EXCURSION: Oat Nuts Park Trail

Oat Nuts Park Trail is in a rather unlikely place - in the midst of a bustling neighborhood off Summit Street surrounded by hundreds of homes. The first time we walked it, all the way to the Presumpscot River, we marveled at how we had no idea such an oasis in the woods existed just up the road from our house.

The trail is part of the Portland Trails organization (www.trails.org). We are so fortunate in Portland to have this wonderful group who have created more than fifty miles of trails around our city including: Back Cove Trail, Eastern Prom Trail, Peaks Island Loop and the Stroudwater Trail.

Oat Nuts Park Trail begins on Summit Street between Olde Birch Lane and Juniper Street and connects to the Presumpscot River Preserve. You can park right on Summit Street while you walk. It's about a half mile to the river, a little tricky as you get close to the water, but mostly an easy hike. Snowshoers, cross country skiiers, mountain bikers, and folks walking with babies, toddlers and dogs use the trail regularly.

The land for Oat Nuts was originally an old subdivision of very small lots, the deeds to which could be found in boxes of Oat Nuts cereal, hence the name.

On a winter's day, it's an easy and beautiful wooded hike that meanders to the river which you can then follow for a ways either toward Allen Avenue or Westbook in the opposite direction. When a fresh snow has fallen, this hidden trail can be absolutely magical.

(photo: Oat Nuts Park Trail, Portland)

A New Take on the Oldest Resolution

The premise for this blog entry is from the chapter "Time Alone" in my manuscript Mothers Fulfilled.

One time in my life I was successful at dieting. It came at a time when I was questioning my health, and my cutting down of food and increasing daily exercise was more for health benefits than beauty. When your life depends on it, you find the willpower. My weight dropped to below my high school weight; it was just falling off me. I believe in a balanced weight loss program eating healthy foods from the food pyramid; no fad diets for me. I am a Taurus and have a worker bee mentality. I never expect a quick fix in anything. I put the weight on slowly; I should expect to take it off slowly.

I was eating everything, just smaller portions. Although I consider myself high energy, at this time, I developed an energy source that was greatly heightened. I felt boundless. I also had more focus, clarity of thought, and creativity. I had not anticipated this and had never experienced it, so it was an odd benefit to losing weight. Having lived it though, I learned the possible intent of fasting required in certain religions. Certainly, part of it is simply to experience what sacrifice feels like. But part of it may also be to get a more focused, clear state of mind. Without clogging and numbing yourself with food, you are sharper. I do not fast, but it opened my eyes to its potential as far as what it can do for your mind. Not stuffing yourself with food you do not need and letting the body run at its optimum level produces optimum results.

The potential of cyclist and six-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, is probably within all of us. Yet, most of us do not have the commitment or drive of finding it. He is such a fine example of how brilliant and powerful the human machine can be.

The Lion King showed us so beautifully the circle of life and the interconnectedness of all beings on our planet. This one time of successful dieting showed me the circle within my own life. The human body is the most amazing machine we will ever know. Allowing it to run at its peak level of performance can bring energy, clarity of thought, inspiration when listening to that inner voice that can come through if you're not numbed down with food or alcohol or drugs. The best thing to fight mild depression is exercise.

Keeping this year's resolution may be easier done if we're doing it for these benefits, not same old, same old.

(photo: Oat Nuts Park Trail, Portland)