Chapter 30 - A Course in Miracles

On the days we don't go to the beach (high tide, possible rain) I take Boh, my schipperke mix, to the lovely park about a 5 minute drive from my house. We spent a lot of time there this year when the beach was closed to public access and we had to stay home. It is free, clean, and beautiful.

I am always surprised at what I find there. While I could put on headphones and listen to libro.fm stories as we walk, I do not. That would cause me to miss all the daily miracles I see during our stroll. Boh is extremely accommodating when I stop to take a picture as I am when he stops to send pmail.

Even at 6:30 in the morning there are a number of people who show up for an early morning walk. There is the bearded guy who is a runner, he never fails to wave or otherwise acknowledge us. We see an older gentleman and his dog who loves to swim. A lady with a terrier is usually there as well. Then there are the walkers who have earbuds in and are listening to something. Nobody but Boh and I seem to value just pausing and looking at all the beautiful things around us.

The walk always makes me think of books which feature nature. Here are a few worthy of reading.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson - This delightful and amusing tale is a story of Bryson's trek on the Appalachian Trail after his return from living in England. This is a definite read for any adventurer.

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell - Durrell's memoirs tell about his five years living with his family on the island of Corfu. Combating strange animals like snakes and scorpions as well as his eccentric family, this is another delightful story.

The Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers - While not as amusing as the previous two books, The Overstory, a Pulitzer prize winner, is worth reading. This is the story of many characters and their relationships with nature and trees.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss - A children's classic, The Lorax never has gone out of style. The Lorax speaks for the trees as more and more trees are chopped down to make thneads with, of course, a domino effect.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer - First published in 1996, this is the story of Christopher McCandless who took up a life of traveling across the Western United States and Mexico. Hitchhiking to Alaska, where he intended to live in seclusion, he survived for nearly four months alone in the wild. This is his journey.

Do you have any favorite books about walk abouts?