We all want to see something new. Learn something new. Experience something new. Too often, though, we assign those discoveries to far-off places. A vacation in another state or country. A show in the city. A mountain that takes all day to reach. There’s simply not enough time in the week, or the year, to get to see and do all the things we may want to do.
Taking What the Week Gives You
This week, I’ve been unable to get myself up to the north country. There’s just been too much to do. Too many responsibilities at home and at work. Whatchyagonnado? I’m so fortunate that I can usually slip out for a mountain every week or so, I can’t complain for a second. I’m blessed to have such great flexibility in my schedule.
But not being able to go somewhere big or farther away, doesn’t mean I can turn off my explorer switch. My curiosity gets me feeling fidgety if my mind or body isn’t filled with some new development. Some new learning. So, this week, while not being able to go far, I’m still prioritizing my health and my need to wander by exploring some of the trails within twenty minutes of my home. It gives Bullet and me a chance to stretch our legs and see some places we’ve been overlooking.
New Trails, New Learnings
On Wednesday we hit two trails we’ve never explored before: the Josiah Parker Trail and the Corn Crib Trail, which link up to a couple of other trails managed by the Amherst Conservation Commission. I’ve been aware of the Josiah Parker Trail for years, but I got so used to my regular haunts, I failed to take the two minutes it would take to find out how long it was and the best way to approach it. Silly me.
And what did I learn? Well, the Josiah Parker Trail is one of the most fern-draped paths I’ve discovered in southern New Hampshire. It’s well-kept, and it looks like maybe horses are ridden there, because I saw a lot of old horse manure on the trail. I debated whether they were bear scat at first, because the clumpings were smaller than fresh manure, but they were old, so I figured maybe they dried up, or it was from a pony. It could have been bear scat, but this expert tracker is going with horse poop. Nevertheless, I clapped my hands a few times to make sure no bears were around.
So many ferns on the Josiah Parker and Corn Crib trails.
The Corn Crib
But the better thing I learned was that the Corn Crib I’ve driven by a million times is accessible by trail. I love this corn crib and have always wanted to get a better look at it and know more about it. But when I arrived, there wasn’t any sign telling me who built it or how old it was. There was nothing but a path, generously mowed so I could get a better look at it. Getting to stand near it and fully observe it, rather than blowing by it on the road, prompted me to think more on its design and ask a simple question: Exactly why is it shaped like that?
Turns out the design is intended to facilitate the drying process of sheared corn, ensuring that it doesn’t go bad during storage. And yes, they actually do store corn in these! So simple. Seemed obvious when I looked it up, but I certainly didn’t know that beforehand. And I never would have looked it up had I not explored a new trail that happened to take me there and give me a chance to really consider it.
Makes me wonder what else I’m missing that’s closer to home.
“Do you ever get the feeling there’s something going on we don’t know about?”
– from the movie Diner
The Corn Crib in Amherst, NH