A cloudy walk on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail bridle path. Or at least I call it the bridle path. It’s the cinder trail that runs alongside the main paved road.

Taking it meant I could avoid the “On your left’s” that would surely have been the soundtrack of my walk had I jockeyed for position with the speeding cyclists who cruise up and down the 26-mile ribbon of asphalt on weekend mornings.

The road not taken was just right for the day. I had a close-up view of the autumn foliage, the goldenrod and chicory and wild clematis cascading over greenery. It was a shaggy beauty —profuse, casual, easy on the eye.