Part I - A Magical Journey

I was tired today. Not really in a mood for jaunting around like we have been. But Alex was anxious and, after all, he had made a very big boy step in the morning. He was all excited to get his Ferrari as we'd promised (and unfortunately delayed ordering). I explained that the toys were made in a factory in China, so it takes a while to get them delivered. I knew that Alex wanted to go outside on a nice day after having been stuck inside all of chilly yesterday.

So, we set out for a walk that became an adventure. Alex had asked to ride the train, but I couldn't decide where we should go. I got it into my head to try to walk to the Rye Nature Center. It had been nearly two years to the day that I'd brought him there last.

The walk started out exciting enough for him. He talked up a storm on our way to Harrison Avenue and I took several videos of his conversation. When we passed the small bamboo forest, he excitedly declared that he wanted to go 'to China!' He was obviously remembering that I'd told him where bamboo normally grows. Dismayed, he said 'No pandas are here.' after I'd told him that this wasn't China. He agreed to move on.

I convinced him to go a road not yet traveled (that he'd remember, anyway). We walked all the way down Park to Boston Post Road. I convinced him to go past Harrison Avenue by telling him about the Marshlands that were coming up in Rye. Then, after seeing those, he agreed to continue.

There was some difficulty when we passed a UPS truck near the very end of Park Avenue in Rye. He wanted to know if his Ferrari was on that truck. That took some explaining away. I told him that I knew of a special park that had an old castle in it. (The dilapidated Parsons mansion on the grounds of the Nature Centure. It's all stone.) "Let's go!" he said.

Getting there took a while. There was the stop at the Rye Country Club to see the "dig-dig" that was aiding in some construction there. There was some time spent playing in some construction sand piled up on rocks near the golf course. Then there was the long walk down Boston Post Road made that much more difficult for its lack of traffic lights and crosswalks.

By the time we came to the Osborn residences, Alex needed a break. I'd told him that I saw a sign for a new carnival at the Methodist Church where he'd ridden a pony last year. He wanted to go to the carnival right NOW! I had to explain that it was two weeks away. Then we stopped to sit on the grass at the Osborn. I reminded him that we'd gone to a carnival there too. He wanted that one to happen NOW! I had to explain that one away as well.


It was all too much for the little guy. We'd barely left our shady spot at the Osborn when he plopped down on the grass alongside Boston Post Road. "I think I'll play here", he said. He just didn't want to walk anymore.

We must have sat there for ten minutes before a woman walking by answered my question about the Nature Center. Just on Boston Post Road about half a mile away. It still took some convincing to get Alex to walk. The little soldier eventually agreed.

We passed a storm drain area which needed inspection, of course.

Then there was the delay in crossing Boston Post Road several times to get around highway entrances, blocked sidewalks/shoulders and multiple way crossroads. Finally, I stopped another man to ask directions. It turned out we were less than three blocks away. He was nice enough to have pointed out the easily missed back entrance. He walked down a dirt path on the other side of the Post Road from us, sure that he had caught my attention. He checked the gate to find it open and told me that it was the back of the Nature Center. If I followed the paths downward, I would find the base in which they have animals and exhibits.

We'd done it and now Alex caught another wind. Amazing that he was able to do so. We'd walked about 3 miles.

Thursday, April 29