it was to actually see the park without people around. The colors of the day were great, but the humidity keeps people at home. You had drizzle this morning! Oh my, that sounds wonderful and refreshing.
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I just posted about a little walk I took, too. No matter where we go, getting out is good for both body and soul!
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shoreacres, I agree that this little walk sans people was good for our bodies– and our souls. Heat be damned!
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“Not at all normal” is the perfect way to describe pretty much everything that’s been happening since March. We are enjoying a cool reprieve from similar hot, humid weather that saps any will to move. May a similar reprieve find you. Then maybe more people would join you in that beautiful park
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Arlene, ain’t it the truth? Nothing is normal anymore, including a walk in a township park. I’m not saying it wasn’t nice to be there without people around, but it was so odd. Still we got outside and enjoyed life so that’s good by me.
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I miss those blue skies and puffy white clouds, but I especially miss all the greenery that exists east if the Mississippi. We are definitely in more of the “golden” season (i.e., brown) here in California.
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AutumnAshbough, I get what you’re saying. I’ve been west of the Mississippi enough to know of those golden brown shades. I like seeing green juxtaposed against the blue sky but it often happens on the hottest most humid days of the year. Case in point.
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What a beautiful park you have, ABean. That’s a wonderful shot of the bridge. As my menopause thermostat freaks out, I’m cold all of the time, so I’m enjoying the heat.
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Jill, the parks around here are all delightful in their own ways. That’s part of the charm of this area, but maybe it’s better when your thermostat isn’t wonky. Hang in there!
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That looks like a wonderful place to spend some time. It’s weird to see parks without people, but it’s nice to be able to enjoy everything without worrying.
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Dan, you said it. We enjoyed walking freely but it was not what we expected. Usually this place is family central on Sunday afternoons, still… for us it was a nice time.
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i walk every day in the preserve, which technically is not a park, but an expansive wooded patch of easement between two housing developments. I never meet anyone among the oaks and palmettos except bunny rabbits. They, of course, count in my books. I’m working on a blog post about my step taking very soon. Your post confirms it! 🙂
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Marian, your daily walks sound lovely to me. And kind of exotic from a midwestern point of view. Palmettos and bunny rabbits! How cool is that. Looking forward to your post about your steps.
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Beautiful pictures. Definitely humid and beastly hot here too. But that is very normal in the south. I spend days with the grands watching them play in a kiddie pool for hours! I don’t even mind getting splashed! Ah the feeling of sweat trickling own the back:)
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Beth, your weather is what I’d expect it to be. Our humidity + extreme heat comes and goes. I thought for sure there’d be a crowd at the park but no such thing. Enjoy your water splashes. They sound delightful to me.
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My “stay at home” blues make me feel lazy but I force myself to take a walk when it isn’t too hot. I am always glad afterward that I went out. Don’t know why I have to push myself instead of just doing it. What a mopey baby I am sometimes! Your park is lovely! I think I will need to take a walk today… Thanks for sharing!
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Ellen, I know what you mean about forcing yourself to take a walk. It’s the heat that slows me down, but like you I’m glad I did make the effort… after it’s all over. We must not be mopey babies, a great term.
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Glad you had a chance to enjoy some fresh (stifling hot) air this weekend! Our walk on the beach this morning was limited by our desire to stay IN THE SHADE!
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Nancy, if I was where you are I’d stay in the shade, too. We didn’t stay outside in the sun too long, but it was pleasant. At this time of year just a bit of fresh air is all it takes to make me happy.
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You know what Hippocrates said: “Walking is man’s best medicine.” And in so many instances in my life, I have learned that this is true, no matter the temperature outside. The park is lovely, and the lack of people an added bonus (as weird as it may be).
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Pam, I didn’t know that but I believe Hippocrates is right. The park has been a favorite of ours for years because the paths are varied, and usually so are the people. However being there by ourselves was refreshing in its own way.
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Beautiful, but lonely images. This too shall pass.
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Dorothy, you’re right in that there was a lonely feel to the park. Just so odd to not see people there. Still, ever onward go we.
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Beautiful pics, but the solitude is eerie
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LA, exactly. I didn’t expect to have the park to ourselves and kept thinking: did I miss a news message about not going outside today? These are weird times, after all…
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There’s a park near my house which has a slightly narrow path, so it’s been closed. They reopened last week and you need to reserve an entry time, so when I went it was the quietest I’ve ever seen it. Normally I would cherish the solitude but this was just weird
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I can understand that. It’s weird to be somewhere that should be active and find it empty. In the end that’ll be one of my lasting memories of this pandemic. Like you I enjoy solitude, but not like this.
