Halloween came and went without much fanfare in our neighborhood but we welcomed the beautiful weather, the bonfire, and even the leftover candy – someone has to eat it, right?
Sometimes you don’t have to travel far to find beauty and recharge your internal batteries. Since Halloween day this year was a sunny and warm fall day, I’ve decided to walk through my neighborhood and across the street to the nearby parks.
Walking in Knoxville, especially if you are not downtown, is always a bit treacherous. There are almost no sidewalks and the drivers don’t really expect anyone walking. I was talking with another European friend the other day and we shared our confusion about partial sidewalks that seem to go nowhere and end abruptly. Growing up in Europe, we both used to walk everywhere. Knoxville is very limiting in that respect. We have stores less than a mile away from our house but getting there we would have to walk on a busy road with blind curves and risk our lives (a choice we make only on rare occasions when we are snowed in). The solution is simple (cut back the bushes and place some walking stones or build a wooden path behind the guardrail) but it doesn’t seem like a priority for the powers to be. Anyway, I digress….
I was walking along, in step with the dance music coming out of my headphones, trying not to get hit by cars or fall down the steep slope next to the road. Once I reached the main road, I made a dash across it to Carl Cowan Park. I enjoyed having the place almost all to myself, and took in the peaceful view of the Tennessee River from the swing installed on its banks. After a few loops around the walking trail, I hiked past the splash pad and into the woods connecting Carl Cowan to Admiral Farragut Park. I love that short walk along the river! It’s so peaceful! And on that beautiful day, it was perfect.
I took my time walking, listening to the wind gently rustling the leaves, taking photos of the soft glowing colors, breathing in the sweet and spicy smell of autumn. I took a break by the water, and I as I started filming, I heard some noise coming from my left. I turned the camera to see two Golden Retrievers happily lapping at the water and playing.
I finished my nature walk with a hot cup of Harvest Blend tea, alongside homemade muffins topped with apple sauce, and dreamed about coastal living.
When the sun started to go down, it was time to get a fire started, crank up Pandora’s Halloween music station, and open the front door for potential trick-or-treaters. Witch hat on, candy cauldron ready, I danced around around the fire, waiting. Only two of our little neighbors came by and got a generous helping of candy. Even their incredibly soft puppy, a honey-colored labradoodle named Eddie got a treat: a doggie biscuit. My husband and I treated ourselves to some dark chocolate and red wine, and thoroughly enjoyed an evening by the fire, complete with hoot owl and spooky moonlighting. All in all, not a bad day.
