Yesterday’s walk took me through the woods to another street in the neighborhood, one I seldom visit. It held novelty and a sense of escape. It also held something I haven’t seen in a while: mud.

Though we’ve had rain through the warm months, we’ve been in drought conditions until recently. The water table has been low and the soil parched. Drops that fell were quickly absorbed. But now there’s a bit of water flowing through the creek and soggy patches on the trail.

I thought about wearing hiking boots, but since my walk was only partially in the woods, I decided against them. My tennis shoes would have to do. And they did. But not without detours. And tiptoeing. And searching for the high, dry ground.

A muddy trail is good for the earth, but it makes walking more complicated.

(A muddy trail in Bangladesh.)