First World Problem Leads to Real World Blessing

Less than halfway through the walk, the music app on  the phone died, and left me with no tunes to motivate my exercise.
No real problem, though, because I had a whole world around me to listen to.
The quiet of a suburban neighborhood in the midmorning is surprising.
There were subtle sounds all around, though.
Small planes droning their way across the unbelievably blue sky,
Blue jays hashing out a territorial dispute on the next block,
A light breeze whispering through the trees,
The subtle crackle of dry leaves on the sidewalk,
The rhythmic beat of my own footsteps on the pavement.
Sometimes, the hum of an air conditioning unit as the early Autumn sun is very warm,
As I get nearer the main road, a bit more traffic noise,
Tires humming on pavement, bodywork rattling over the railroad crossing,
In the distance, a train horn.
The lonely, twangy song of a lone cicada, who somehow overslept the end of the season,
The buzz of the locusts as they hop-fly out of my path,
Quiet cricket chirps from the deep shade under a nearby stand of trees,
Whirring of dragonfly wings as one swoops by me,
Sometimes a far-off , muted roar of a jet flying far, far overhead.
The occasional weed trimmer and/or lawnmower may be heard as well,
And one neighbor is power-washing his house.
Gotta get the dusty grime of the Oklahoma summer off before winter hits!
Greetings from the neighborhood dogs as I pass.  Usually friendly barks,
Sometimes territorial assertions, at least until I tell them they are good dogs, doing a dog's work well.
Then, the greetings are friendly, tails wag behind their fences.
Machine noises and rattles and bangs behind the supermarket, deliveries made, and garbage taken out.
Back on the noisy main road, and headed toward home, the noontime traffic of high school students heading toward the fast food places for lunch, another train warning of its approach.
Back to my own front porch and the creaky squeaky storm door, and the satisfying snick of the key in the well-oiled lock.
Now I seek the comfort of the ceiling fan in the dining room, and put away all my "walk support equipment".
I come in here, do some free weight exercises, stretch, and get this machine going.
And then I wrote this.
Now I have to go wash the grime of exercise both physical and mental off myself so I can continue with the day's work.
All this I actually paid attention to
Because my favorite distraction was silenced.

Fall Thoughts

Autumn Evening Walk
By C.K. Armistead
Nov. 10, 2013

As I walked the leaf-strewn sidewalk
Through the golden light
Of a late afternoon
I heard the leaves crunch
Under my feet
Heard dogs barking
Children playing
Cars on 12th Street
The train idling on the siding
Nearby.
I smelled the charbroiler
At Burger King
Not as nice as someone's
Backyard cookout would be
I also smelled woodsmoke
From a fireplace
On this cool late afternoon
In Fall.
I saw the changing leaves
Some falling from the trees
As I watched
Others stubbornly holding on
I saw the light doing its usual
Autumn trick
Of fading too quickly away
Causing the streetlights to glow
All too soon
And calling an end
To outdoor play
As children reluctantly
Head indoors
For supper, homework,
or just TV or reading
Like we used to
When I was a kid.
Some things
Like the fast-disappearing light
of Autumn,
Never change.



Slowly, subtly, the weather has changed.  The light is different now, seeming to come from farther away.  The air is cooler, even when the sun is bright and warm.  As our planet shifts on its axis, on its way around the sun, we are pushed away from the light and warmth of summer, toward the cold and dark of winter.  Autumn, like Spring, a season of in-between, of shifting and changing and getting used to the idea of the season to come. 
Today I walked through golden light, with a light breeze, cool, but not cold, not yet.  Soon, the wind with have sharp teeth to it, a hard, cold, edginess.  There will be more scent of woodsmoke on the air as people seek to beat back the dark and cold with light and warmth.  Darker colors, heavier fabrics, sweaters and boots will be seen on the people out and about.  Cozy throws, hot tea and good books will be more in demand as the cold, dark, inhospitable season gains in strength and keeps people indoors, where they can feel less at the mercy of the cold.
I enjoy the cozy seasons of fall and winter, because I like (and look good in) dark rich jewel tones.  I like sweaters, and shawls and boots and curling up with a cup of something warm and a good book.  I also get tired of them long before Winter is done.  By the time Spring starts poking its head up through the last of the slushy snow, I am more than ready to greet it, to shed the heavy dark clothes for light brightness, and to walk freely outdoors again.  Spring also makes me wary, though.  Spring is when the bad tornadoes show up.
I only pray that this season and the one that follows do not bring bad storms, no ice and no heavy snow.  We have had enough of weather for one year.  We could use some peace.