Been down that path before

I'd been down that path before. It's a short trail through the woods that loops out to a field and back again.

Just weeks ago, the trail was upgraded and I found myself looking at the ground as we walked:

- at the downed tree branches repurposed as edging

- the new wooden bridge that carried us over that always-muddy section of the trail

- at the (so many) mushrooms that blossomed after the rain

- and the changing foliage ... reminding me autumn is a cool couple of weeks away

It was entirely captivating until the trail took a turn.

A hard left in the middle of nowhere
When we rounded the corner, I glanced back over my shoulder. I'd been down this path before, but I didn't remember such an abrupt turn.

But it was there, clear as could be when I looked back.

And then I saw the sun ... casting light high upon the tree trunks. And farther on, the mist ... hovering over the field.

Was I missing the forest ... for the mushrooms?
While I was focused on the trail I discovered the mushrooms, signs of autumn in the leaves, and a squirrel sprinting across the path.

But when I looked up, I saw which direction the trail was headed, the light streaming through the trees, and the early morning mist.

And all of a sudden, I wasn't sure where to look, afraid I might miss something.

And it made me think the next edition of Tinplate: Birds & Birding.

The day before I was doubting everything about it. Wondering if I should toss it out and start over. Or forget the whole thing. I was deep in detail ... ruminating over homing pigeons, plumage, and migration. All the while, losing direction ... and all sense of why I started it to begin with.

Until the walk in the woods.

I realized I'd been looking down ... for too long. That it was time to look up, to review the project as a whole, check my bearings, and see where I was.

I started Waystation Whistle and Tinplate because I believe in the power of hobbies, passions, and distractions to help you (and me) tell a different story about your day.

I'm no birding expert, but by watching the birds I see in my neighborhood and doing a bit of research I'm learning more and more, and I'm hoping to encourage you to make a few discoveries of your own.

There's plenty of work to be done, but for now, maybe that's the answer for all of us: focus on the details to make whatever it is the best it can be, but remember to look up, too. To check in to see where we are and where we're going ... so we can spot the turn up ahead ... and the light streaming through the trees.

And maybe a bird or two.