The View from the Window

The View from the Window
            Instead of photographing hiking trails this past weekend, I made a long-delayed visit to the Upstate New York home I grew up in. I was visiting my dad, the person who taught my brothers and me how to swim, hike, set up a campsite, chop wood, and build a fire. There was no such thing as a marked trail to follow around our house. Dad showed us how to follow natural paths that wended through nearby fields, forests and creeks.
            My father’s mobility now limited, we shared much of our visit time talking and watching movies. Behind the TV is a large picture window featuring a familiar view from my childhood: deep green trees looming in the foreground against a bright blue sky and high white clouds in the background.
            “I’ve enjoyed the view out this window all these years, but I appreciate it more and more each day,” my father said out of the blue. “One summer, for whatever reason, there were thousands of fireflies, more than I’ve ever seen, glowing past the window. It was magical.”
            We can find an uplifting bit of nature without going far: a sunset view from a window, a flower growing in an unexpected corner, a ladybug landing on a shirtsleeve.
            Outdoor time can increase health and happiness for all of us, regardless of how we engage with it. My autistic son needs communication and logistical support, but he has no trouble climbing steep, rocky trails. For some nature lovers, physical restrictions require choosing flat trails without rocks or roots to trip over.
            Since I was off my hiking routine this week, I’m sharing a new World Walk contributed by fellow nature walks enthusiast Marjorie Turner Hollman, a kindred spirit who shares East Coast walks geared for those who need gentler trails. (See her website https://marjorieturner.com and her series of Easy Walks books.) Her new World Walks share is about Acadia National Park, Mt Desert and Schoodic Peninsula, an area offering many trails in Maine’s famous Acadia National Park.
            Whether largely housebound, requiring extra guidance, or navigating the outdoors using supportive equipment, we can all find a way to enjoy nature. Keep putting one foot forward, even if it’s by leaning forward in a chair to get a better view out a picture window!
            Do you have a favorite walk? Share with readers in World Walks! Two or three sentences and photos allow other readers to share your special hike. See the World Walks link for how to submit your walk to share. It’s easy!
 
This week’s featured hike contributed from a reader:
(World Walks): Acadia National Park, Mt Desert and Schoodic Peninsula
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes and photo galleries via the main Hikes page or the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite walks from readers! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
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