fall

I went to Trinity Bellwoods park today for the first time in a long time. Well, a couple of weeks ago I walked through it with Felix and a couple of weeks before that I was there with Christie on Nuit Blanche but this was the first time since September maybe that I had gone there alone and sat with a book... Except after half a page I closed my book, because those words would be there tonight and tomorrow and the next day, and the park was so alive at this moment in a way it never would be again. The air was chill and yet sitting in the sun's path was warm enough to make me shed my cardigan. It's the time of the season when the ground is covered in leaves, but the trees are still far from bare, resulting in both a carpet and curtains of ambers, crimsons, golds, and bronze. And with the texture of the leaves around, I felt like I were sitting in the midst of a thick oil painting. 

So much to see and hear and smile at. Two parents were taking pictures of their one year old son in a bright jumpsuit, staggering through the leaves on his newfound feet. The mom snapped a picture as the dad tossed a whole armful of gathered leaves on the infant like a snowfall. 
Squirrels were playing tag in the trees around me, stopping quick and darting after one another, everytime they leapt from one tree to the next another dozen leaves would drift slowly to the ground. 
A woman jogs past, turning to keep her eye on her huge English shephard dog, who unusually is black and white giving the impression of a mid sized panda bear galloping behind her. 
A couple walk past slowly, and seemingly out of nowhere the guy stops the girl, pushes her hair back and kisses her so passionately it made me jealous. 
Another guy coasts passed on a skateboard, being drawn by two dogs on leashes that may as well be reigns as he holds one in each hand. 
Three little boys run around in front of me and play wrestle and yell and shriek, and  for some reason I can't help but think about how in ten years time they're going to be skipping classes and getting high and some girl will be in love with one of them and how adorable she would think it were if she got to see him now with his bowl haircut and mittens.

Then I lay back against the picnic bench and looked at the sky through the leaves above and relived some nice moments of my own from the past few weeks. It's honestly one of my favourite things to do, just sitting and reliving moments in my head. I shivered and noticed that the earth had moved and I was no longer sitting in the sun's way so I wrapped up and left. Time in the park is good for the soul, and I need to make time for it more often.