Canal Park

 This will be a bit of a disorganized post - pictures of a favorite walkway taken over the course of a few visits, and pictures of some of the neighborhood where we are staying for the winter............

A favorite walking place for me and Kory has quickly developed over the past few weeks.

Two blocks from the cottage we are renting is a place called Canal Park.

It features a series of cobble stone and gravel trails that follow the route of canals that meandered through a portion of Cody back in the day.

I use the term "back in the day" loosely because truthfully I don't know the time frame, but what I DO know is that this is a sweet little place.

In addition to walking and bicycle riding trails, benches, placards, signs, small garden places, greenery and wonderful views are also nestled into nooks and crannies throughout the walk.

The trails eventually converge and take you "up the hill" to the top of Cody, where the library, the recreation center, the aquatic center and the arena all lay together in one very awesome and huge compound.

One of so many reasons that I love Cody.................

Looking towards the entrance of the trail and the rock walk way...................

Heart Mountain dominates the landscape in Cody.

Wherever you go, there it is.

A view while walking on gravel trails as Kory and I began to climb on a warm and sunny day.................

The Cody Public Library is an outstandingly beautiful building inside and out.

One of these days when my dog is not with me, I will take pictures of the inside.

The library is located in a large green space that (during the summer months) is surrounded by water.

The front of the library contains a large pond.

Underwater pumps stream the water underneath a bridge and then continues to move water through man-made shallow canals before finally reaching one more large pond in back of the library.

During the warm months it gives the effect of the library being surrounded by a moat.

Between the water, the trees, and ample green space, the flowers, the picnic tables and the ducks that inevitably call this place home, it is a wonderful place to spend a short or long time when the weather is warm.

At this time of year the ponds are drained................

A placard found along the route of one gravel trail, showing the route of bygone canals, highlighting what the town looked like early in the 20th century and showing which structures still remain from that time period.................

Taken right after coming back down off the trail, after exploring up on the hill.

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago.

We haven't even been in Cody for a month yet but the weather has transitioned through three different seasons in that short time.

When we first arrived on October 10 the first week was sunny with temperatures in the upper 60s.

Nights were very cool though, and when this picture (below) was snapped of Kory the hardwoods were filled with yellow leaves.

The next couple of weeks were cool, cloudy and windy and the trees quickly became bare.

For the past two days it has snowed non-stop......................

Many residential streets close to downtown are filled with historic old homes.

Most (but not all) of them are small, all of them are well maintained and all are cute as a button.

All filled with interesting architecture, all on very tiny and well maintained lots, all pricey.

Lovely to look at but I can't imagine living in them.

A random wooden sculpture found in someone's front yard.................

Love this home....................

The courtyard of the cottage where we are staying.

It is filled with snow right now, but on this beautiful fall day the potted mums were still out and so was the grill.

The owners (home in front and cottage in back, all surrounded by a nice privacy fence) are from Georgia.

She is still back east, working hard to get their home back there ready to put on the market.

He is here but planning on returning to GA in a few weeks for the winter.

Very nice people, very respectful of our privacy, very comfortable place for us to spend the winter................

One more day and one more walk at Canal Park..................

Once you reach the top the view overlooks the entire town of Cody and the hills and mountains beyond it.

As you look out over the mountains, you can also refer to the three long boards that name every mountain that is in view................

A self-serve "Take A Book - Leave A Book" station..............

Rec Center and Arena...................

Library...............

Water station (including puppy water station).................

And one last walk the day before the snow hit and winter arrived in Cody WY.

It didn't feel that cold but as Kory and I continued to wander trails higher above town, I could barely see the mountains.

The weather was beginning to close in.................

Just as there were in Atomic City, there are many deer that call Cody home.................

A mounted board found along the way, showing the trails that make up Canal Park.

It's not a huge area.

Trails can be entered from a few different places, they all eventually converge, and they all end at the top of the hill where the rec centers and library are located.

But it is a private and sweet place.

A quiet, green space away from everything that defines "city"...............

In this place along a trail there is a large, circular shaped green space.

Concrete benches encircle the back side of the area.

I don't know what this space is typically used for, but it looks like a place conducive to small scale concerts or plays.................

Heading towards one more entrance to the trail.................

On this day, after wandering up the Canal Park trails and then wandering around the green spaces adjacent to the library, Kory and I explored a subdivision in that same area.

The homes ranged from middle-class nice to upper-class stunningly gorgeous.

In front of one home I came across this hand painted van.

It had been a long while since I had seen such an eclectic van painted with so much color and so much care.

A wholly whimsical and very fun piece of folk art, parked on the side of the road outside a home...............

As we randomly turned down one residential street after another I heard an unexpected noise.

Looking into the sky I stood watching at this small flock of geese noisily flew overhead.

Watching them it unexpectedly hit me - it was cold, the sky was grey, the mountains were disappearing behind a quickly descending cover of snow filled clouds, the birds were leaving.

Emptiness and sadness suddenly overwhelmed me.

 The feelings came out of nowhere and caught me off guard, as they so often do.

It was time to move on before I had to think about it.

Pulling gently on Korys' leash - C'mon Baby.  Let's go...............

Eventually me - and my beloved dog - circled back to the top of the hill and the top of the Canal Park trails.

We had seen two deer 90 minutes earlier, but now there were three of them.

All curious about us, none of them afraid of us.

These were "town deer".

Likely they had lived in the city limits for their entire lives.

Instinctively I pulled Kory closer to me and shortened her leash, while at the same time watching the deer.

I fully expected them to turn and scurry away from us, but they didn't.

They just continued to watch us curiously, as Kory and I closed the distance between us...............

Tomorrow it would snow.................

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.............Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland & Through The Looking Glass