For the past 5 years, my ride in to work has been all beautiful back roads through Wolcott, Cheshire and Hamden. For so long I hated my commute but i've grown to love this one.
The houses are beautiful and i love to see how they are decorated during the different seasons and holidays. I have my favorites of course, the ones i fantasize about what it would be like to live in, and how I would decorate and the parties I would have. Its not even the big huge expensive (although i believe they are ALL expensive) homes that attract me. It's the different ones. The ones that you can't tell what the layout is from the outside. You just know there are cozy nooks in that house. One of my favorites is located on a tight curve and it is nestled right into it. One of the trees on the road has wooden arrows pointing in all different directions with the names of cities all over the country painted on them. They had that up BEFORE pinterest. And the rest of the house and yard look like someone who really loves their home lives there. It looks cozy, warm, inviting. Friendly. I love to drive by that house.
The other thing i see and have grown to take comfort in the familiarity of is two men. One used to walk his dogs (3 or 4 depending) while he goes through peoples trash cans. He lives in a huge red house (I've seen him sitting in the yard with the dogs) but he walks around trash picking. This isn't a poor area. If he's living in that house, i'm thinking he has no need to pick. So I always wonder about him - is he a hoarder? Extremely frugal? Nosy? He has wild long white hair and a matching beard, but he doesn't look homeless. More like a hippie. Maybe he's recycling. Recently I've started seeing him on a bike, no dogs. I felt sad the first time i saw him without the dogs. I hope they are okay.
The other man I don't see as often but when i do I get so excited. He walks the cheshire path and he has the determined look on his face, he's almost marching, and swinging his arms - he hits, not slap, not touch, not swipe, HITS the post as he walks around it to go back in the other direction down the path. I see him at a crossroad. It's his turn back point. And he isn't playing around. He is Half Way and he is making it real. Why does this tickle me so much? Because i do the same damn thing. Before the walking trail was brought all the way around Woodtick Reservoir I would have to pick a side to walk on. If i went on the shady side through the woods (which i usually did because thats my favorite part) I would walk right up to the end at the road and hit a rock that i HAD to walk around before i could head back in the other direction. I know what he feels. I don't know him.
So weird that my personal life is the exact opposite of that statement. I do know him, I had no idea what he felt. Not for lack of trying.
So I did get to see the season change to fall, and drive down all the roads where you can't see sky because the trees meet each other over the road. I did get to enjoy my views and take in the beauty of my morning ride. I did get to see The Sleeping Giant every morning, usually misted although through a bunch of netting put up to stop the golf balls from shooting on to Whitney Ave.......It is still majestic. And I have hiked it several times. I may again, but it won't be the same, and that's okay.
I feel like i'm saying goodbye to something I loved. Silly, as it's "just" a ride, and duh, I can drive down it any time I want. It just won't be my commute. My time of day to appreciate the beauty in nature AND man made buildings. I've had so many peaceful happy trips down these roads.
And now I will find new ones.
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