Finding New in the Familiar
It’s a road I have traveled dozens of times, maybe hundreds by car or bicycle for the past twenty years but it wasn’t until I took a meander-ing walk this summer when I came upon an area of town which I had never noticed. Something new found in the familiar was a peaceful apple orchard with trees living in silent community waiting for any passerby to visit. A posted sign indicated the park was open to the public. Hey, that’s me, Joan Q. Public. A wrought iron gate led me to a path which looped around a bend to an old foot bridge that may have covered a shallow brook at one time. This secluded gem was obviously well-maintained by the hamlet of Pearl River while respecting the integrity of the original grounds. I didn’t know at first it was an apple orchard until I walked closer to the trees. There were clusters of small apples throughout the branches of each tree. I reached for one to take it home as if I had found some treasure. Just as I was leaving a woman wal