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I felt as if I was walking in the park while reading your post Ally Bean so a pleasant interlude for me thank you 😊 Clearly for you too. I forced myself to take a walk late yesterday afternoon and for my efforts was rewarded with a sighting of pink flamingoes sailing in the lagoon. Your photos are lovely – the green blue white –
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Susan, I’m pleased to know you enjoyed the photos. I wouldn’t have bothered with them except that the colors were so naturally astounding and they made me smile. I’d love to see pink flamingos in the wild doing their thing. Lucky you, a nice reward for going on a walk.
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Not tooooo much in the wild! A mere 1.5 km from my home! If it wasn’t raining right now I’d walk down there to have another peek 😊
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How fun for you. Not the rain exactly, but your close proximity to flamingoes. You do live the life!
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I totally feel you on the heat part, but I congratulate you on getting out there, moving your body, and trying to avoid the lethargy. We need to keep moving more for our minds than anything else. Lovely photos.
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Suz, I agree with you. My mind was/is on the verge of turning into mush. Between the heat and the stay-at-home orders I’m feeling less than sharp. And I hate that.
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It’s a beautiful park. I hope the walk did your mind and body good. It would mine!
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Deborah, we are the better for having gone there. It was pretty, pretty– but without people around kind of strange. Still, a good walk is a good walk.
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I’m glad you got out. I think air conditioning spawns lethargy. After spending hours inside, wearing a sweater, it always feels good to get outside, even for a little bit. Katie makes sure my behind isn’t on the sofa for too long. She, on the other hand, wants to get right back into the air conditioning after she finishes her outside mission. Silly girl.
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Dawn, you may be right about the AC and lethargy. I hadn’t thought of that connection before, but it kind of makes sense. Katie is a goof, but if I had all that fur I might feel the same way about getting back inside. 😉
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That is a lovely park! I know what you mean about the heat though. I go out on my walks in the early morning, hence running into wildlife 🤗 If not for that and our never ending bathroom remodel, I would be a couch potato! Seriously though, it’s good you get up and move. And, as you’ve said, you feel better afterwards. I’m personally looking forward to fall and sweater weather 🍁🍂
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Sue, I wish I was more of an early morning walker, but I just cannot get myself going out the door until the afternoon so I accept the heat. I can imagine how busy you are with your bathroom remodel. It’s work. I’m with you, fall is where it’s at for me.
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It is the first somewhat cool day we have had in weeks and the humidity still hovers around 99%. Your walk looks lovely.
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Maggie, oh that much humidity is a lot of humidity. I’d like to have a bit of a breeze outside, but lately it is just hot and still. Of course it is summer, so I have to admit the weather is as it should be.
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True, but a wee less humidity would be nice.
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Make it so, would you please? 😊
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What a gorgeous park! The greens and blues are spectacular, so refreshing to take in. I’m happy you got out for a bit and shared these lovely pictures. There are a few parks around here that have so many cars in the parking lot we have decided to avoid them, choosing instead to walk in the less popular parks or on the beach very early in the day. It is kind of strange seeing that playground without children playing in the abundant sunshine.
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Barbara, this particular park is a great one that is usually covered in people. It is normally a friendly place to visit. This time, while beautiful, it had a peculiar vibe to it. Not bad, just kind of lonely, I guess. I haven’t been to any of the less popular parks lately. Now that you mention it, I wonder if that’s where all the people are? 🤔
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That park is beautiful with the blue sky and green grass and plants. Glad you got oot and aboot, as the saying goes. I try to every day, especially living alone. I see my fellow walkers and dog walkers and exchange distant hellos/how are yous. It’s a little bit of social interaction for me. Sigh. Is it hot and humid where you are? The humidity was punishing in New York and I had to walk early or late when the temperature dropped into the high 80s. Ugh.
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Margaret, the park was so pretty. I mean it always is, but without people to obstruct my views it seemed especially pretty. Walking around the neighborhood I see people and do that chat in passing thing. It does add a lift to my day, weird as that sounds.
