from the north to the south (still winter)

on a monday i decided to be adventurous and try the southerly route of my trail. see, i kept the first for another day and really did come back. of course, considering that the trail used to be a railroad track, the number of ways leading on to ways are pretty limited.

i was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a bridge awaiting me on this trail as well. from a distance it looked like an open wooden gate, cheerfully welcoming all comers. i passed over the bridge into what looked like a long, tree-lined tunnel continuing straight ahead as far as i could see. the unwavering direction of this trail gave it a very different character than the northerly route. on that segment the things that kept me going were the bends in the road. there were straight parts, but always ahead you could see the hint of a curve teasing you to find out what was beyond it. this trail was different, mysterious. to the north the trail varied in direction and surroundings, sometimes with trees, sometimes with bright open fields; this to the south was darker and seemlingly less friendly, but with an appeal all its own. one would think that a bend in the road would be more intriguing, but really the straight one drew me on even more than the other. i was drawn ahead by the need to find a curve. i was searching for something different. searching for the end, maybe--a good stopping point if nothing else.

i didn't see any cardinals on this walk, or hear any other birds besides the geese passing overhead. the lack of birds could be due to the trail's proximity to a main road, if you can consider a road "main" that is gravel and was traveled on by only one vehicle (a pickup) during the course of my 45 minute walk. still, it was enjoyable.

my mom used to take our chow, copper, for walks along the james river at home. even when he was blind she would let him off his leash and he would keep up pretty well, correcting his course when the change in terrain let him know that he had veered off of the path. copper is older now and doesn't seem to enjoy walks as much as he used to, and as a consequence my mom doesn't walk the trail anymore. having a dog of my own now to walk with, i can understand why. dogs are good company. smokey gives me plenty of space, while always staying fairly near. he waits for me when i fall behind, and races to catch me when he lags too long over a curious scent. it's nice not having to talk but still having another living thing to keep me company who enjoys walking as much as i do. he warns me when someone is coming ahead or behind, and he even tells me when it's time to turn around by nonchalantly stopping right in front of me. he pretends to be looking at something, but i know it's deliberate. i love my walks, but i would be lonely without my smokey pup.

stay tuned for more wabash wanderings.