Smith Canal And Pixie Woods

 

“The river this November afternoon
Rests in an equipoise of sun and cloud:
A glooming light, a gleaming darkness shroud
Its passage. All seems tranquil, all in tune.” 

~Cecil Day-Lewis,

  The Complete Poems of C. Day Lewis

 

Smith Canal, across from where I live, is beginning to finally show it's colors. Mostly beautiful orange and tiny lemon drops of yellow Cottonwood. And there is a park that runs along Smith Canal, Lewis Park Pixie Woods, and it too is starting too burst with color! The trees look so lovely next to the boats and yachts across the canal. They are a dream come true for a leaf peeper like myself. Last Autumn was really stunning, so I have great expectations for this year, but last years atmospheric river did a lot a damage, I am crossing my fingers.

 

One New Year's eve last year, it was so rainy and windy I thought we might just blow away, and when I woke up to the news that Desmond road had flooded to the point that there was, in affect, no road to be seen, my heart broke. It was a couple months before things really got back to normal, forever in birding, and it left just Woodbridge road to do our birding on, but I have to admit, Woodbridge certainly provided plenty of birds! we got 40 birds in just 3 months on Woodbridge.

 

 Losing Desmond road was quite a blow, but I found out that my little park, just across the street, was pretty nifty for birding as well, so all was not lost! I'm going to explore the park a little more in the next few months. It's pretty there, but as someone once said, "Its a park in Stockton. Its great in the daytime, just don't go there after dark." LOL. Christmas day, 2021 began with the discovery of a dead body, lying on the end of the road, one street over, facing the park, was depressing and scary. Ugh. I had just got Covid, so it was all completely surreal. But I had just moved in, and moving was absolutely off the table!

 

 Two years later, I am happy in my condo, we have decorated it really nice, and best part of all, I feel grounded, safe and my situation is stable. Bad things happen everywhere. I will just do what I always do, be aware of my surroundings. I have a cell phone, and I am not afraid to us it. Plus I have Hubby to walk with me. Smith Canal is worth exploring, and explore I will! I know there will be a lot to photograph, and from there, exploring around Stockton will come next. The Old buildings.The University of the Pacific. The Miracle Mile. The Bob Hope Theater its all waiting, and doesn't that all sound fun?

 

Now someone give me the courage to climb out of my grieving. 

Please.

 

 

Stay Tuned.