Canal Road Treasures

This week is about getting grounded. Today on my walk with Jack, my beautiful blond German Shepard, I chose to collect something from nature to connect with. I knew what I wanted to collect before I got out of the door. Snake Grass. It grows along the canal near my house. The canal has stopped running but the grass still grows. This time of year it really takes on the appearance of a snake. The colors turn from green to orange to yellow. It grows in clumps and pulls apart in sections. It is hollow and the tips are pointed. It smells earthy and a little sweet. It looks a little like miniature bamboo stalks. It reminds me of Monroe Utah where I lived with my parents behind my Grandma and Grandpa's house. My walk was reminicent of being a kid in this small town. The dirt road, the smells of the earth and the plants that grow along the banks of the canal.

Today I felt like a kid again as Jack followed me along the road as I carried home the treasures I had collected on my adventure. I am sure my Grandpa Joe was walking next to me. I could hear myself say "I love our walks, don't you?" as if he were right there. A deep contented sigh escaped me as I felt my heart swell to feel him so near.  As I came through my front door, I almost expected to see my mother in the kitchen, ready to ask me where I had been so that I could tell her all about my adventure, what I had found and how cool it was.

MIssion accomplished. I felt grounded, connected to the earth, and to my familial roots. I connected with my inner child and reveled in the freedom of high adventure along the canal road with Jack at my heels. I would reccomend this simple exercise to anyone who is feeling disconnected from family and tradition especially at this time of year when the holidays are upon us. So for the many who are far from family or close to family but are not feeling so close, take a walk down the canal road and find a treasure you can take home to mom.