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“What cabin fever + depression are to winter, house arrest + lethargy are to summer.” This says it all in one sentence. I’m thinking T-shirt for sure. 🙂 We live off a road that travels between three towns. Back in the day, truck and car traffic moved back and forth like you would imagine. Sometimes on Sunday especially, there won’t be a vehicle out there. I check the time, check again, and it gets creepier. I was talking to a friend in her late 40’s, and she was telling me how her age group wasn’t all that crazy about shopping in a retail space before this started and now she’s not thinking that will pick up at all after all this online ordering and curbside pickup. I’m thinking life as we knew it is not going back to our definition of normal. The times they are a-changin. 🙂 Glad to hear you are well.
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Judy, I hadn’t thought of that line on a t-shirt. You flatter me. Your feelings about your lack of traffic are the same as the weirdness in this park. There weren’t any people and it seemed creepy in the most peculiar way.
I’m not a big shopper to begin with so I’m cool with this shift to ordering online. I imagine that when it comes to retail only the necessary stores will survive while the marginal ones will either file Chapter 11 or will only have an online presence in the future. It’s going to be different, for sure.
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We live in a small New England mill town, and there was a pretty vibrant downtown with small shops and restaurants. It is sad to drive through and see all the stores that have closed. But, we’ve all established new routines and ways of living that may not include as much shopping and eating out. Are we headed for a total online life? Maybe.
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I’m hoping in the future there’ll be some leeway from our online lives, allowing us to occasionally go into town, buy some things, wander the shops, eat in the local restaurants BUT who’s to say at this point? Our small downtown is suffering, too. I hate to see it.
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Great pictures. I walk in the surrounding neighborhoods every day- usually before it is too hot. I would love to venture to a park but I need to stay close to home and be gone a predictable amount of time in order to get home and drive kids places. The last few days has been surprisingly cool here- low 70s! So walking has been very comfortable. I am also getting lots of baking done.
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Ernie, I walk in the neighborhood, too. Going to the park was a spontaneous lark as a way of getting us up and moving, doing something different. I look forward to the low 70s when my pep will return. I hope.
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I generally walk the dog at 7am, so as to be back home and at my desk for work at 8. This means that I miss the heat of the day, and also that there aren’t TOO many other people out. I did venture to our local park one day, and found it too crowded for my liking, so haven’t been back. Which is too bad, there are birds and turtles to see. On weekends the family would like to come with me, but that means waiting for them to get up, and sometimes we don’t get out of the door until 10, and often it is TOO HOT for me. I don’t do well in the heat. 😦
Your walk looks lovely, I’m glad you were able to muster the strength to get out in the sunshine. I love the green, we have mostly brown around here, as California is VERY DRY. Green means late winter/early spring only.
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J, you’re wise to get up and out the door early in the morning to avoid the heat. I’m not a huge fan of being hot, but can tolerate it a little bit if I move slowly and have lots of water. It’s a pity that your family are late sleepers, but then if that’s how they recharge it’s difficult to fault them for it.
You’re the second commenter to mention how brown it is in CA in the summer. Around here it’s mostly green from May through October so we are spoiled I guess. On the other hand it makes up for the soul-sucking bleakness of winter and early spring.
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Here in NorCal we generally get our hottest days in September and October. Today is an almost perfect day – currently 66 degrees but there is always the dread of what is to come (firestorms) and everywhere the sound of chainsaws and weed whackers as people prepare.
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Jan, your temperature sounds perfect, but the noise from those people preparing would be slightly irritating, worrying. I’ve never been to Northern CA so it seems delightfully interesting to me, except for the fires, of course. It’s alway something…
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A beautiful park! I haven’t been walking this summer because we’re having an especially bad tick season and the dog has already gone through treatment after getting Lyme Disease from a tick bite two summers ago..
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Jean, oh no! I wasn’t aware of your tick problem and it is a real one. They are nasty for humans and dogs. Your poor doggy. I understand why you’re not walking. Better to be safe.
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Lovely park. And how nice to have it to yourselves. Guess the global apocalypse does has some bennies after all.
😉
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River, yes, I agree with you. Being alone in the park, while unexpected, was peaceful in its own way. And I like peacefulness. I could, however, do with less heat…
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You and me both sister. We’re in the middle of a blistering heat wave. 90- 100 degrees. And that’s crazy for us!
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That is really crazy for your region. My sympathies. We’re supposed to have temps over 90º with high humidity at this time of year so I should be used to it, but it wears me out every year.
