Walking and Writing

The other day was the inaugural Walkwright for kids! There was a solid group of fine young observers and their parents. We started off on the trail under slightly cloudy skies, with just the right amount of nip in the air. The weekend had been cold, so thankfully the temperature had lifted a bit. We even got a bit of sun over the river for a minute. Right away, the kids (who may or may not have not been interested at first) ran ahead up the hill, over the leaves, up the rocks. We found walking sticks. We looked at lichen, tree bark, rocks, and even found some mushrooms that were still out, albeit a bit withered. The energy was high!

One of the things that I wondered was: can kids sit still and create for ten minutes? Even after all this energy, when we got to the quiet spot where we planned to write, the kids (and their parents) all settled down and were not only intent on their creations, but they could have gone longer. It filled my heart. Another query I had was: would everyone feel comfortable sharing their work? Sharing your work is not mandatory, but in my opinion it’s the most special part–a communion of sorts, if you will. Thankfully, most everyone agreed. It’s such a simple thing, said a friend, why don’t we do this more?

Indeed, why don’t we? If you are interested in walking and writing with me, sign up below to be notified of the next walk. I promise I won’t bombard you with emails. I’ll be doing this just a few times throughout the winter, some for adults and some for kids. I think winter is actually the best time to walk. At the end of the walk, we share some food I’ve made. This time there was apple cake, herbed quick bread with fermented ramps and garlic scapes, pickles and some delicious apple cider, if you need any more encouragement! If you would like more information, check the Walkwright page, or you can send me a question in the sign up below.

My very talented friend Charles Fetherolf captured me in my element at this walk! (Check out his work at @giantearthpress.)