My shady morning walk is called forest bathing.  I walked in cool-ish morning air. The weather finally broke yesterday morning. It had been hot and humid for the past several days. The temperature stayed in the 90s. Yesterday, we had a respite. It only reached 83 degrees.

So, I took a walk, along a busy road I usually travel. Cars zoomed by, going 50 on a 40 mile per hour stretch of road. I speed by on this road several times a week. But I miss walking it.

When I walk it, I notice the shade and the gently rolling hills. I stop to peer into the forest that edges the shallow creek that winds over rocks and dives beneath the road to emerge on the other side.

A shady morning walk in a shady grove

Many animals use this creek for food and drink.

I watch the birds as they stand in the small pools of the creek and dip their heads as they sip.  The squirrels jump from rock to rock as they drink from the winding water. Cool, clear.

This small swallow creek, feeds into the Schuylkill River, into the Delaware River and finally into the sea. The water I gaze into will spill out into Delaware Bay and mingle with the salty drops of the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time being and becoming the sea.

I miss all this as I speed by in my car. But by walking, I hear the sounds, smell the smells and feel the breezes as they brush against my face.

Henry David Thoreau was right. Walking, soothes the soul.

More on Walking and Trees

Forest Bathing: 15 Minutes to Good Health

Paris Lessons: Street Trees and Strolling in the Shade

Choosing Street Trees (Philadelphia and the MidAtlantic)

List of Native Trees for Philadelphia (Street Trees)