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In a normal summer, we get 3 or 4 very hot days. But it’s 2020, so July was a scorcher and August is starting out the same way.
🙁
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It IS odd to NOT see people at a park in the summer. So my mom and I were having a conversation about this. I grew up in the 70s and 80s when AC was a new-ish concept. So going outside in this kind of heat in the summer was something we did. SO the question is this = did it get hotter because of global warming OR have we become less tolerant to heat because of AC everywhere? I think it’s a legitimate question.
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Kari, I grew up without whole house AC, so in the summer we went outside all the time to get away from the heat. I think I’ve become less tolerant of the heat because of the AC everywhere. Plus I’m heavier now than I was a kid so I feel the heat more intensely. As for global warming I suspect that contributes to it, too. Great question.
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Ooh, I never thought of being heavier. That’s true.
Yes to going outside to get away from the heat. We used to go for rides in the car too.
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Yes, car rides. I’d forgotten about that. We had our ways, didn’t we? But now, we just turn up the AC. Different world.
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oodles of kudos!
it’s been high 90s with humidity close to the 90s for too long down here – ugh –
But today we got a respite: high 80s with only 70% humidity! we took a walk before even that would feel too icky! HA!
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Laura, thank you. I like oodles of anything good, love the word *oodles*. Today our temps are finally down into the 80s and there’s almost no humidity. This is the kind of summer day I remember as a child. Feeling groovy about this. Enjoy your good weather while you can, eh?
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You went out in the heat and lived to tell about it. Thanks for sharing those gorgeous photos.
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Anne, you’ve summed it up. It was hot, but a good thing to do. Healthy despite the heat.
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I agree with you with my mind, but my body would resist the heat. We walk at dawn to avoid the worst of it.
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You’re smart to do that, but I can never get myself going out the door at that hour. Most of the year walking in the afternoon is comfortable so I continue to resist early morning walks.
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Lots of people would vote with you. If I don’t go first thing, I’d skip walking entirely.
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I thought I left a comment last night. Either WordPress ate it or I got confused and never actually finished it.
Our parks have been either very empty or very full. We haven’t been out in them much but I’ve planned a few (much needed) get out an about hiking adventures.
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Katie, I thought this park would be full on a Sunday afternoon, but it wasn’t. While it was nice to walk around outside without the need for masks, it was weird to not see people around. I agree, a few hours in a park can do your sanity a lot of good. Your hikes sound great.
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That’s really a surprise given what I see in our parks around here even in really hot weather. Clearly your area has accepted the social distancing message.
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Deb, normally this park would be a place where we’d have to wait for a parking spot on a Sunday afternoon, so the lack of people was weird. You’re right, I think we might be taking social distancing quite seriously here. Works for me.
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It’s great that you could enjoy blue skies and green grass without a crowd. Have a great week!
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Natalie, it was unique to be so alone in the park but it was fun, too. We’ve been staying at home almost all the time so this was great. Enjoy your week, too.
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This is a park where I would find joy Ally, but I agree it is disconcerting to discover the lack of humans enjoying a break from the four walls and communing with nature. I prefer being at Council Point Park with no one around as it is peaceful and more enjoyable, but the one-month shutdown in the month of May has changed the Park forever. Something is amiss and no one else seems to agree with me so I’ve stopped preaching to the choir about it.
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Linda, on the one hand we walked around the park at our own pace which was great, but this particular park is usually a friendly place with people making casual conversation as you pass by. Not on Sunday, though.
I believe you that something is amiss at Council Point Park. Not everyone is tuned into their surroundings in the way that you are. Of course, I’m not the choir, but if’n you say it is so, it is so.
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Well Ally, I cannot understand why more people would not be at your park on a beautiful Summer day. It makes no sense to me. Not only were people cooped up for weeks, even months, due to the quarantine restrictions, but you, like me, live in a four-season state, so all too soon Winter arrives with ice/snow – ugh. So enjoy it now.
I first blamed the different feel on the mowers not taking care of the Park like before. They mowed, no trimming was done and it looks messy and unkempt. But yes, it is more and it is also a different crowd now. I don’t always chat it up with others, but I see only a handful of the original walkers – so that is worth noting as well.
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I agree, it makes no sense to me why there weren’t more people at the park considering, as you said, we live in a four-season state. And it was glorious outside.
