Dear Glug,
It is winter and I am restless. I need a walk. “Where does that train go?,” asked a friend of Thoreau at Walden Pond. Thoreau replied, “Nowhere, it goes to Hartford in the morning and returns to Boston in the afternoon.” You need a path to nowhere. A path around the pond is at once whimsical and not. It should be very easy to walk because you want a path to nowhere. We as bipedal humans require paths because we are forever searching. Your path should be used for your soul as well as solving problems.
The design of your path is very important. The path on the pond side defines the upper limit of your riparian. The riparian is protection for your pond. The esthetics of the walking path is extremely important. You do not want a race track. One of the best examples of a pond path is in Monet’s water garden at Giverny. Monet’s path wanders toward the pond and away from the pond centering on features in the pond (water lilies). It is replete with a Japanese bridge with a Wisteria trellis. This is called a “painter’s path” because it frames the landscape.
The most important part of a pond path is the ability to leave your house and return refreshed. Your walk will clear the mind and reduce stress. One of the most important components of a pond is a “chair”. On your path to nowhere, you will need to pause somewhere. In this grounding, you should land on a chair.
Gluggie, your home must be restful to be happy and healthy. You must have a path that leads to ephemeral health of the mind. Thus even in the winter the path is clear. Go nowhere froggies and you will be fine.
Merry Christmas and Peace to all
Lovingly,
PonDoc from the pond