Walking Journal and Walking Stories

My office is on Parramatta Road, but it's the main western artery into the city - so you risk being asphyxiated each morning. 3 lanes each way and traffic is heavy and often at a standstill.

Not the most peaceful sounding of routes either.

uploading some pics of a walk i took this afternoon, will post in a minute or two

I was without a car for six weeks between January and MArch of whatever year it was. At the time, I was a permanent sub at a high school 3.8 miles from my house and I worked at a Williams-Sonoma store 7 miles away that I could get to by bus if I walked for 1.5 miles. So, I walked to the high school five days a week but took the bus from the HS to the mall and then took the bus home. I walked to the bus stop every Saturday morning during that time.

The way was pure suburbia but architecturally interesting suburbia.

How much younger does he appear ?

got sidetracked, here's the walking pics
a few yards over there's an orchard, walking along side the orchard brings me to a very nice wood lot

apple trees in bloom


part of the path behind the orchard


the only unbroken bottle in a junk pile near the wood lot


the field leading to the woods was pretty muddy so i didn't go into the woods today, here's the view from across the ditch


birds in a tree


orchard maintenance


blossoms



more of the path behind the orchard


beside the orchard looking towards home

A most excellent set of orchard picks Djjd!

i love the walk back to the woodlot, have to go again in few days the wild asparagus is just coming up, and i saw the giant turtle, but couldn't get a pic of him (her?)

Walked from work at W17th st. and 7th Ave. to E80th St. and 1st Ave. to run an errand at a store there. Then I walked from there to E59th St. and Lexington and took the R train instead of walking home because I needed to get to another place before they closed.

A decent walk as I kept a pretty quick pace though I did stop to shoot some photographs which I loaded most here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32864333@N03/show/

I wish I had a better camera so I apologize with the pedestrian nature of the set.

dj...now that's a walk!

ts...
I've never been to NY, so the pics are interesting.

Now for some pics of 6 lanes of traffic and used car yards - super attractive!

Thanks to both of you!

I love the orchard pics and hope you get a shot at the big turtle, DJ.

Tsar - wonderful shots - love the big foot and the dogs.

Physically, he appears to be in his teens.
Socially, it's hard to say. In some ways he's like a middle-school kid.

Terrific photographs, djjd & tsar! Two entirely different walking worlds.

I could almost hear the buzzing of bees on the blossoms in your shots, djjd. Ah spring! What a wonderful place to live (& walk)! You couldn't help but be serene after this, could you?

Tsar, I wonder how you keep track of the traffic, & cross roads safely, with so much else to distract you as you go. So much to see. So much going on. (I love the details of the buildings!)

I would take either of these walks anytime!

This is a wonderful thread, tsar. So glad you started it!

Margo, I'm wondering if you should consider a mask, like the Japanese in very polluted environments, to gain the full benefit of your Parramatta Road walks. (seriously) Those frustrated, stalled drivers might stare a bit, but hey, you'll beat them to your destination, so who cares?

Now that's what I call walking with a mission, POM!

I hope you're walking for the sheer pleasure of it these days.

Good morning, fellow walkers!

I don't have to work today (hooray! ) & am gearing myself up for a good, long walk. Looking at the sky, I think I'm gonna get drenched, most likely. But these are the risks one takes!
Really looking forward to this.

I'm pulling for a rain free walkabout for you MsOlga. No long walks today for me.

I did walk from W17 and 7 to E59th and Lexington to get the R train home today. At a nice brisk pace mind you....

Thanks, but no chance, tsar! But that's OK. My garden will be very pleased!



Excellent!

my daily walk (4.3 (sometimes more) km)

out the door


the road stretches on


the first of two old barns


next comes the graveyard, i usually pass by but stopped to get some pictures








nice purple flowered ground cover





ground marker

these two markers have what looks like coloured glass mixed into the stone, any inscriptions are worn away



back on the road


the barking dog wasn't out today so no pic

the nice gardens





a look towards the final stretch (well the half way point)

a mixed marriage?


the creepy old ladies house


but they have nice old lilac bushes in the yard


the murder suicide house, about 30 years ago the grandfather of someone that Tai Chi and i know, killed his wife with a hammer (bludgeoned in bed) and then hung himself in the barn (the barn was behind the garage, but has since been torn down)


make the turn to return home at the burned down house



the second old barn is behind the mixed marriage house (canada/usa flag)




while i was off road getting the barn pic, i took this pic of a woodlot that belongs to some folks i know, that long stretch of woods is effectively their backyard, they're very big into conservation and the father (now deceased), planted an approximate 10 acre wood lot on their property


the graveyard from across the road


home again

I enjoyed taking that walk with you, djjd! Thanks for letting us tag along.

I love cemeteries! (You've just put another walking idea in my head). Reading the older headstone inscriptions, especially, is fascinating. I was squinting, trying to decipher some of your older ones.
So, a creepy old lady's house & a murder-suicide house. You'd never know the stories & details like that in a big city.
Anyway, it looked perfect weather for your walk. Ah gorgeous spring!

I managed only around 5 kilometers yesterday. But today is looking much more promising! Not nearly so cloudy out there, looking out my window.

Oh & I bought those runners I mentioned in an earlier post. I'll have to wear them in a little before hoofing off on a 10 kilometer journey, though I think.