Sunday, October 25, 2015

A path less traveled



I decided to talk a walk the other day in the woods down the street. There's a marked trail that pretty much covers the perimeter of the 100 acres (ha, Hundred Acre Woods!) that I figured I had time for before I needed wanted to be home for Carrie's bus. So off I marched, sniffing the woods as I went along, noticing that not nearly enough trees are marked for me to remember who's who and that I miss the ferny smell of the woods in Pennsylvania. These woods smelled different. I didn't see a single fern. Sadness.

Anyway, even knowing this particular trail is around two miles long, and I had an hour to do it in, I started to feel a little rushed and decided to shortcut through the meadow that takes up space in the middle of these woods. On the opposite side of the meadow is a little sign with a trail marker for the particular colored path I was on. It pointed away from the meadow into the woods on the opposite side.

Yet I come back out in the meadow when I follow this persnickety little path. Depending on my less-than-stellar but way-better-than-it-used-to-be sense of direction, I ended up back at the trailhead where, amazingly enough, they stock maps. I snatched one of those little suckers and had to laugh at myself. 

Yes, the trail runs the perimeter, but by cutting through the meadow I picked up the trail and took it left when I should have taken it right, thereby doing all of the trail that I'd cut off when I cut through the meadow and then some. 

Oh well. I made it home in plenty of time and now have a map to boot.

It reminded me of "Into the Woods" where they advise, "when going somewhere to hide, know how to get there. And how to get back. And eat first." 








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