There's nothing like a walk in the park...

...to raise your spirits.

Today the air is warm and wet. Grey sky and a strong wind carries the smell of fallen leaves. The weather is too good to miss. I head up to the park.

Central park reservoir – happy memories of high school track practice, back when I was in great shape and could tell stories, laugh, and sing while running…a silver lake in the middle of Manhattan…rimmed with a muddy track and acorns crunching underfoot.

A tiny bird hops among the acorns, yellow brown and so small it’s a pair of shiny black eyes with feet. Allows me to come within touching distance – brave for such a little fellow.

A bridge beckons so I turn and cross over. A firy red maple tree in the distance, and the ancient Egyptian obelisk rises up, incongruous with the office buildings just outside the park. What is this doing here?

The path forks – I choose a right heading down and around a bend. A squirrel is running down a tree headfirst, but stops to listen. Suddenly the wind whirls, fallen leaves spiralling up and up. The squirrel runs for cover. I step into the noisy swirl and am alone under a dark pine.

Heavy low clouds are moving fast, high up there are patches of blue. Golden sun suddenly slants through the trees. I come to the part of the park called “the Ramble”.

I make random choices right and left and suddenly realize I’m on a spit of land with water on either side, willow trees growing sideways out of the water and draping their curtains of green, gold in the sun.

Walking on, I come to “Strawberry Fields”. I climb a hill through the trees and music is sifting through. “Love Love Me Do” a guitarist sings - doing a pretty good Beatle voice - and there in the center is the “imagine” mozaic decorated with flowers, pumpkins, and a ukelele with a peace sign, surrounded by reverent tourists.

Well, the ShivLing Fellowship has split up and I am the lone adventurer in the west. I seek my fortune, lodgings, and magical remedies. Along the way I encounter strange folk. Happy Halloween everybody.