After the Mushroom Foray

The mushroom foray we went on was a really nice break from the normal classes of the week and definitely was something to look forward to. Such a pleasant time just stumbling through the forest with eyes wide open trying to find one of the things I love most ~mushrooms. It was bliss.

On another note...When we all were headed back home and back to campus most of the group got lifts back in cars. Cassie and I decided to walk back through the publicly accessible arboretum on the north side of Stone - across from where we held the foray.

The walk we had was full of interesting moments. We had a difficult time of finding the path through the forest, but were in no real rush (the best possible case for walks). Once we had found a path through some fairly thick brush, we stumbled upon a small lake with an island at the center. It was dead calm and the reflection of the other sides was nearly perfect on the glassy surface. A little further down the path we found a large patch of mushrooms, meters and meters across; a far larger grouping than we had found earlier. Lastly, we were walking along and saw through the brush two white tailed deer. We stared quietly at them as they stared back. They slowly turned to walk away and we followed, our paths parallel to theirs. The deer stalked through the forest for some time and we decided after a while to leave them be. Continuing along the path through the arboretum we eventually found the boardwalk that leads back to the entrance near East Residences.

I can honestly say that what we encountered on the short walk back home was unexpected, but I'm certainly glad Cassie and I decided to take a way home that neither of us was familiar with. Those kinds of walks tend to be the most rewarding.
This is a video of the deer we found along the path.

Bare

my feet, slightly less dirty after the rain

Today was admittedly a first for me. I mean, there has been times when Ive gone bare footed to be sure, but not for the entire waking day and certainly not while at school or in professional meetings.

This morning I guess the thought just crossed my mind that it might be fun to go a day without footwear; see how it felt, imagine what other people with no shoes must feel, to see if people noticed and just because it was looking beautiful outside. I started out with a meeting with my manager. She didn't notice until I got up to leave, she simply laughed and told me "typical Eco House move Paul". Mildred basically set the tone for the rest of the day as people commented on my lack of footwear. "Missing something?", "Doesn't it hurt?", and "You can't be in here without shoes" are some comments that immediately spring to mind. Of course there were some points during the walk at which I stepped on a stone or sharp crack in the pavement and it was momentarily uncomfortable. However, looking back, it was totally worth it.

After dinner, around 9:35pm, I went for another walk. This time through the arboretum...it was pouring. It wasn't as easy to see the ground this time, at night in the heavy deluge. However, it was very satisfying. The rain was not terribly cold like I half expected, but refreshing in a way. It cleaned the dirt off from the day's rambling and left me feeling refreshed and cleansed, if a little damp. This last walk of the day was a rather fitting conclusion in my mind.

It might sound silly, but I feel more aware of the textures of the campus, more in tune with the feeling of the ground. When your feet have nothing to encumber them there is more to experience, more to feel and it seems like there's more to life. You become acutely aware of where you shouldn't walk because of potential harm, where the feelings are pleasant and where they are not. This was a sort of off hand decision this morning, but it really turned into an eye opening experience. Going barefoot at home might just feel like giving your feet a breath of fresh air, but going bare for an entire day really transformed my idea of campus as well as the way I relate to my feet. Walking connects us to the environment and so changing a small aspect of the walking experience changes how we feel and see our world. Bare feet did just that for me.

Sitting here at the end of the day, my feet slightly numb with the built up sensations felt throughout today, I sit contented. I highly recommend it to all of you.

The Way Home

Today I decided upon a roundabout route home from a stroll through the Edinburgh woods. Listening to the Antlers on shuffle had prompted me to try something a little different; I wanted to have some fun. When the trees parted, the massive shopping complex containing the Canadian Tire, Futureshop and Zellers came into view. It was the latter most that caught my attention. It reminded me of a game my friend had once played in a Wal-Mart back home. So, I decided it was time to play a game of my own.

Upon entering the large department store, I went to home supplies and began rearranging items. This rearranging was not meant to turn into a sculpture or provoke any sort of societal commentary; I was trying to blend into the store as yet another young person working there....potentially as a "lifer". Then I was approached. Not by another employee, as they were busy texting their friends and discussing alternative means of employment. I was approached by a customer. This had happened to my friend back home whilst in a Wal-Mart doing the exact same thing; so I followed the advice he had so awkwardly bestowed upon me. I looked at the customer in the eye for a few seconds; it was an elderly woman wearing a blue sweater. I then preceded to spin in circles.

The woman stared at me for several more seconds, then began asking if I was alright. After about thirty or so seconds of inquiry into my well being, the thoroughly agitated woman turned around and walked away. Success. This game carried on through the next hour and a half and four people. One, a young mother and her little boy, two a middle aged man looking for the plungers, three a younger man about my age wondering where the shavers were and finally by another employee. Apparently I had been found out.

When the other Zellers employee approached me I was made aware of several complaints that had been made about me and my incessant spinning. As such, there was only one thing I could do. I spun as I had before. The employee stormed off shortly after, notifying me that I would be reported to the manager. After they had left I decided it was in my best interest to return home and start making soup for dinner.

Unfortunately, the whole thing was rather coincidental and I did not have my camera with me. I did however bought the loveliest glade spray can before I left. Clean Linen.

And that was how I got home today.