Late Summer Walks

It took a few weeks for me to get the kids out on daily walks but then I got the courage up to go out and explore our new neighborhood. At first glace it seems there is nowhere to go but the streets are strange here, winding, stopping and starting and it turns out we can walk a lot of places. Our normal walk is about 7 blocks down the street to the community garden. We hope to get some beds there next spring but for now we have been going and helping with the last few harvests for the food bank. 

The kids are so full of energy and I love how they want to take their costumes with them. It must feel more magical and like they have somewhere to go all dressed up. I have been enjoying learning the new plants that grow around us here. I have been finding the oak, and nut trees. The kids loved the black walnut down the street. They picked them and I would smell them. Most people don't know how to harvest their black walnuts and we used to try at our old house as we knew where two large trees were. It never worked out well for us and for me if it isn't relatively easy I am not going to bother. 

We can walk down to the garden, or we can turn and go under the overpass and go into a completely different neighborhood just a few blocks away. There are a few places to pick berries and there is a huge stand of Comfrey in our front yard. I had the opportunity to take some boxes down to the garden and harvest as many Roma tomatoes as I wanted but I am trying to lighten my plate. I am going to miss home canned tomato sauce this year but I just need some time to rest and focus on what is most important after selling our last house that almost worked me to death. 

So all in all this has been good. For the most part our neighborhood is nice and it is so much calmer than our last. I am missing all the old picturesque houses and trees but to feel safer and not stressed about getting hit by cars is a really good thing.