Saturday, February 13, 2010

A brief break from the world


In the valley of the shadows...
London, ON, July 2009
About this photo: Thematic Photographic explores "what I did on vacation" through next Wednesday. If you've been away from home - even for a day, or less - please click here and feel free to share.
On an otherwise ordinary day last summer, my son had a playdate at a friend's house. And since the weather was lovely and I had a bit of extra time, I suggested we leave the car in the driveway and walk the few blocks there instead. It would give me a few extra minutes with him, as well as an excuse to fill my camera's memory card on the walk home.

Much to my pleasant surprise, he jumped at the chance. The walk there was typically Noah, filled with endless questions about the way things worked and endless views of the world through the eyes of a little guy. I made a mental note to do this more often.

After I dropped him off at his friend's and turned for home, I detoured through the walking path that winds its way through the protected forests near our street. Well, protected for now, because every few years the developers come out of the woodwork with yet another plan to urbanize this near-forgotten oasis in the middle of the burbs. And after area residents ride up against the threat, a stalemate is declared - for a few more years, anyway.

I'm glad the good guys keep winning these battles, because I can't imagine what our city would be like without idyllic places like this. Whenever I have an hour or two to spare, a quick vacation of sorts to wander through the green valley with a camera and a curious eye are often all I need to recharge my soul. Vacations, after all, need not be distant or lengthy.

Your turn: Do you have a place near you to get away from it all?

6 comments:

David Edward said...

green, I almost forgot that color,, Thanks - here from Netchick

Amrita said...

Hi Carni, Thank you for visiting my bl0og and commenting. I really like your n photography and posts

TALON said...

It's great that you and your son get those moments where you're really connecting. And what would the world be like if all the trees were cut down? It's scary watching forests getting swallowed up. I'm glad your area is winning (if only temporarily) the fight to keep it green. That photo is making me long for Spring!

My go-to place is my garden. It always restores me.

Snaggle Tooth said...

Wow, it's summertime here!
Such lush green forest to share.

I'd never make it without my mini-vaca spots- my life is far too stressful these past few decades, with less sleep, time, n money-
Vaca has to be close to my errand run, or I don't crow-bar it in...

It's great to have memories of time with loved ones in natural places- I hope Noah grows to remember them too. I always fight to keep the trees!

I'm just not a fan of crowded concrete places. I have my kicthen window, the wooded hill across the road, M-cove, B-cove, my Fav resident beach, the village pier at the front harbor beach, n the Center Wharf. (n there's more not far away I don't have time to visit)

Mimi Lenox said...

That was a special walk indeed. And the greenness (is that a word?) of those trees takes my breath away and makes me long for a walk in the spring.
Thank you!

theMuddledMarketPlace said...

i do indeed have a place near me to get away from it all, it's a blessing to have a wild place close at hand in our city.
grabbed the camera this last w/end to take some images of it, sometime soon when work and home isn't so all embracing, they'll go up on the blog.
I'll come on back and link them...