The weather's turned cooler lately, so I've started walking home again. Last December I tried walking from my office in the Registrar's Office back to my home in Stratford Hills. It was a pleasant walk, so I continued walking into February of this year.
I have never enjoyed walking or running. I seem to be missing a gene that the rest of my family enjoys. Both of my sisters run marathons. My parents walk regularly. Even my brothers walk or run. After abandoning the swim team in high school I spent three horrible years on the cross country team. Not only was I slow, but my feet always hurt after running.
Twenty years later, I now have orthotics that take care of my feet. I also have a walkman to listen to NPR or to a book on tape as I take my hour long trek. Walking is fun now.
In the cold of winter I am able to walk both to and from work. I got a new backpack that reflects car headlights in the dim mornings and dark evenings. I even bring along a flashlight/lantern for some of the darkest parts of my trip.
My trip has three parts of equal length. The first third of the trip is from my new office in Maryland Hall across the university campus, through the River Road shopping center, to the edge of the Hugenot bridge. Since moving to Maryland Hall, I'm not sure whether it's quicker to cross in front of the Commons building, or to walk around the back of the steam plant, by Facilities and the Print Shop. So far I have taken the path in front of the Commons, since it's more interesting. Once I'm past the fields, I walk by the apartments, and onto River Road. World Cup is gone: I used to enjoy getting a cup of coffee on a cold morning walk into campus. Now there's brown paper covering the windows. Still, I enjoy the smells from Azzuro, and a quick glance in a the toy shop as I walk over to the bridge.
The second third of the trip is across the Hugenot bridge. The bridge is old and a bit shaky. In places where the trees have limbs hanging over the road, the exhaust fumes from the cars during a busy rush hour are almost overwhelming. But then the sky opens up as I cross the creek (does it have a name?) and the railroad tracks. One time I managed to pass over the tracks just as the evening train was just about to pass under. I waived to the conductor of the train, who blew the train whistle in return. Other times I've crossed the bridge while car after car filled with coal extended in both directions as far as I can see.
There's a patch of woods after the tracks. Just since I started walking again this month I've seen a car door caught high in the branches of a tree. I wonder how the door got there: was it thrown there by the impact of a bad accident, or did someone toss the door away while rescuing someone from an accident? Just yesterday I saw another car door, down on the floor of the woods.
Before I reach the river there's a clearing. To my left I can see one of the houses on the edge of the river. This particular house is on stilts for those times when the river escapes its banks. Since living in Richmond Jean and I have always watched this house, especially during flooding. We've never seen the James River rise so high that it flooded the house itself.
After a few more trees I'm over the James River itself. These days the river is as low as I've ever seen it. The rocks that line the bottom of the river are clearly visible now; usually the water is so deep that even the tops of these rocks close to the bridge are not visible.
The best times to walk across the bridge are dawn and dusk. I prefer dawn, but it's only in the winter that I get to be on the bridge as the sun rises over the trees. There is something about the cold morning air, and the play of light in the morning that makes that time my favorite. Evenings are a close second. I get to see more of them, and some of the skies have been brilliant.
Last year I would get to the middle of the bridge just as Jean did: she'd started out from the house at about the same time I left my office, and we'd meet at the halfway point, which happens to be the center of the bridge. This year she and I have walked together across the bridge, but we haven't met as we did last year. Considering her extra load (baby is due in February), I'm happy that she can make the entire walk.
Once I'm across the bridge, there's a pleasant walk down Riverside Road, then through the neighborhood to the house. It's a happy walk from start to end, and I'm happy the days are cool enough to make the walk possible once again.
If you see me out there on the bridge, or on the road, say hello!
© 1998 Kevin J.T. Creamer