Notes from Being Outside

On Thursday, February 26, I went out for a run along the Trinity River and took a few photos for this blog post. If I were on Strava, maybe my followers would have enjoyed them. Since I’ve decided I don’t need another social media app in my life, they’ll live here instead - and in my camera roll. The Trinity trail always has someone on it - runners, cyclists, people walking their dogs, and occasionally someone riding by in one of those low-riding tricycle things with an American flag on the back. It’s one of those places where you almost always feel better after spending some time outside. The only awkward moment comes when I pass someone and think I might know them. There’s a brief period where I stare a little too long trying to figure it out and accidentally make eye contact, only to realize I’ve never seen them before in my life. At that point it’s too late, and I can only hope I never see that person again. One thing I noticed during this run was the sunlight cutting through the t...

Every evening at 5:00, my mom has the same routine. She walks over to her neighborhood pond with a Tupperware of duck food. And every evening at 5:00, the ducks and geese have the same routine too - they are already waiting.  One day while on a walk in her neighborhood, she noticed all the different kinds of ducks and geese in the water. She started her research there, looking into what was healthy for them to eat. She began visiting them periodically.  Eventually, my mom started recognizing and naming the birds. They all have different personalities. The little white ducks are always eager to walk right up. The larger geese tend to keep their distance. The ducks and geese seem to recognize her too. When she approaches the pond, they paddle their way toward the shore. As they waddle onto the grass, many of them wag their tail feathers - something ducks do when they’re excited or settling their feathers after a swim. They quack eagerly because they know exactly what time it is....

One of my favorite trees on TCU’s campus stands alone right outside of Sadler. Its dark barky trunk stretches upward before splitting into long branches. These branches reach out in every direction, like veins spreading across the sky. Its crown is wide and healthy, revealing whoever planted the tree chose a good depth. During the winter months, the branches are mostly bare. What remains is something just as beautiful to me: small twiggy branches draping downward under the weight of the seed pods.  Tree outside Sadler:    I took a second glance at this tree earlier this semester when I realized it reminded me of another place entirely.  Last year while studying abroad in Rome, I often took long walks along the Tiber River. The riverbanks were lined with tall plane trees. Bark peeled away, revealing smooth trunks beneath. Their branches stretched over the sidewalk and water, forming a canopy above the path. Even when bare in the winter, they gave the city a quiet live...