My Sunday Place...

Today, as I left work, it was raining. Not just a light sprinkle, but really raining. I ran to my car and got in quickly. And then I sat there, trying to decide what to do next. Should I go home and get some things done around the house?

Nope. I decided to go to My Sunday Place.

Podunk has several parks. I noticed yesterday, as I was driving around the southern part of town, that there are several new ones, near new subdivisions. Those parks have children's swings and slides and fun things. And a sidewalk/trail around the perimeter, for walking or running. Trees are planted everywhere, and benches are sprinkled along the running trails.

Quite lovely, actually...

But they aren't my park. Mine is out by the airport, Podunk International Airport. I have called it that for years, as if an International airport would have just two commercial flights a week. And, unless you're interested in flying to San Francisco or Los Angeles to catch a flight to somewhere else, the airport doesn't have a lot to offer.

On the other side of my park is a golf course. It is the egalitarian golf course in town: no membership, no clubhouse, no caddies. In fact, lots of the folks who golf there show up in pickup trucks. Can you believe that? But that's Podunk: a fancy car around here is likely to be a king cab pickup truck with fancy wheels.

I go to my park frequently in the spring, summer and fall because it is a busy place on Sunday afternoons. There are always baseball games, or bike races, or my favorite: bounce houses. No, I don't get to go in the bounce houses, because they are usually a feature of a child's birthday party. But they are pretty, dotting the green scape and adding color to the afternoon.

And the lake. If you live near a real lake, say, like Lake Michigan, our little lake is a joke. But here in Podunk, it is a lake. There is a guy who teaches casting classes for fishermen, and uses the lake. And lots of folks come to the park to feed the ducks and geese.

But, today it was raining. The skies were sharing some much-needed rain. As I sat in my car, I shivered from getting wet as I ran to the car. The sky was gray and dark, and it looked as cold as it felt. I was tempted to just go home and light candles and curl up on the couch under a heavy throw.

I was fascinated by the rain....it kept me outdoors, sorta, in my car. Watching. The ducks on the pond were oblivious to the falling rain. They swam in groups, making lovely waves on the lake's surface. Another car was parked in one of my regular “observation” posts, so I drove on around the park. I always do that: drive all around the park, first, and see where I want to stop and watch.

Watch what? You ask. Well, sometimes, I watch a baseball game. Or the dogs playing in the bark park. This past fall, I watched in amazement as a contingent of Canadian geese stopped by for the afternoon, on their way south. And I look at all the bounce houses and decide which one is my favorite, based on its bright colors.

And sometimes, I park over by the airport and watch small planes take off and land. Or I look at the other people, doing the same thing I am doing, and wonder what they are thinking about. Or watch the sunset, through the palm trees.

Today, I just watched it rain....