nature walk

i like calling summer the unwanted guest that i hate to see leave.

by that, i mean i do not look forward to scorching temperatures and stifling humidity.

but at the same time, once i start seeing those yellow leaves start landing on the porch, i begin mourning the passing of the growing season and, in turn, another year.

in a weird way, i can dig limited exposure to the humidity this time of year in that it's sort of the acceptance of summer's calling card. it's one of the season's hallmarks.

when combined with the lush greenery of our wooded subdivision, it feels so ... at one.

this, however, was one of those rare summer days that most people are really wishing for when they've grown tired of cold, gray winter and dream of warm weather.

the sun was high in a cloudless sky. the temps were in the low 80s. the humidity was barely palpable. it was a good day for a walk.

the boy and i make it out on the road at least once a week through the neighborhood now.

even though we headed out past noon, the weather was just about perfect for being outdoors. it felt more like a spring nature walk.

our neighborhood streets are dotted with lovely, colorful gardens. i like to point out to the boy the flowers we see along the way.

i used to try to identify them for him, but this week tried to keep it simple by just saying "flower" and naming the color.

afterward, i'd explain what type of flower i thought it was. (luckily, there were many daisy varities and day lilies in a a variety of reds, oranges, golds and yellows.)

today, we visited the danner meadow playground, where we met a 4-year-old boy named dallas, from hurricane, his mom and, later, his grandmother.

dallas was sweet and seemed to enjoy having someone to play with. he even offered to have the boy stay with him and his mom and grandmother there while i went to work.

believe me, kid, on a day like today, if i could have spent the rest of the afternoon in the park, i probably would have.