Author: Layne Rodney

Well, it has been a challenging winter so far.  Let’s see, Cold temperatures, Lots of snow, unplowed sidewalks. I could go on. However, I survived and I was able to walk every day.

Some days I only walked a few miles. There were a few days when I was able to walk eight miles or more. But I walked even in the snowstorms

There were many highlights. I actually got used to the cold weather. Ten degrees almost felt normal. With all the walking in the snow and ice I only fell once during the season. Many close calls though.

One thing happening from the snow was there lots of coins to be found when the snow melted from the sidewalks.  The dime is now the coin that I find the most.  The penny is disappearing.

After the last storm with so much snow, the town started to remove snow from the sidewalks.

Here is where a lot of snow was deposited. How long do you think the snow will last there?

My answer is April 15^th.

The good news is most plants need a cold spell to reset themselves. This spring and summer should be great for the plants and flowers.

When I tell people that I walk on average ten miles a day. They always ask what do I do in the winter?

My answer always was I am good to go down to five degrees Fahrenheit with the sun out.

Yesterday it was ten degrees and sunny and I could not walk outside. The wind was thirty miles an hour, and it just sucked the heat out of my body. I thought I was used to windchill, however at that speed it was way too much.

Hopefully the cold weather will abate by the end of next week. Winter is tough and this winter has been extremely challenging.

This week was probably the most challenging one I have had to walk.

Sunday was the snowstorm. I did walk for a while in the storm. I almost froze my fingers as I used an umbrella to keep the snow off me.

Monday, I had to clear the snow with my snowblower. It was cold and other than doing my neighbor’s driveway I did not walk.

Tuesday and Wednesday I clocked most of my few miles walking through Stamford Mall. Between the cold and snow on the sidewalks it was very hard walking.

Today Saturday was the only good day. I walked nine miles. Three miles was the mall the rest was outside. I believe my body is getting used to the cold weather. The cold weather did not bother me that much.

It looks like the cold weather will be around for at least another week. Will the snow ever melt?

The only silver lining is the plants should do very well this summer. They really need a good cold period.

January 1^st was a bad day for me. I did not want it to be a bad day, but it was. Unfortunately, I was not able to stop it. The day started normally. In the morning, I went to Southbury to visit my friend David and Christa. In the afternoon I went to my daughter’s house for a meal.

Those two events were my undoing. Because of them I only walked .55 Miles that day.

I haven’t walked so little since I had covid years ago.

It was a bad day for walking. However, the next day I walked ten miles. Hopefully this will never happen again

A little aside. I had my blood pressure checked recently, and it is below the standard for my age. My doctor attributed it to my walking every day.

This is the picture looking out of my bedroom window before the snowstorm.

The tree is a crab apple tree.  In the spring when the flowers on the tree are blossoming it is just magnificent. Now we only have shriveled-up crab apples.

However, there is a squirrel and a robin eating the apples. One day soon the rest of the birds and squirrels will discover the crab apples, and they will vanish in an instant.

That’s why I call it The Grocery Store. It is a place where they can come and get their food.

I wonder if the robin will stay all winter.  I was told by a bird guide from the Audubon Society that many robins stay year-round and feed off the berries. Hopefully my crab apple tree will help them stay.

Here is a picture of too many Canadian Geese.  I wish they would fly south and leave us alone for a couple of months.

The other day I went to the Bronx Zoo with my grandson. We went to the World of Birds exhibit and saw the bird of paradise. Not only did we see the bird, but it also sang to us. It was just beautiful.

If you look closely at the pictures, you can see the black birds in the tree. I only noticed them because they were telling each other that I was walking. They had a very harsh sound. This sound was not like that of crows but the Raven.

This is the third time I have noticed Ravens in Stamford. The first two times they were fighting with crows. This time they were just hanging out in the tree.

Further down the walk I heard a high pitch sound above me. Looking up, I saw two raptors circling looking for prey. Their wingspan was different from the usual red-tailed hawks. I will have to consult with an expert to find out what type of raptor they are.

The birds are always among us. Usually hidden in plain sight. It was so nice when their singing gave me the opportunity to listen and see them.

 

These turtles certainly seem to be enjoying summer. This picture is the causeway at the North Stamford Reservoir on Interlaken Road. I like passing this spot often.

As you can see there is a nice water cascade. I can usually start hearing the water when I am 200 feet from the stream. One of nature’s nicest sounds.

I also monitor the drought conditions from the causeway. The water usually stops running sometime in June and does not reappear until fall.

Last year the water started flowing again after we had that huge deluge of rain in the summer. However, we went for a couple of months without rain and the stream dried up again. It was late winter before the causeway had water flowing again.

There are some other places where you can hear the noise of water. Mill River Park is one spot and there are numerous places along the Mianus River. Vally Road in Greenwich, just across the Stamford border and is a great place to see and hear the Mianus River.

Enjoy nature’s sights and sounds.

Today’s morning walk did have a mission, to buy my monthly bus pass at the train station.

I usually walk down Summer Street to its end. Today I changed the route and crossed over to Franklin Street. At the end of Franklin is UCONN On the right and a little park on the left.

They have planted a vegetable garden in the middle of Downtown Stamford.  It is such a joy to see.  I will be monitoring the garden all summer and will report back on its progress.

I then walked down Washington Blvd to the train station. I passed 677 Washington Blvd

These are seats I believe in front of the building.

A little history. My first full time job was at that location at the old Italian Center. My daughter also had her first full time job at UBS. She followed in our footsteps. She also moved to Europe as my wife moved from Europe to Stamford.

Anyway, this is a photo of those same chairs ten minutes earlier. I was struck by the bottle design and had to investigate. It certainly did not look like a two buck chuck wine bottle

I would love to know the story behind the Cognac bottle. Was it two lovers celebrating? Was it Someone down on the luck saying what the hell

This is one reason why I walk. I never know what I will encounter. However, I know there will always be something, and it will be interesting.

Finally, I am writing this blog on the train back to Stamford, I had walked from Jackson Heights Queens to Flushing Queens. I walked from a Hispanic neighborhood to an Asian neighborhood.

There is such variety in the Northeast.

The Stamford Canopy

One thing Stamford has is an abundance of trees.  They are everywhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have over 100million trees in Stamford.

One thing that always interests me is the canopy of the forest. That area where the tops of trees merge to look like a giant carpet.

This picture shows a bump in the canopy. This tree is in my neighborhood. It wasn’t until I was on the third floor of AITE that I could see how it disturbs the canopy.

This picture is looking south from the Whole Foods parking lot at Bulls Head. You can see the merging of the Urban with the forest.

The canopy is a mystical place.  We can’t really explore it in person. I once participated in a video shoot where a drone with a camera went up just past the trees. The sight of the canopy emerging is truly spectacular.

There are many spots where you can see the canopy.

Next time I will list some spots to see the canopy.

This is Stamford, a strong suburban town.

This is Stamford, a strong and growing urban city.

This is Stamford, a town with many rural areas to it.

This is Stamford, a city with water. Long Island Sound and numerous rivers, streams and ponds.

I am writing this because I was at a meeting recently where the presenters talked about Stamford having a strong urban and suburban element. I thought they were missing so much more of Stamford.

Stamford is truly a diverse city. Not only do we have diversity with our citizens, but we also have diversity with our geography.

Start at Kosciusko Park and proceed North on Washington Blvd. If you are driving in twenty minutes you will have passed through all the different areas of Stamford.

I don’t think there is another town or city in Connecticut that has this range of diversity. Stamford is certainly unique.

Stamford is also a city with art. There is outside art all over Stamford