Spring Awakening

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.  ~William Shakespeare

It’s been awhile, blogosphere. I’m thinking of coming back.  As an easing in, I thought I’d share a few snapshots from this morning’s venture.

Just a mile or so from our house is the beginning of one of Nashville’s greenways, and so we headed there minus Sebastian (he’s still not able to walk) and plus one tricycle.

The greenway system is one of the many features of Nashville that I love and appreciate. Smack-dab in the middle of a large city, we have convenient access to wooded walking trails, wildlife, and wide, rambling streams.

Exploring with Beck today lifted my inexplicably dark mood and reminded me of many happy days from my youth, both in Ohio—riding my bike down never-ending country roads and spotting frogs and snakes alongside and in the creeks babbling beneath rickety bridges—and in Tennessee—hiking dirt trails with Dad and Matthew through the Great Smoky Mountains, skipping rocks in streams and scanning the surrounding woods for signs of animals, large and small.

We had incredible luck while wandering the urban retreat today. Although it was 70 degrees and sunny, the paths were strangely not all that crowded; however, the animals came out in droves to welcome their friend, Beck. So thank you to the long water snake, the BIG turtle at the water’s edge, the lone duck, the many fish, the butterflies, and the iridescent turquoise bugs that flittered at our feet (what were those?) for coming out to play.