Experience Nature

Peaceful walking trail by our house.  Nice!

It's a lazy morning here at the Ragan house.  Flannery and I are still in our pajamas, and we don't have any plans until our 2:00 movie this afternoon.  And even though I love love love relaxing mornings, I am feeling blah.  There is something about being inside too much that makes me crazy.  So I'm about to get us bundled up and head outside for a bit.  We're so lucky to live in an area with great weather and a great park system, so we can easily find fun, safe places to explore.

For a while, I would drive us to good parks, but now we're learning about more and more places right here in our own neighborhood that are walkable and great.  Last week, we found a fabulous park that has a neat playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, a walking track, and a little exercise area, just a few blocks from our house (just a 4 minute walk!).  I can't believe we hadn't seen it sooner!  It was so nice to be able to walk the track and still have Flannery in my sights while she played on the playground.

And two days ago, I got brave enough to try out a walking/biking/running trail a block away from my house.  I was nervous that it would be too full of bikes and runners to be comfortable for my slow pace, but it was absolutely beautiful and peaceful.  A few bikers and a few mommies walking with strollers, but much quieter (and softer ground!) than walking on the sidewalks in our neighborhood.  So that was a wonderful find for me.  Not only because I'm meeting neighbors and running into colleagues that I didn't know lived so close by on my walks, but also because the more I get myself out in nature, the better my mood is.  And that makes for better interactions with my family, and a happier me because I'm treating people the way I want to instead of being stressed or distracted.

I'm off to enjoy the day.  Hope you enjoy yours, too!


What about you, where in your neighborhood do you love to go to experience nature?