Dark times can be just that – Dark. Heavy. Even Depressing. But if you search hard enough, you will almost always find a silver lining in the darkness.
The Provincial Health Order makes it hard to see anyone outside of my immediate family and the news I might need knee surgery have further dashed my hopes of getting any hiking in this year….
Instead of sitting at home feeling sorry for myself, I decided to explore where in my town I could go for a nice, flat walk but still do a good distance and enjoy some nature.
I remembered our dyke system and a quick google search helped me decide to park near Jespersons boat launch and walk down towards Gill road, one of my favourite places!
The weather was perfect, cloudy but no rain and the sun even came out for a little bit! It wasn’t overly busy either, a few cyclists and other pedestrians but otherwise Zola and I had the whole place to ourselves.
I love this lone tree in the middle of the field!
Then we started seeing Eagles and so many of them!!! We even got a fly over show!
This big nest caught my eye, but on the walk back I noticed there are two nests in this tree!
Eagles sitting in trees everywhere you look! Such a gorgeous sight and we usually drive to Harrison to see them, when it turns out they’re in our own back yard!
These two flew over us and then landed a short distance away – so cool to see and a great moment to take a deep breath and just appreciate this beautiful place I live.
We made it! Gill Road is a 5km walk from where we started. Now to turn around and walk back for a total of 10km!
The views were equally as gorgeous on the walk back and the sun even came out for a bit! I unzipped my sweater and enjoyed the warm sun on my face, and was able to forget about this whole Pandemic thing for awhile.
Yes, we are encouraged to stay home unless necessary. No, that does not mean you cannot go outside and get fresh air and exercise.
Even though I didn’t gain any elevation or see any mountain views by going for an intense uphill hike like I used to, I still saw many beautiful sights I would never have enjoyed otherwise.
Go Outside. Google your town name with “walking” or “trails” and see what you find!
You might be surprised like I was. I knew you could walk on the dyke but didn’t realize you could go all the way from Island 22 to Ferry Island! 12km in one direction might be a goal for next year, but I am still glad I know about it now!
When surrounded by darkness, look for the light. Even if it’s a tiny flicker, it’s there. The sooner you find it, the faster it can grow.
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