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This is my take on a lil' walk through a piece of the past I experienced on this sunny Saturday in McKinney, Texas... I like to explore the world around me in my car. I think ya’ll’d feel the same if you just got out on the roads and tried it yourself. You never know what you may find. One thing I found was Erwin Park (Mapsco 260 F). I was just drivin’ west on 380 from 75, saw the brown signs and followed them right to those rolling hills and meadows that I will always return to.
meadows that I will always return to. I hope my fellow hiking companions feel the same way now after our walk… We didn’t start walking till about ten after eleven because most of us miscalculated how long it would take to get there. The park is a little bit out of the way, which is part of its charm. We first headed towards the wide open meadow that forms the western boundary. The air was a pleasant 55 degrees, and within ten minutes we were taking off our windbreakers. The gentle breeze slightly chilled our sweat-dampened skin, but was easily offset by the warming rays of the sun. The endorphins kicked in and we started feeling that buzz of the outdoors we all love so much. We then turned south towards the creek which forms one of the eastern borders of the park. On this Saturday, 2-02-08, the lil’ creek was runnin’ dry. We haven’t been getting a whole lot of rain over the past couple of months and I fear another drought’s coming. I imagine though, drought or not in the days of yore, this particular creek, on account of the size of its banks, rarely, if ever, went dry. So, what would make it so on this sunny Saturday? Well, I ain’t no ecological expert and so I don’t know if what I am saying applies to this here creek, but, I do know that man has left his mark on this part of McKinney… See…grass, brush, trees and roots absorb rainwater like a sponge and leak it out at a nice, uniform rate unto the lowest lying areas of the terrain: a creek or a river. The more we rid a given area of land of its “natural sponge” – replacing it with a corn field is an example of this - the less the land is capable of absorbing rain water. So, when it rains, more water runs directly into the creek and it gets a little “flashier” or higher. Replace nature with a parking lot and you’ve got creeks that run high when it rains and run dry on sunny days. This particular creek, the thin blue line runnin’ right down the middle of Mapsco 260-F, was flowin’ nicely on January of ’07, the last time I was at Erwin Park. That January, if ya’ll remember, was literally the second rainiest January on record. I wished I had known then what I know in the above paragraph ‘cause I would have done a little more exploring on that day over a year ago… The trail through this part of Erwin Park meanders from along that creek to up the cedar-topped meadow hill, and then back and down, so on and so forth. I can see how others can lose their sense of direction here. I was having a conversation with Sherre (spelled with an “e” and pronounced like a “y”) on this particular matter and I told her I kinda’ like the feeling of getting lost. Now, I don’t want it to happen in the Amazon, but I don’t mind it so much within the confines of a park or preserve. It adds, along with the other sensualities of nature, a certain splendor to the walk. It makes where you are seem newer, as if you are seeing it for the first time. Better than losing your sense of place though, is losing your sense of time. Seriously, when you’re having fun, you lose all track of time; when you’re not, you don’t. And really, without getting’ too philosophical or psychological, that is the natural state of mind of a child. That is why children tend to be the happiest creatures on Earth. And, if I do say so myself, the smiles on everyone’s faces along the trail that day was demonstrating the renaissance of some of their inner children. That’s why I think happiness was abounding… And wouldn’t ya’ know it? I got lost. I’ve been on that dang trail I can’t tell you how many times. I have always known, more or less, exactly where I was. Yet, while leading a group of fifteen or so people, that first time for everything happened. My concern wasn’t that I wouldn’t be able to find my bearings once again – Erwin Park ain’t the Congo -, I just didn’t want to go scavenging for two or three stragglers while yelling at the top of my lungs to hone in on them. That would have been a buzz-kill. But, a minute later everyone appeared clustered together and I saw the tree line to head towards. We continued onward along the trail that winds like a serpent along a small dry creek which psychologically divides the park in two. Once out of the trees, the trail runs at the bottom of a big hill, atop which is the parking lot. I suddenly got the urge to go ahead of the group and run, like a super-stud Olympic sprinter, up the hill to take some photos of everyone walking by. I positioned myself and fired away liberally. I hollered at them to smile at the camera and everyone did just that. I really do feel a sense of joy in knowing that I am helping others feel it themselves. Sure, Mother Nature was doing most of the work that day, but, I like to think I had some small part in it… After taking some photos, I raced down the hill to join the group. I ended up talking with Ms Sheryl from Vancouver. As we walked and talked the trail, she made the point that the beaches, mountains and forests surrounding Vancouver (not on the Dallas Mapsco) make it a real paradise for outdoor fun. We of course had to contrast that to what DFW has to offer which, to most people in this megalopolis, is not a whole lot. That is inaccurate though. That fact of the matter is that there is a tremendous amount of outdoor adventure to be had in this land if you just know where to look. That is exactly where Dallas Wild Life comes into use: showing others the world of possibilities infinitely closer than you ever thought you had to look… I myself used to think that Texas was just not good enough. I thought I had to travel all over Europe or the American West to find the experiences, and the happiness, that my soul was cravin’. And I did those things and I am glad I did them. But, through ‘em all, I finally learned that what I really wanted was so simple. Sun is sun, sky is sky and water is water whether they are on Alpen trails, Hawaiian beaches or turquoise rivers flowin’ through cypress-lined, limestone banks deep in the heart of in the Lone Star State. People are people there too. You don’t need to spend a fortune and travel far away to experience those joy-inducing elements. You just need to know where to find them in the proper portions and places – which can all be close to home, even if your home is Dallas. I can’t see how or why it should be more complicated than that. My only regret to this lesson is that I did not learn it sooner. Oh well, better late than never. Plus, I think I am really enjoying trying to teach others these lessons through walks through woods and with words of walks through woods…like the ones you’re reading now… And this is only the beginning, folks…You’re going to have, whether you like it or not, a good spring, summer and fall. Heck, it’s still winter, and you’re gonna have a good rest of it too… So, as Ms Sheryl, the others and myself emerged from the cedars’ brush and vines along the trail right which, at this point, is next to the ol’ Horn Cemetery (Mapsco 260 B), we saw the others walking southward up a hill in the direction of the parked cars. Over two hours had passed and I think, like the week before on the Buckeye Trail, everyone was getting’ ready to end the walk. Ok…fine with me. I followed the herd back towards the cars but had to first stand atop the big hill in the center of the park. With my zoom lens I wanted to capture the size of the hills and the trees by juxtaposing hikers and bikers next to them. Not that those hills are huge, but, they do afford a view that encompasses at least ten miles of North Texas terrain – something ya’ don’t see every day. Heck, on a clear night, there ain’t a better place to watch the stars than right there on that hill…at least it used to be so before the lights of Dallas came a’ encroachin’… And so, we made it back to the parking lot and I snapped a couple more photos of the folks. I was happy that everyone else was happy too. We decided that we would walk Lake Grapevine next week. I am right now wondering what sort of words that experience will produce. After that, that’s it… Until the next time, Charlie PHOTOS FOR THIS BLOG ARE RIGHT HERE: http://ctorello62.myjalbum.net/Erwin_Park/ Last update : 20-02-2008 00:52
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