A Walden Morning

Yesterday morning, the first day of the new year started grey. Would there be more rain? I had my heart set on taking Ten out to Walden Pond for a ramble ‘round the pond.

Back in Cambridge days, in summer, Jen and I would head out there after work on the regular. Compared to now, from Valhalla, it was a relatively short drive AND it was swimmable, wade-friendly water (as opposed to the Charles which was just down the street from where we lived). Now that we have an ocean harbor RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET we never make the trek out to this gorgeous, surrounded by wonderful woods, little pond. It’s been at least ten years since my last visit.

Walden has a romantic free spirit air to it. Yeah, that’s about Thoreau, sure but, for me, it’s more about those early, relatively carefree, days when Jen, Oni, The Amazing Bob and I were living together in a beat to shit triple decker on the, then, low rent east side of Cambridge.

Walking the path around the pond (as much as I could manage anyway) with my new, mostly fixed back and my new man, on this first day of the new year struck me as a GREAT way to begin again. (just FYI, I managed to walk OVER a mile over the rough ground and didn't fall – not even once!)

I was surprised to see a bunch ‘o’ cars in the Pond’s parking lot. Not jam-packed but we wouldn’t be alone on the trail. That was AOK seein' as how everyone we passed was all blissed up and friendly. Apparently this is a thing – First Day Hikes. The heavy, rain threatening clouds eventually moved on and it was absolutely gorgeous. I’d forgotten how much I love Walden. It rock solidly imbues a big-ass, amazing peace vibe. I can totes understand why good ol’ Henry D. spent two years, two months and two days here in such gorgeous solitude.

Ten and Henry D.

We should be blessed if we lived in the present always, and took advantage of every accident that befell us… and did not spend our time in atoning for the neglect of past opportunities, which we call doing our duty. We loiter in winter while it is already spring.

~ Henry David Thoreau from “Spring,” Walden

Today is Ten’s last here in Valhalla. I’m experiencing my usual sadness and separation anxiety. Actually, it began a couple days ago but I decided to put that shit away on a high, back shelf. Why, while he’s happily here, drown with sadness that he won’t always be? Makes no bloody sense.  I DO feel guilt (remember? That’s my superpower) that I wasn’t in grand, peak form while he was here. I thought I’d be completely recovered and we’d be gallivanting all over New England, taking hikes through the Blue Hills and along Nantasket, hitting more of the Harvard museums, chillin’ and snarfing in the North End and, just generally, whooping it up.

Ten, on the other hand, had a greater sense of reality (yur shocked right – wut, no?) and told me that he’d come to help me heal. CHRIST ON A CALLIOPE I LOVE THIS MAN!

We’ll be together again in May when we go to the Redwood National Forest in Northern California. I’m gonna rehab the shit outta myself (official rehab starts on Tuesday) and be in brill, MUCH less tippy shape by then so’s we can hike around all those majestic beasties!