This morning was a time to look forward to, for the seven of us - Nicholas, Pariksit, David, Oksana plus her two kids, and myself. It was the first visit for most of us to Vishal's farm. What a treat! Vishal was generous with kisses to the young bull (I forget his name). He walked us to the foundation of his barn. To follow will be a house and greenhouse. Who knows what more?
Part two of our day's anticipation was a seven kilometre walk on the Great Trail. The most excited among us was Pariksit with his first snow encounter in real winter. He seemed to thrive on it. I gave him samples of balsam, cedar and juniper. The scent blew him away. I explained, "It's the scent of God." https://www.instagram.com/p/B5PLDSVAon9/?igshid=2e33wn66hr2x
There was more to be experienced and observed. A wild rabbit, squirrel, blue jay birds, caterpillars and plenty of coyote scat, were all along the trail. This was all new for Pariksit.
The occasional cyclist passed by, each one with wide tires. A new fad, I suppose, but suited for the trail conditions which are slushy with ice, snow and some soft muddy surfaces.
The trail is fairly straight, with a few bends here and there. It is obviously an old railway line, some of which is exposed at 4th Line in Tottenham. An old steam locomotive once operated through the town. But, not much of a fascination for that scale seems to exist anymore. A drab-looking condo building is going up in an attempt to substitute for the charm of the past. It doesn't do it for me. I often reflect on what our guru, Prabhupada, would say about these things. In this case, it’s the most squarish thing you ever saw.
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