Riverdale Trail At Night

The last week or so I’ve been full to overflowing with the need to be creative. Tonight I hauled my camera out with me when I left for work, and after work I drove around for a minute trying to decide where I was going to snap a few photos and get that bug out of my system.

I headed home from work on the side streets, but every single light turned yellow then red when I got close to it, so I jumped back on the freeway and skidaddled for home. Then I remembered there is a simple path just off the exit that has always been easy and pleasant but not very photogenic at night, or so I thought.

Right when you start walking North, there is a small tunnel that goes under a 2 lane road. Tonight, it looked like a portal to where ever against the dark night sky and shadows of trees.

I walked a little ways past this tunnel with the idea to get to the “long” tunnel under 31st street, but I started to get the “feels” about stuff around me and decided to spin around and walk back to the car. Before I spun around I tried to get a picture of the train yard through the trees, I failed, but there is a set of car lights zipping through the image, so that’s fun.

I don’t know why I felt like I should turn around; I used to never get those feelings. I thought about that a little bit on my walk back, and the only thing I can think has changed since a few years ago with all of my night hikes, is that I am happier now. I guess, in a way, before, walking and hiking at night wasn’t so uncomfortable feeling because I cared less about if anything bad happened or not.

I am happy to get home now. I look forward to seeing Jamie and Indy every day at the house. I enjoy my time at home with them, and I guess that is a good thing in more ways than it isn’t. I worry that now that I am “fat and happy” my health isn’t as good, I don’t get out like I did, and I scratch that creative bug a lot less than I used to. This blog used to be on the daily (most of the time), and a night hike was just something I did after work.

There is no reason I shouldn’t still go out and do photography at night. There isn’t anything stopping me from taking a hike, or walk with my camera after work, but I feel a sense of urgency “?” (is that the word), to get home and “be” with those I care about.

I don’t know. I am happy, way too fat, and I can literally feel my health decline, but I am in a good place emotionally. How do you get healthy and happy at the same time?

Asking for a friend.

~me