Charging along one day, I came across a man standing still, looking up at the trees across the road. I wondered what he saw, so I stopped and looked up, too. There sat a magnificent bald eagle perched atop a tree. What a majestic sight! I’ d never seen a bald eagle in the wild before. I watched in awe until it flew away, and its wingspan and silhouette against the blue sky were spectacular. As I resumed my walk, I felt moved by what I’ d seen.
Later I wondered, though, what else have I been missing? Had that man not been there, I likely would have walked right past the bald eagle and never seen it. Sure, I wanted to accomplish the walk and track my steps— but there I was in a beautiful setting, and I hadn’ t paid attention. I’ d concentrated so much on my goal that I missed the beauty of nature around me.
Well, I changed my behavior right away. I didn’ t care if my walk took longer. I began to savor the view. Immediately I was struck with the beauty of the lake and its surroundings, so peaceful and calm yet so full of life. It was a whole new world.
I saw all kinds of flora and fauna. Lovely trees, bushes, flowers... even cherry blossoms in the spring. I loved observing the many deer that populated the park, especially with their little ones. Occasionally I’ d see a raccoon or a beaver, a hawk or an osprey, or turtles sunning themselves on a log.
The great blue herons were stately, and sometimes I’ d see one swoop down to catch a fish. I wondered how they ate those fish with their skinny necks. Then I saw a heron catch a fish, take it to the side, smack it on the ground, and swallow it whole.
The ducks and geese were fun to watch. Once a goose was tending six or eight little fuzzy goslings. I tried to approach them to get a picture, but the goose raised its head and gave me a look that clearly warned,“ Not one step closer, or you’ ll be sorry!” So I moved along.
As I walked one morning looking over a wide expanse of the lake, a bird emerged from under the water. I’ d been watching the lake and I knew that bird did not fly up, it did not swim up, it just popped up. After resting peacefully on the water for a while, it dove under the water again and eventually popped up again about 100 yards from where it had started. I learned it was a cormorant.
Cormorants are kind of goofy-looking, dark, with curved beaks. They can dive deep and stay underwater for a couple of minutes to catch fish for their feeding. A few times, I saw a large group of cormorants together on the lake, seemingly taking turns diving under the water and popping up all over the place. What a sight!
So many people enjoy the lake: walkers and joggers, many with their dogs; people riding bikes or pushing baby strollers; people fishing along the edge; people navigating kayaks, canoes and paddleboards; people eating a picnic lunch or watching their children romp on the playgrounds. Then there are the photographers— those highly skilled, dedicated, patient people who capture the beauty of the surroundings from sunrise to sunset, and later post their pictures online for people to enjoy. It’ s apparent that everyone loves the park. I came to love it, too.
Occasionally I’ d see a van from a local senior living community pull up to a nice spot beside the lake. With great care, aides would help the seniors out of the van to sit a while and enjoy the scenery. The elderly residents moved slowly, most with canes and walkers, but all had smiles on their faces. At first, I thought, what a huge undertaking! How challenging to safely gather the seniors, get them into the van, drive to the lake, get them out of the van and settled by the lake, and then do it all in reverse to get them back home. Not easy at all.
And then I thought, thank you! Thank you to that facility’ s staff for making the effort to enable those lovely people to enjoy part of their day at the North Park Lake. Some probably reminisced about days gone by when they’ d enjoyed glorious afternoons on a lake, swimming or fishing or paddling a canoe... precious memories. If I ever live in a senior community, I hope it will be one that makes an effort to take the residents out to enjoy nature as often as possible. Walking at a slower pace and appreciating my surroundings helps me to clear my mind and gives me time to think. Or often, not to think— just take in the beauty around me, feeling immense gratitude for our beautiful world. Oh, I know that all of our world is not beautiful. There is ugliness, too. But when we find the beauty, let’ s be thankful for it and enjoy it and treasure it, and protect it for the future.
Walking had once been a fitness challenge for me: Move! Walk! Get those steps! Now, walking is a cherished tradition, one I hope to continue for years to come. For as long as I am able, I’ ll be out there walking around the North Park Lake. Sure, I’ ll still be tracking my steps, but walking is not just for steps anymore. It’ s for much, much more. ■
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