Field note · Autumn

After the rain

The best part of a familiar walk is discovering that it is never quite the same walk twice.

The rain stopped just beyond the last houses. Beneath the trees the path was dark, and the air carried the clean smell of wet bark. There was no dramatic view to reach, only a line on the map that circled a low ridge.

On days like this, distance becomes less interesting than detail: water gathering at the edges of leaves, a pale strip of sky through the canopy, the sound of boots changing as gravel gives way to soil.

Leave a little space in the plan. It is often where the useful part of the day happens.

A note for next time

The northern side dries slowly. A light waterproof layer was useful even after the weather cleared, and the sheltered bench near the turn made an easy place to pause.

The return was shorter than expected. By then the clouds had lifted just enough to give the hills a little colour.

From the notebook: overcast, mild wind, one long stop for tea.