Thursday 14 July 2011

Walking adventures

Refreshed, energised, happier. This is me after my walk today, and most days.

What is it about walking that does this for me? Is it the exercise, the music in my ears, the fresh air, or a combination?

Today is the first day in a while that it was SAFE to venture out around lunchtime for a walk. The neighbourhood around my work is ideal for walking. Predominately flat, with a few streets that have a little rise to them, many route combinations and lots of streets to discover and explore.


I'm not a sticky beak. REALLY!
image source
I enjoy walking past houses in a neighbourhood and seeing the differences between them. Some are dollhouse neat, some are dishelveled, some have interesting colour combinations, some have gardens, others have weed patches. I imagine that each house has it's own story, whether it be of the it's history or of the people in it.  I always discover something I haven't noticed before on my walks. I also try not to be judgemental about the state of the house or the people that live there. Everyone is different and has different cirmcumstances.

Today for instance, I was happily walking along, the radio bopping in my ears. The tunes that were playing encouraged a good walking pace. As I picked my route (I always like to mix it up a bit) I took in the houses I passed. I noted a house with a good colour combination, and then another that looked like the painter had puked on it. I saw a house with coloured crystals hanging along the front room window. That would look pretty with the sun at the right angle. There was a house that had obviously recently been renovated - they had done a fantastic job. Everything was neat and perfect.
Then I noticed a house on the corner ahead of me.
I hadn't noticed it before. Was it because the front garden was so overgrown? The house certainly needed a lick of paint and a good working bee. The part of the house that drew my attention was a gorgeous bay window popping out the the roof that was to the front of the 2nd storey. It was a nice looking house once you stripped back the clutter, but none of the other houses looked like this one. It was an older style, and possibly one of the originals built here. That window was unique though - the sort that said "the stories I could tell".
I was tempted to pull out my phone and take a pic - but I TRY to respect people's privacy.

What will I discover next time?

1 comment:

  1. I love walking at the time of day where it's not dark enough to close curtains but not light enough to not have a light on. I am a major sticky beak and love being able to have a glimpse into people's houses :)

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