Taking a Walk on the Wild Side.

Taking a Walk on the Wild Side.

Taking a walk on the wild side isn’t about how far you go but rather how much you notice as you walk.

A simple path only five minutes from home is an adventure in awareness – awareness of the changing seasons and a quiet reminder that beauty is often in places that are overlooked.

Nature reveals its secrets subtle as they may be.

In the middle of August, strolling beside the pond, I see the first Canada Geese taking a dip in the cool waters.

Along the pond’s edge, red-winged blackbirds and dragonflies find their favourite hideout among the weeds in the shallow water.

Further along, I see Wild Bergamot, Spotted Joe Pye Weed, Parsnip, Wild Carrot, Curly Dock, Creeping Thistle, as well as Staghorn Sumac, American Cranberry Bush, White Sweet Clover and of course, a healthy crop of Canada Goldenrod.

And you might ask, how do I recognize all these plants? Why, I have an app for that! (Picture This).

Occasionally, among the clumps of grass and ferns, a bright burst of colour announces the presence of purple loosestrife, Jerusalem Artichoke, or Common Chicory. Even the most common plant has a story to tell. The variety in shapes and texture is a testament to the way each plant has adapted to the unique ecosystem around the pond.

Fall is in the air.

Hints of fall are already in the air.

A few leaves here and there have started to shift from green to burnished yellow or bright red – brushstrokes against the blue sky.

On the water, 6 Canada Geese drift peacefully as though waiting for the rest of the gaggle to arrive as they do each fall by the hundreds. The pond is their preferred gathering place in the fall before beginning their journey south for winter. Their presence is a harbinger of the seasonal shift; yes, change is coming, slowly and beautifully. While the breeze is still heavy with summer warmth and humidity, the earth appears to be in waiting to be transformed once more.

For the artistic soul, this morning walk is more than just quiet time spent in nature. Indeed, it is a wellspring of inspiring colours, forms, textures.

The gentle rhythms of the natural world offer clarity.

The first signs of fall stir a sense of reflection and anticipation. Whether you are an artist like me, or a poet, or just someone seeking peace, the path along the pond is a living canvas, a poem waiting to be written, a time away from urban hustle and bustle.

Taking a walk on the wild side is all about noticing the beauty we often neglect to see.

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