It’s interesting on how a slightly unkempt park can change the whole vibe of the place. I wonder where your regular original walkers have gone? I wonder a lot of things about people lately…
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I wonder constantly about things too Ally. I listen to the news and I am left shaking my head. I go outside where I should just enjoy the peace and quiet away from the maddening world and still I have cause to pause.
The Park needs to be maintained – big time. Everything looks neglected. The mowers don’t have a regular schedule anymore. They used to mow weekly … now they mow, but don’t trim. The City workers are busy staring at their phones when they arrive to empty trash cans. They’d trip over garbage or a tree limb by looking down at their phones. Memorial trees lose big branches or die and should be replaced, but languish, half dead for a month at a time. People paid for those trees or benches that have been defaced with graffiti – the graffiti is out of control. All gang stuff, but it’s not just written on the pathway or the cement ledge at the Creek, but it is now spray painted onto tree trunks.
About one-third of the walkers are retired and so I realize they could go to other parks and their time is their own with no time constraints like I have to get home to work. But these folks once liked this Park as it is not huge like a Metropark and close to home. Most of them do not follow social media, so were not aware when it opened up again. But I’d think people would do a drive-by to a venue they enjoyed frequenting – just my opinion. It re-opened on June 2nd. As you always say – people be weird sometimes.
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There’s gang graffiti on tree trunks? That seems weird, to say the least. I’m sorry to read about it, in fact. Less mowing and trimming is one thing, but the graffiti is another.
I bet you’re right that people don’t know the park is open again. Plus if you’re retired you can do your thing whenever you want and change your schedule willy-nilly. I’m sure that many people haven’t driven by the park to see that it’s open again. Still, like you said, wouldn’t you be curious to know one of your favorite haunts was there for you again? I would.
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Someone took spray paint on the twisted tree – it is a large tree that overlooks the Ecorse Creek and has grown sideways and they sprayed it with pink gang graffiti. I don’t understand the gang symbols, but there are symbols and writing all over the place, even on the trashcans. People have lots of time on their hands and it must happen after dark as this park is across from a residential neighborhood and one side runs along a busy street. I would certainly return to my favorite haunt once it opened.
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I’m glad you were able to get out and walk in the park! And I know what you mean about how odd it seems not to have the usual crowds of people. Sometimes going out cheers me up, sometimes I’m happier at home where I can imagine that the outside world is still normal!
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Ann, I found it strange to not see people around but it was fun to just be able to walk like we owned the place. Still, it was a reminder of how different this summer is. I know what you mean about staying home. When I’m here it seems like the world hasn’t changed, as long as I don’t read any news, of course.
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Beautiful photos, Ally! Life feels like a sci-fi movie, doesn’t it? The protagonist wanders an empty town, wondering where all the people have gone (usually they’re prisoners on a spaceship or on an isolated planet waiting to be rescued–at least that’s what I’ve found). 👽 👾
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L. Marie, yes, yes. You said it: Life feels like a sci-fi movie. I hope that the people who weren’t at the park are merely at home lounging on their sofas, but… who knows, eh?
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I’m glad you got motivated to go to the park – lovely photos. Having a dog gets me out every day to walk our dirt road or ditch path, watching the birds, etc. I do discover new things, too. A couple days ago, it was a big black pig! I’d been completely unaware we had a neighbor with swine.
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Eilene, I walk around our neighborhood, but going to the park took more effort– as in driving there. You’ve a neighbor with a pig? Oh that’s a wonderful thing to observe. Seeing said pig when you go for walks will be fun, not to mention perhaps the catalyst for a blog post! 🤔
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I take a walk in the cornfield and there’s definitely no one there, Ally. ;0)
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Pam, just you and a few hundred ears, then? Your walk sounds [pun intended] delightful, not at all corny. 😁
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🥳😂🤪
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It’s like a Ghost Park!
Lovely photos, though, and I heartily agree with the above commenter about how having AC makes us lethargic and loath to go out in any heat. And this has been a particularly humid summer, too. I can deal with heat pretty well, but toss in that tropical humidity, and I’m out. Or in, as the case may be. 😉
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Nance, yes it was a ghost park and it threw me for a loop at first. However the walk was pleasant enough, excessive heat and humidity be damned. I agree with you about the humidity, it does me in, in many different ways.
