“there are no shortcuts to any place worth going”
-beverly sills
—
empire bluffs trail, empire, michigan, usa – june 2021
i parked along a beautiful winding road
walked a few hundred feet
to find this unmarked path
winding its way in switchbacks
all the way up to the top of this park
with natural steps made of roots and branches
and proceeded to climb
in my new shoes
1/2 size larger than the 1st pair that i’d worn out
now a size 6 1/2 instead of a solid 6
it was my first time out in them
and quickly found that
i was not yet used to the extra bit of shoe
suddenly it felt like i was walking in
giant slippery clown shoes or snorkel flippers
it was awkward
i kept kicking things
lots of near misses
almost tripping over things
until i finally really tripped on a large tree root
way up high
and found myself sliding
all the way back down to the bottom of the hill
like a scene from an old spaghetti western
i’m sure i yelled out something
and
stopping again right back where i’d started
near the beautiful road
where a cyclist happened to be riding by
who stopped to see if i was okay
just a bit dusty and surprised really
i stood up once more
and used my giant paddle feet to climb again
this time making it all the way to the top and into the park
none the worse for wear
and i am happy that i was not hiking in the grand canyon.
—
“here at the fountain’s sliding foot, / or at some fruit tree’s mossy root, /
casting the body’s vest aside, / my soul into the boughs does glide.”
-andrew marvell
—
kuebler langford park, ann arbor, mi, usa
as i’ve been walking and exploring
the parks and outdoor recreation areas around town
i realize how many i have yet to visit
so i’ve decided to walk in each of the parks
in ann arbor
all 159+ of them
to see what is unique about each
with more than
2,000 acres of parkland
50,000 trees
a river, dams, falls, hills, ponds, gardens,
woods, meadows, prairies, and rec areas
found in spaces ranging from
tiny neighborhood green spots to wide open expanses
i see an adventure ahead
with no planned deadline or timeline
so i began the list alphabetically yesterday
and have walked 2 of them so far
only 157+ to go.
—
“parks are works of art just as a painting or sculpture is.”
-thomas hoving
—
credits: ann arbor parks and recreation
in full-day kindergarten, every day is truly a treasure trove of wonder. in the morning, we talk about the sound that the letter F makes. children offer their own examples, things they are familiar with in their own lives: flower, frog, fruit. then, out of the crowd, a lone voice says above the rest, ‘funk.’ what was that? ‘i said, ‘funk. funk starts with f!’ it does indeed, thank you so much for bringing a smile to your teachers’ faces and for bringing the funk back into our lives with so much enthusiasm. you never know where you’ll find the letter F, it could be just the beginning of such an exciting word, funk.
after a day filled with activity and learning and music, and most importantly, our afternoon nap, we set out on a hike through the woods and trails on campus. we took the binoculars we’d made out of empty toilet paper rolls and string, for a chance to see one of many birds we’d been talking about in the last couple of weeks. along the way, we saw geese, swans, wrens, and jays.
suddenly, once again, a voice rang above the crowd. ‘ i saw jesus!!’. what? where? who is jesus? the class had all sorts of questions, as they are a patchwork of cultures, religions, and backgrounds. ‘in the bushes! i saw jesus!’ wow, hmmmmm…… maybe that’s why i never could be a part of organized religion. was i not seeing things clearly? i think not. but i guess some toilet paper roll binoculars are higher power than others. it was a day of funk and jesus.