Ricky and I do a lot of walking—at least 30 minutes every day and often much longer. To keep things interesting and fresh, we like to walk around town and in different spaces. One of our favorite places to go these days is the Jemison Park Trail in Mountain Brook.
From June 2023 until February 2024, this park underwent a massive renovation. Now, the trails are wider and more extensive, and there are more benches and picnic areas along the way. It is also now part of the Freshwater Land Trust’s Red Rock Trail System, which consists of 129 miles of trails throughout the Greater Birmingham area.
But for the traffic sounds from Mountain Brook Parkway, the Jemison Park Trail would be perfect. Oh, and a nice restroom would be the cherry on top of the nature trail sundae.
But, despite the traffic noise, you can see a shocking amount of wildlife in the park and around Shades Creek. I particularly love to see the great blue herons tiptoeing through the shoals in search of unsuspecting fish.
Just the other day, we saw bluebirds, pine warblers, and a downy woodpecker. In the past, we’ve seen a great red-tailed hawk sitting on a branch so close to the trail that we felt as though we could reach out and pet it, although I don’t recommend doing that at all.
Since spring has sprung in just the last few days, the Jemison Park Trail is lined with wildflowers. Trillium, lesser celandine (is there a greater celandine?), violets, and Virginia spring beauty cover the understory, while redbuds, dogwood, and all sorts of trees are showing off their new blooms and foliage. It’s a real treat to see right now.
Very often, I post pictures on my Instagram account (@audreyoutloud) of the things I see when I’m walking—mainly interesting trash, lost items, and the occasional pair of drawers. About once a week, someone asks me how I see all the things I post. The answer is that I keep my eyes open.
I don’t walk with earbuds in my ears. I rarely talk on the phone while I’m walking. I don’t walk staring at a screen. (I see countless people walking while scrolling on gorgeous days, completely missing out on all the beauty around them!)
I spend my time outside observing and enjoying my surroundings. I listen for the birds, smell the flowers, and see beauty where others might see garbage—or nothing at all. I try to be as present in the moment as I can be.
That’s how I see so many things, and that’s how you can see all the things too!
Now I need to ask you for a favor. I’ve been thinking about what I want this space to be – what YOU might want to hear from me. Let me know your thoughts in the comments, please.
Food, drinks, music, creative writing, art, trash, creativity, crocheting, all of the above, and/or something completely different – I’m open to anything that keeps us connected and entertained.
Until next time, stay curious!
Audrey
I love your mindfulness. So many of God’s gifts out there to enjoy if we just use our senses.
I went out there today instead of Lakeshore, my usual destination. I have seen that hawk perched just off the trail (and also killing something on the ground in front of a crowd of people). Also stepped over a copperhead one day on the new trail across the creek.