It’s an era of social distance. People who are not “party people” by nature figure, OK, we can handle that. Still, you gotta get out. But where?
Hey, did we just use the words “by nature?”
There’s a clue. A hike in the woods conforms to the social distancing trend. The North Shore is rich with forest preserves and nature trails. Soon you’re enjoying a refreshing hike, content among quiet trees and fallen leaves. A chipmunk skitters away.
MIKE LUBOW ILLUSTRATION BY KIRSTEN ULVE
You think, “Don’t be afraid, buddy.” But he’s gone. Then, wait a second. You see a flash of blue through the trees. A blue jay? That could be a colorful distraction from the news of the day. You look through binoculars.
Aw, just a guy in a blue hat coming this way. You’re torn. There’s the inborn instinct to greet a fellow human on a woodland trail, if only with a nod and a smile. But there’s also the desire to move further into the woods like that chipmunk. And keep the socially distant thing going.
What do you do?
This column was adapted by Mike Lubow from his book: Wild Notes: Observations over time about birds and other fleeting things. Available on amazon.com.
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