February 21st, 2020

Sometimes I'm just so ridiculous.  When people ask why we chose to live on the island one of my stock answers is that here, I can walk to almost anything I need or want.  And I do love to walk.  I can just step outside my front door and walk to: the beach, the intercoastal, the grocery store, the post office, the dentist, the museum, the library, the...well you get the idea...just about anywhere.  I don't have to drive someplace to go for a walk.

And yet, this past Sunday, Tim and I did just that.

I read about a place called, Ollie's Pond Park in Port Charlotte.   First of all, the name is adorable. I'm not sure who it is named after though I assume it's someone whose first name is Oliver.  According to the tiny bit I read, it's a roughly 45 minute walk around a pond.  Well, why not.  We had no other plans.  Pt Charlotte is two towns south of us. Even though my parents lived there at one time, I am not especially familiar with anything except the immediate area surrounding their home . So, unfamiliar territory.

But we have a Nav system in the car and I had an address so off we went.

The park exists in a very suburban area. Street after street of house after house. I was beginning to think that I had gotten mis-information when suddenly, there it appeared before us.  In the midst of all of that  housing, taadaa, an adorable, and surprisingly good sized pond with trees and and shrubs and best of all, a dirt path going all the way around. All good things.

Almost immediately we saw things that were photo worthy.  We took our time and walked slowly, pointing things out to each other and sometimes just standing and watching squirrels and ducks and rabbits and turtles and birds of all sorts. 

It was a lovely walk and by the end, we felt both well exercised and well rested if that makes any sense at all.  There is something about being out in nature that is very, very  relaxing.  Ahhhhhh.  It kind of, I don't know how to describe it exactly, hmmmm.  Ok I will try this.  It centers (?) me to spend time in places with no clocks, no concrete, no glass and no agenda.  Like hitting a reset button.

We walked quietly, so the animals and birds weren't frightened by us and I was delighted with the shots I got.  We did pass one other photographer who was hunkered down in the underbrush and trees along the shore, camera set up on a tri-pod, clicker in hand, patiently and quietly waiting for his shots.  I admire that, but I'm not going to be doing that.

​Still I think I got some decent photos.  Here I will let you decide:

Obviously it was a rather bird-heavy walk. But hey, it was a pond.  Ponds attract birds.  Also alligators and there was a sign warning people of the resident alligator(s) and forbidding folks from feeding them.  (As if I would!)  But we saw no gators.  Lots of other pretty stuff but no gators and frankly, that is fine with me!

So that was the trip to Ollie's Pond Park. Cute Cute Cute.

No idea what's happening this weekend but I know that it will be something.  And that whatever it is, I will be writing about it next week.

​Have a wonderful weekend everyone!