Foggy Morn

My knee is still sore today after playing too many consecutive hours of wallyball last week so I decided a nice, long walk would help rehab it. Last night’s heavy rains left fog so thick I could barely see the ridge to the east and imagined mountains beyond. There really aren’t any mountains nearby where I live and take my walks but I do have a vivid imagination.

Water droplets were poised on branches and leaves like divers composing before taking a plunge. And, since most people had already gone off to work and I work from home with no set hours, the peace and tranquility was welcome. I did see a gray haired woman struggle to control two poodles she was walking on long leashes. We said good morning but she seemed so preoccupied I doubt she recalled the greeting.

A bit further along, a younger woman was smoking a cigarette while pushing her baby in a stroller. She said hello to the mailman but never looked my way even though we passed within eight feet of each other. Maybe she was worried I was out for more than just a walk or she was simply savoring that last puff of Marlboro.

As I reached the furthest point from home in my journey, I realized that not a single dog had barked in almost two miles. Just then, a dog barked. He was inside a home and peered at me through the screen door. I heard what I thought was a loud conversation in the dog’s house but it turned out to be somebody listening to a recording of George Carlin debating the existence of angels and using colorful adjectives to illustrate his point. Apparently, the listener had the volume turned up so the rest of the neighborhood could tune in as well although I saw no one doing so.

The rest of my walk was quiet, calm and without much to describe. My knee felt better and I may repeat the process again this afternoon. Then again, the fog has yet to lift completely which is keeping the temperatures steady at about 62 degrees. It’s a nice, early fall day. I hear the woods calling my name.