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There are so many things I enjoy doing outdoors.
Nature Walks and Light Hiking. That is to say, I’m happy to walk or hike for a few hours, but I wouldn’t want to do it for multiple days or weeks in a row like some of my relatives do! I like coming home to my warm, soft bed at the end of the day. LOL.
Bird watching. I will also happily watch squirrels, dogs, and just about any other animals that cross my path.
People watching. Humans are fascinating. I love observing how we interact with one another when it’s possible to watch strangers in socially-appropriate ways.
Bicycling. It’s been ages since I did this, but I do enjoy bike rides quite a bit. They’re even more interesting if you can do them somewhere quiet and close to nature.
Canoeing. My last canoe trip happened even longer ago than my last bicycle ride, but there is something incredibly peaceful about skimming over a calm pond or lake in a canoe.
Going to the Beach. I especially enjoy building sand castles and walking up and down the pier there.
Swimming in Chlorinated Water. I prefer swimming in places where I know there isn’t anything sharp or slimy at the bottom of a pool. Occasionally, I will swim in a lake, pond, or ocean, but I try to wear protective footwear in those cases.
No, I’ve never had a terrible experience with getting cut or bitten or anything. It simply weirds me out to unexpectedly touch things with my feet in cloudy water.
Picnics. It’s so relaxing to me to pack or buy a meal and then eat it outside on a nice day. Somehow, food tastes a little better when the wind ruffles my hair and I can see birds flying by.
Visiting Cemeteries. Does anyone else enjoy reading headstones and seeing how the art and inscriptions on them has changed throughout history? Cemeteries are such peaceful places, and they’re generally filled with a lot of nature to observe as well if you remain quiet and alert.
I’m with you on being in water. A pool is where I swim. You have wonderful range of outdoor activities.
Thank you!
I have really missed picnics! It’s not something I would have expected — they weren’t a common occurrence before COVID, but eating outdoors in the sunshine with friends and family just sounds really good right now.
I hope you get to have a picnic sometime soon. 🙂
We’re so lucky the lake near us is spring fed and clear. Like you, I don’t want anything touching my feet…. ::: shudder :::
My kid loves going to cemeteries. We live in New England, so there are PLENTY of those (even just small random ones that pop up in someone’s yard).
The cemeteries in New England are amazing! I explored a few many years ago.
And I’m glad you get my aversion to touching things in cloudy water.
Cemeteries are a great place also to learn history, and how a place has evolved. Love the birdwatching.
Yes, absolutely!
Okay, so a profound “Yes!” to everything you mentioned, but especially to cemeteries. The one where my mother is buried is in a particular part of Tennessee whence my father’s side of the family hails, and it’s one of the most gorgeous places on Earth; I really ought to do a post with photos of it. Hopefully this image link works.
Oh, that’s so cool! No pressure, but I’d love to read that post if/when you have the time to write it.
It’s nice to be close to nature. I like your activities.
Thanks!
Yes, I went today to a cemog that is more than a century old!
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/directory_record/453/handsworth_cemetery
It was built for white British people (strictly divided between Anglicans and non-Anglican Protestants) and, strictly separated from them, Irish Catholics, and slightly later other Catholics. ( I am an ex-Catholic and when I see a grave saying ‘Of your charity, please pray for the soul of…’ I always do, and feel ‘this person is one of ours’ even though i in fact stopped believing & practising decades ago).
There is now at Handsworth a Rastafarian section and a Muslim section, which is almost full as that group have sadly been dying from covid far more than most others.
I was also in Poland two years ago and was buying food for our family group to eat for Easter. The market was next to a cemog and it was bizarre to me, seeing candles, pictures of saints, and other items on sale that are almost unknown.
I am used to something a lot more staid so those places were fascinating.
Oh, that is so cool! Thank you for sharing your experiences there. They sure sound like interesting places to visit.
I feel bad for the Rastafarians and Muslims in your area. Covid-19 is truly awful. I hope you and your family are doing okay.
Excellent list. Canoeing and biking are my favorite outdoor activities. I find them both so relaxing and peaceful, especially biking out at the National Park near my house, which has Civil War battlefields and just so many interesting sites to take in.