Friday is an interesting day. We usually had a missionary correlation meeting on Fridays but the ward mission leader decided on Thursdays from here on……well, that means we have to change our routine and at this age a change of routine is or can be a hurdle to negotiate. So, with the Thursday event over, we had Friday evening to ourselves. Now, what to do? What to do?
Bill went to the YMCA and I went walking. I wanted to walk to Hallowell to the quilt shop, but we had to stop at the Fed EX to drop off the shuttle and that used up the time plus walking to Hallowell is no easy task from the YMCA and I got to the quilt shop 5 minutes after they closed. No reason to stay around I suppose. The staff were lining out the grounds for a LaCrosse game as I crossed the field to the walking path. It was nice walking because there was a light wind blowing and it was cool but not uncomfortable.
As I set out on the path I crossed the rusty railroad and headed for Hallowell, buoyed with the hope that the quilt shop would still be open and so I was walking very fast. A sign caught my eye that had not been observed before, “Annie's Overlook”. I took note of it and planned to go see what it was on the way back.
Because of the recent rains, the weeds are abundant and high. A couple came onto the trail through the weeds. First the man came and then a lady using a walking stick and seemingly having a difficult time getting feet, stick and weeds taken care of so that she could get to the trail. The man looked at me and said “Good Day”. His tone of voice sounded strange to my ear but then all of us are “from away” and there are many accents in this town. However, I do not think that English is his native language. His companion looked tired and somewhat beaten by the world and struggling. He offered her his hand but she refused. I continued on to Hallowell, and the shop was closed so I looked for a phone number and found none……….
I took pictures of the beautiful trees there – laden with blossoms and the river was flowing really fast. One the way back I looked at my phone for the time and saw that I had used too much time going down the trail so I decided to jog. I have no idea how to jog – and I must have looked really funny to anyone who saw me. Some people passed me up bounding along like Gazelles – they were much younger as well.
I came to Annie’s Overlook , checked my time, and saw that I had about 10 minutes. So I entered the path to the river overlook and to my surprise there was the couple I had seen earlier. The man seemed quite friendly but his companion did not speak. She looked very tired and worn out by life. He said they were there to experience the serenity of the area and serene it was. I took a couple of pictures of the river from the vantage point, but there was a big tree right in the place where I needed to have clear view. He said that it was a good place to take pictures and I agreed. He then asked me to take his and his companions picture. She was not interested in having her picture taken, but as I looked into her face she turned and I tried to read her feelings in her eyes. My heart reached out to her and I ached for her because she seems to have had a hard life – not only her eyes, but her hair style and clothes also told me that it has been a long time since she had a pleasant experience. Her companion seemed quite affable, but there was a backpack and her walking cane between them and such separation seemed to disturb the peace of the situation. The man had clear blue eyes and an open face and an air of kindness about him. I took my pictures and left them to themselves, to participate in the serenity around them and to recapture whatever peace they needed for the day.
Back at the YMCA, Bill was just finishing up his routine. As I was walking out, I peeked into the Gym where they had set up for the Senior’s Prom – Senior Citizens that is. One of the ladies who regularly manned the desk in sweatpants and tennis shoes and loose tee shirt, was standing there at the door wearing a beautiful black chiffon dress that had beading around the bottom edge ofo each tier of chiffon. That was quite a contrast from her earlier appearance and the attire of the couple at Annie’s Overlook.
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