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I am nodding my head, yes, throughout your entire post, Ally. I get it. My husband and I discuss COVID fatigue on a daily basis. I enjoy all of your photos. I extra like the one of the bridge. The lack of people is sometimes a scary feeling. I try to stay positive, yet the word “Armageddon” continues to seep into my mind. Hope you and your loved ones are well.
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Erica/Erika, we are well, thanks so much for your kind wish. You’re sweet. I don’t know what to make of this walk in the park. It was so pretty outside, albeit hot, but to not find people at the park was, like you mentioned, kind of Armageddon-ish. It gave me pause but at least we did have lovely walk so that was healthy. We do what we can, don’t we?
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I can totally relate to this, Ally. We visited the beach here not too long ago, and agreed that we would leave if we saw too many people there. It was before 10:00am and we ended up feeling like we literally had the entire run of the place. It felt eerie, yet safe at the time; much like I assume the park walk was for you. Glad you were able to get out. – Marty
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Marty, your beach experience parallels what happened with us. Eerie explains it well. The walk was pleasant and healthy, but we were alone. Kind of trippy.
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Um, that is a little odd there were so few people. Though I can say, I have not seen THAT many people on trails and such here in CO. We are backpacking this weekend, we’ll see what happens. It would be AMAZING to have our place all to ourselves! I told a friend I didn’t think it has been that hot here in CO. She looked at me like I was nuts. In reality, I don’t step outside till about 6:00 pm…I am getting ‘sitting in my home office chair fatigue’. I’m starting to make myself get up and about during the day – today I gave myself a facial while on a call – lol
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pam, on the one hand it was amazing to have a park pretty much to ourselves, but it was unnerving, too. I know what you mean about the fatigue that comes from sitting in your office chair for too long. I wander around the house, aimlessly, then stare out the windows like I’m Gladys Kravitz, just to get me out of the chair. Enjoy your backpacking adventure. Sounds fun.
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It looks like a lovely park Ally. It’s good you got out…..I feel guilty now as I haven’t walked in a long time….one excuse or another…..
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Joni, no guilt intended with this post. Just telling the world about our exciting [?] lives! 😉
The park was soooo pretty and the day was soooo clear, but the people were few and far between. Good for us all things considered, but odd too.
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I just posted about my exciting life! I saw a photo of Grand Central Station at 10am yesterday and it was deserted…..a very unusual sight.
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Oh that photo sounds creepy in an apocalyptic way. What a world!
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Hi, Ally – Most of our walks have been like this too. Beautiful…but eerily zero, or very few, people. As much as I like having parks and trails to my self, it is strangely disconcerting.
Great photos!
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Donna, you said it! It’s nice to walk at your own pace, but without people around it seemed like we were doing something wrong. Strange times.
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Oh the lovely park without people! It sounds like you had a great time, even if it felt odd. Very nice pictures, too. When I went walking out on our country road in late March there were zero cars driving by. It felt like being stranded on a desert island. Now people roar up and down the road like crazy. Guess most of them have quarantine fever and have left the roost. I think it was better in March. 🙂
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Kathy, this park was great, but without people it seemed strange to me. I relate to your take on your road. I like less traffic, too. In March & April our street was delightfully quiet when we all stayed at home all the time. Now, not so quiet.
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That’s a beautiful park! It’s like walking around in a dystopian novel. There just needs to be zombies…or randomly abandoned cars in the middle of fields.
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I like how you think! Your *enhancements* to the park ambiance would be weirdly perfect, considering the lack of people. 🤨 Thanks for stopping by to comment.
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It looks truly lovely. Sorry it was so hot. Today I felt a walk was exactly the thing, but the sun and lack of shade made it not so nice as I would’ve liked. Still, it was good to get out for a bit.
(BTW, what constitutes middle-aged these days? I’m wondering if I’m technically there. ??)
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Betsy, the park was delightful. The walk was nice, but it was hot outside– and humid like it gets here. I’ve visited where you live a few times and without shade it is one doozy of a hot, hot, hot place. Beautiful, though.
A wise woman once told me that middle age is anywhere between 30 to 80. Once past 21 but before 30, young adult; after 80, senior citizen. I liked her definition which had to do with her job and not insulting anyone when dealing with the public– so that’s how I see it. Ergo, you, my dear, are middle-aged.
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Well… I like the part about not being a senior citizen until after 80….
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Me too. Something to look forward to!
