My wife Sandy and I reside in an unusually hilly suburban neighborhood near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Some of the blocks are so steep, they can take your breath away. Literally and figuratively. My hood once was, I imagine, a forest. Although hundreds of houses now decorate the land, quite a few trees are still around. Which is all to the good. However, I would have to revise that statement if any trees were to collapse, fully or partially, and beat the hell out of homes or cars or, far worse, human beings. But nothing like that ever has happened here, as far as I know. Which isn’t to say it couldn’t. My friends Michael and Susan, a married couple, would attest to that. They live about 20 miles from me and Sandy. In 2021, a tornado associated with Hurricane Ida decided to pay a visit to their property. Wham! Bam! It knocked down a couple of large trees growing extremely close to their house. Major damage to the structure resulted. Very fortunately, and pretty miraculously, everyone within was unscathed.
But, enough about damages and miserable events. I’m not done talking about trees, though, and I’ve got a few things to say about other subjects too.
Two Fridays ago I left the comfort of my living room sofa and headed outside to get some exercise by taking a walk. I exercise a fair amount, primarily via walks and yard work. But, considering my advanced age, I should exercise more than I do. I mean, as screwed up as the world is, I’m in no hurry to bid it adieu. Note to self: Start exercising more, asshole. Your life span might extend if you do.
I greeted a bright summer afternoon when I exited the house. The temperature (79°F/26°C) was higher than I’d have wanted, but pleasant enough, and puffy clouds were scattered throughout the sky. As planned, I gave my cardio system a workout by going up and down many steep streets. It thanked me for this and, to show its appreciation, after a while had me close to sweating like a pig, something I don’t enjoy in the least and which occurs far more frequently now compared to my pre-septuagenarian days. Basically, the older I get, the harder it is for my body to regulate its temperature properly in the heat. Note to self: Try to remember never to oink under circumstances such as this.
I enjoyed the walk very much, despite the perspiration situation. That’s mainly because I spent a good bit of time admiring the sky. Looking up at the sky is the best habit I’ve developed in the last couple of years. The sky is a wonder under all conditions and at any time of day or night, a truism that somehow I only barely recognized for most of my life. What’s more, during the walk I made it a point to find views of the sky that also included the tops of trees, or to position myself near the bases of trees and, gazing upward, observe the sky through the branches. Trees are the best, are they not? They seem to possess wisdom and definitely maintain a calm, tolerant presence. And they look great, to boot.
What made the sights even finer is the fact that the neighborhood was unusually quiet. Not a single dog barked during my stroll. And human voices filled the air on only one or two occasions. How was this possible? I didn’t know and sure as shit didn’t complain about those circumstances, for it truly was a pleasure to absorb, with few distractions, the good vibes that Nature was sending my way. Experiences of this sort are meaningful and uplifting. It doesn’t hurt that they are cost-free too. We deserve them. And we need them.
Yeah, Another Blogger 
This was lovely. I too enjoy looking up at the sky and the light between the tree canopy. It’s a wonderful respite.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s to the sky and trees!
LikeLike
A lovely and peaceful walk, Neil.
We also have dogs barking along our street when walking, and there seem to be more. Nature is a total respite!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. There are some really inconsiderate people in my neighborhood. Their dogs bark a lot. I’d hate to live close to those people.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, the neighbours across the way have 2 sausage dogs that bark for hours when they’re at work. It’s so intrusive and inconsiderate!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A tornado just hit my hometown in upstate NY, and the storm brought down a neighbor’s tree which smashed the back part of my parents’ house. It was kind of ironic because they’d recently (and very reluctantly) had four old trees taken down, because they were worried about them coming down on the house in a storm.
But they still love trees. They’ve already planted new ones.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi, Robert. I’m sorry to hear about that. I hope your parents were unhurt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Neil? they’re A-OK and happy that even with all the trees crashing down, nobody in the whole village was killed or injured. My dad is switching to Japanese maples, much lighter than the old sugar maples that crushed so much stuff.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for reminding me to keep looking up! I’ve been taking my walks early in the morning this time of year, before it gets too warm. Pleasant, and sometimes a nice breeze. Try it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I should follow your example!
LikeLiked by 2 people
What a happy post! I too love a beautiful sky, and trees are one of my favorite aspects of nature. Well done! Also, your notes to self made me chuckle. 🙂 Maybe not a lot of people noise because they were indoors with air conditioning. Meh. You’ll live longer than them thanks to your walks, “perspiration situation” or not.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hey there. According to experts, trees began to appear about 390 million years ago. Over the next ten million years they became pretty widespread. Trees truly are fabulous. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking at the sky through the trees is one of my favorite things!
LikeLiked by 1 person
👍👍
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your joy! It made me feel good.
Let’s all celebrate trees and the sky. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Linda. Thanks a lot for adding your thoughts. Much appreciated.
LikeLike
The combination of trees and sky is definitely special. Add a babbling brook and, for me, it is the perfect formula for relaxing. Except for the time a friend and I did a 3 hour walk along a very rough hiking trail into the local forest and stopped on the side of the small river to have lunch in the shade of a tree. We both dozed off and woke up at 4:00 – two hours before dark. That was the fastest walk out I have ever done but at least we got back to the (easy) main track just before it got totally dark.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was a close call!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Walking is the best exercise for the body and the soul. Your blog post attests to that. And soon – ahhh, the colors of those trees!!! Happy fall walking.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. I’m definitely looking forward to tree leaves changing colors. I might even write an essay about it in October or November!
LikeLike
Such a good reminder to get outside for a walk! Cheers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. Yeah, it’s important that we keep our legs in motion a decent amount of time. I’m thinking of taking a long walk through Philly tomorrow, in fact. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the upcoming week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nature walks of any kind are good for the soul and body!! Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. Thanks for visiting. What you say about Nature walks is totally true.
LikeLike
Beautiful trees and sky. I can lose myself in them. These are the simple things that bring us joy and peace while living in an upside-down world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely!
LikeLike
Like you, we live on a small hill, though not as steep as yours, and above sea level, and the best bit isn’t the sea view; it’s the enormous pohutukawa trees that line our streets. I love seeing old trees still standing amongst urbanisation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pōhutukawa trees are one of my favourites. We used to have one outside the lounge window in my previous house. It was a nice Christmas decoration.
LikeLike
Hi. I went to google to see what this type of tree looks like. It’s a beauty.
LikeLike
One of my favourite summer walks is about a 90 minute loop up the side of the valley. I start by following a rough track through dense bush in a deep hillside gully, crossing the little stream about ten times, then follow a contour line around the hill through more open small trees to a junction. This gives me a 150m of height gain and an easy downhill track back down to the car. If I want more (and I usually do), I get another 100m of height gain by following 300 steps plus some steep path, to end up up on the ridgeline for spectacular views of the valley. The nice thing is that the entire return track is down hill.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a great hike. A lot of people wouldn’t be able to do that sort of climbing. You’re in shape!
LikeLiked by 1 person
An enjoyable walk, Neil. I am finding hills challenging these days. Pity, with beautiful hills all around. But I live on the coast and could walk the beaches forever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there, Shane. Beach walks are great. My wife and I vacation on Cape Cod most years. We take many beach walks there, along the ocean and along Cape Cod Bay.
LikeLiked by 1 person