Day #30!!!!!! - April 18, 2017

What a gorgeous day to end my journey!  I'll be back for a visit in October. Thanks Walden Pond for this opportunity to focus on changes and beginnings and the beauty of all.

Day # 29- April 14, 2017

I walked today by myself.  I took some time to just sit in the sun and be.  It felt nice to do as I listened to sounds around me of little children laughing and bluejays calling and airplanes in the distance.  I found a feather floating and watched a pair of cormorants diving for food.  A very pleasant morning.  Only one more trip to Walden Pond left on this journey.

Day #28- April 13, 2017

A slight brisk breeze kept the bugs at bay this morning. It was a beautiful walk, especially when the sun appeared occasionally from the overcast sky. Green is starting to appear around the pond and I can imagine how different it will look when the trees have leaves and the grasses are tall but I'm sure I won't see the change in the next few days. 

Day # 27- April 12, 2017

There is now lots of evidence of people having been at Walden Pond- children's beach toys left behind, sandcastles, sticks used as fishing pole holders, litter, footprints. We saw lots of fish today but not the orange carp we saw yesterday.  There were many schools of different sized minnows along the swim area and even two painted turtles.  In two of the coves we spotted groupings of rainbow trout, just hanging out.  There were no fishermen in those coves so they chose wisely.  I hope they get to enjoy a little freedom and adventure before they become someone's dinner.

Day #26- April 11, 2017

Walden Pond has been transformed by the 84 degree weather today.  There are fishermen everywhere along the shoreline. (Apparently yesterday's boats were stocking it with rainbow trout.)  There is a group of young men playing music and hitting rocks into the pond with sticks.  There are mothers with little children playing on the beach, a large extended Chinese family walking along the path, a couple sitting on the water's edge.  Pete and I took a canoe out after our walk. It was great to be on the water again.  We saw two 3-ft orange carp in Thoreau's cove! A woman joined us on the water doing yoga on a stand-up paddleboard.  Another woman appeared in a kayak.  We had a picnic lunch on the shoreline. Two men jumped into the water.  Briefly. The pond came alive with people today, all enjoying the outdoors in their own way.

Day #25- April 10, 2017

Shadows are long today and plants are beginning to explode from their long winter's sleep.  Pussy willows are out now,  joining the colt's foot's yellow flowers.  Two motorized boats were out on the water today but they were very quiet.  I found two sets of footprints in the water- one racoon and one human, both barefoot. Parents with their babies have begun to arrive at Walden Pond.

Day #24- April 7, 2017

There was so much rain last night and it dissolved all the remaining snow.  It has brought up the pond level quite a bit and caused some erosion along the banks.  The clouds are moving so fast and are so beautiful against the blue sky. 

Day #23- April 6, 2017

The weather is invigorating today. It's fascinating to watch the water react to the impact of the cold rain dramatically hitting the surface. It's hard to really see it because there is so much happening all at the same time your eyes don't know where to look. The many glacial rocks on the shoreline displayed their beautiful colors and patterns today. A flock of tree swallows swam close to the water's surface getting their fill of the flying bugs that have begun to emerge.

Day #22- April 5, 2017

 My company today included a group of artists painting the vantage point from Thoreau's cove, an osprey making a racket flying back and forth across the pond, and the regular hopeful fisherman. As I was walking along the water's edge I kept noticing how the waves had created such interesting ridges in the sand and the dark organic matter had collected in them creating what looked like claw marks or dramatic brush strokes.

 The organic matter had also accumulated on top of the white sand in the cove in a way that made the sand look liked clouds in the reflection of the trees. There were many special pieces of art created that day.

Day #21- April 4, 2017

April showers bring May flowers.  The water level at Walden Pond has gone up a couple of inches since I first started coming here, though it has a long way to go to return to what it used to be.  Rainy and 37 degrees and Pete still came for my walk with me after he returned last night from Florida where it was 87 degrees and sunny!

Day #20- April 3, 2017

Wow, it felt like SPRING today! Fifty degrees, warm sun, birds singing, fresh spring smells! Several things caught my eye today.  The water was so clear and still that leaves and sticks floating on it seemed to be suspended in the air. I also found some really beautiful dirt and scum art!