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Discounts at restaurants for one thing… 🙂
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Yes! There used to be a Golden Buckeye card for seniors. I don’t know if it’s still around, but if it is I WANT ONE when the time comes.
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Golden Buckeye! Love it. I should ask my parents if they know about that.
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I’m not sure if it’s still a thing, but you gotta want one if you live here and, shall we say, age gracefully.
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That is odd, the lack of people. They are back out where I live. I run into lots as I walk the dog or browse the horse trails.
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Jacqui, the lack of people surprised us. I thought we’d have difficulty finding parking on a Sunday afternoon on such a beautiful day. I don’t know what was going on, but it sure wasn’t going on at this particular park.
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Beautiful photos! Green grass, blue sky with fluffy white clouds, ah, yes, I’d be out there walking too. It’s a dang shame that our virus experts/heroes aren’t suggesting to us to reinforce our immunity with exercise and healthy doses of Vitamin D. A walk in the park, getting fresh air, should be the first choice in protection from the virus. xx
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Shelley, you’re right about how there is little being said about the overall health benefits of a good walk. I read about elaborate exercise plans, but nothing about just going outside a bit for the healthy heck of it. Good point.
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A daily walk in the sunshine is better medicine than eating an apple a day. 😉
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Ha! Well said… but couldn’t I have both, please?
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🙂 LOL – of course, eat the apple first, then burn off the sugar afterwards. If it was up to me though, I’d encourage an avocado over an apple for health benefits.
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But I don’t like avocados [pure fat]. I want an apple [fiber and pectin]. BUT if’n avocados are your thing then munch on, Shelley.
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Ditto to you – enjoy your apples. 🙂 We can wave to each other from across the produce aisle. I bet we’ll both be smiling under our masks, right ;-)?
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What a peaceful place to walk – even if it felt a bit strange when devoid of people. Walks are a good way to try to combat lethargy.
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Sheryl, it was delightfully peaceful and pretty in the park. We had a good time, but was memorable mostly because of the lack of other people.
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That blue sky and green is summer. You must have felt like royalty with it so quiet. (Don’t tell it’s open!)
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philmouse, there was a certain feeling of being the Lord and Lady of the Manor as we walked around our grounds!
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We found exactly the same thing as you, Ally. When we were running at new, beautiful locations all across the US, they were mostly deserted. I think most people get outside in spring and fall. Winter and summer are the times to walk if you want solitude.
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Laurie, good point about the solitude. I bet you’re right about the seasons. In the fall this particular park is always busy, busy. Wonder if that’ll happen this fall with the pandemic?
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It is lovely you got to get out for a walk on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It does look quiet. Maybe as you said, it was a bit too hot. People might prefer staying indoors keeping cool. Or perhaps they have travelled elsewhere. Here in Melbourne, Australia, it is winter. It is way too cold to be out and about comfortably. We did have a nice sunny day today that was lovely for a walk.
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Mabel, I couldn’t decide if there were few people because of the weather or because of the coronavirus. 🤷♀️ I’m glad you got a chance to get outside into some sunshine. Winters here can get very, very dreary. Maybe yours are the same? When the sun shines here in the winter I’m all about getting out into it, if only for 5 minutes.
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It’s good people decided to stay indoors as the coronavirus is still around. Or maybe they have been going outside, just for shorter periods of time. Winters here in Melbourne drag on and on. Last week we got a lot of sunshine. Next week it’s back to rain, clouds and dreary 😂
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Winter is what it is no matter where you live. I like your take on people staying away from the park to stay healthy. Now isn’t that an odd sentence?
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Normally a park is where you go for a walk or run to stay healthy. In times like these, our parks over here are empty with not a single soul in sight. It’s a funny world we’ve become.
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*shakes head in agreement*
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It looks like a lovely walk. Blues and greens sure lift the soul. I’ve been trying to spend time outdoors as much as possible. Mostly in my backyard…but still. 🙂
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Amy, you said it perfectly: Blues and greens sure lift the soul. I’m with you about trying to get outside more this summer. Usually in our backyard, too.
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To walk about in a park on a sunny day, to wear a hat and no mask, to see all the splendor of summer — without people? Kinda dreamy. Especially if can return to cold domicile for ice cold libation 🙂
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joey, it wasn’t a bad way to go for a walk, but it was unexpected. We did eventually return home for our cold drink, so it ended well.
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