WINTER STARTS TONIGHT
The temperature has been up and down, mostly in the 40’s, with a cloud cover that has hid the sun. Finally temperatures in the 60’s with sun was promised. Except, Sunday, in time for the Bears night time football game, rain, dropping temperatures and possibly SNOW was forecast.
Our youngest grandchildren were in town for the weekend. We planned to visit Brookfield Zoo — we had the car packed for the short trip, then our oldest daughter phoned. She lives about 25 miles West of Chicago. She thought we should know that a thunderstorm was over her house. Just as quickly, plans changed. We visited the playlot at McDonald’s instead. We stayed dry, the kids had fun.
Sunday, a high wind advisory from 10:00 AM till 8:00 PM was forecast. Our youngest daughter and kids left early in the morning to beat the weather. I have wanted to go to Botanical Gardens for a few weeks — today was the day. Some sun, warmer temperatures, lots of clouds and even more wind — not a bad day.
I was surprised by many things. First the colors. Autumn colors were everywhere. Weeping willow trees danced, golden in the wind. Grasses in gold, orange and rust added their own color. Many, many varieties of roses were abundant. Mums and asters — autumn flowers were everywhere. I even saw a couple of gladioli and some pansies. I was very surprised– the waterfall was still running. I spent some time, sitting on a bench, enjoying the sun shine and cascading water. When I asked a female Mallard duck if she was all alone, she turned and swam under the bridge and reappeared with the male.
Families with young children were everywhere. A young girl sat on a bench, an array of colored pencils in her lap, and worked on a drawing. Her mother mentioned that her daughter’s first grade class came to the garden to draw a couple of years ago. That is when her interest in drawing began.
I watched a young Chinese maiden, dressed in yoga attire, pose for pictures at the waterfall and on the bridge to the Japanese Garden. I learned she writes articles for a magazine on the Chinese Internet.
Walking down a path, I noticed a couple of people taking pictures of a tree. Looking up, I spotted the object of their interest — a brown tailed hawk watching from its high perch.
I almost finished walking the garden, when my camera refused to take any more pictures.
Leaving the garden, I passed a short, heavy-set, white-haired, older woman pushing a walker, the basket overflowing with stuff. I couldn’t see if it was a coat, a sweater, or a blanket, or all of the above. No one was walking with her.
Questions rose like bubbles in my mind. Was she alone? How did she get to the garden? Did she drive?
She reminded me of my maternal grandmother whose birthday is this week. My grandmother didn’t drive, but she didn’t stay home either. In a safer world, living in rural Wisconsin, she hitch hiked.
It was a normal weekend — but then, wandering with Spirit usually is.
Wandering With Spirit 