I picked today as a date for one of my adventures weeks ago. I picked it because it's Mothers Day. I lost my mom three years ago to Cholangiocarcinoma, cancer of the bile ducts. I also do not have any human children of my own. Needless to say it's not the happiest of holidays.
I wasn't sure where I was going to go. I didn't have any extra money this week so I knew it had to be somewhere I could get to on the 3/4 tank of gas I had. I also knew I wanted my Kona to join me, since it is Mothers Day and she is my fur baby. One of the places on my list is Walkway Over the Hudson, which came recommended by a friend. After talking to her yesterday I decided this was going to be our destination. So I packed some healthy snacks, grabbed my camera and my pup and we headed to Poughkeepsie, NY.
The weather was perfect. Sunny and warm. With all four windows down and the music up we headed to route 34 West. I don't take it often, I forgot how beautiful the drive could be along Lake Zoar. The drive starts from 34W to 84W to the Taconic State Parkway N then route 55W. There was no traffic which was great. I rocked out to Culture Club, Time. Great road trip music. :) I also heard Walking in Memphis which reminds me of my mom. I don't know if she ever liked the song but I remember when my cousin Nicole came home right after my mom passed I met her at the cemetery. When we left I stopped at McDonalds. I remember sitting in the parking lot listening to the song and how it reminded me of her because of Elvis. (My mom didn't really love Elvis. She liked him but not to the point we joked she did. Whole other story that involves Nicole too lol) anyway my phone rings and it's Nicole. She was also listening to the song. It reminded her of my mom too because of Elvis and the fact we used to live on Union Avenue at one point. Hearing it was my sign that my mom was with me. Also my friend who recommended the walkway texted to tell me she saw a cardinal this morning and she thought of my mom.
It took us about an hour and forty-five minutes to reach the walkway. Kona gets nervous in the car so she was already tired when we got there. I was pretty tired myself so we took our time and truly enjoyed our surroundings. The shining sun, the fresh air, the cool breeze. It was perfect. There was a little boy, maybe about 8 years old who asked to pet Kona. He gave her the last little bit of his water. He was so sweet! We walked from one side to the other. I watched the longest freight train pass through alongside the Hudson on the Highland side. There's something about old, rusty, graffiti filled train cars. I love the character. We turned around and headed back. Again taking our time, living in the moment. We stopped every so often to enjoy the view. I stopped to take a selfie with Kona when a teenage girl and her brother (Assumption based.) were coming by on scooters. She offered to take a picture for us. You could tell she is a kind soul. The interactions between her and the boy who was close in age to her, made me think that she looks out for him which made me smile. Kona was awesome today. She didn't pull, she didn't stop every five feet. When I stopped to look at the view she did the same. Wind blowing her ears back. She was happy. I was happy.
We got back to the car and enjoyed some water and snacks. I wanted to stick around for sunset but it was still about an hour or so away. Kona and I were pooped and it was HOT! Plus I didn't want to get home too late so we decided to head home instead. The drive home was just as good as the drive there. Sun shining, music playing and no traffic.
All in all it was an awesome day. I got some natural vitamin d, I got to breath some fresh air, I got to see a view I've never seen before and I got to spend it with Ko. I did it all without spending any money, other than the gas and food I already had. And I kept my cell phone in my pocket except to take a few pictures. I lived in the moment, something I'm trying to do more of. My mind goes constantly so it was nice to have some peace. It was nice not to dwell. I turned what could have been a depressing day into just the opposite.
Kona and I wish you all a Happy Mothers Day!
