On a Morning Walk . . .

From June 2009 Tips & Tales

----- Shared by Collier Harvey

Around Sunnyside there are certain “givens” that will prove true just about any day. The geese operate seven days a week, flying in formation and checking out their “pond of the day.” The resident walkers generally operate six days with Sunday off.

The Monday through Friday activists include the WM trash truck sporting WM (William and Mary) colors; the unmarked, paneled truck delivering items to the pharmacy; members of the staff returning to the same parking place though there is no evidence of assignments; and a few devoted spouses who “deliver” their mate to the work site. A goodly number of resident canines arouse their masters and put them on the road regularly. It is to be noted that the shorter the dog’s legs, the faster the owner walks. On these cold days the squirrels warm themselves by being busy and the rabbits seek a spot in the sun as soon as it appears. Beyond the campus we know that the world is out there because the train whistles regularly as it moves back and forth from Elkton to Harrisonburg. Often the fire or rescue folks have a call and let us know they are on the way. They do not enter our gates, but three different school buses take our neighboring children to their assigned schools just about 7:30 a.m. daily. The day is a good one when the sun comes up from behind the Massanutten and the eastern sky is filled with vapor trails from southbound airplanes riding the peaks of the Blue Ridge. Look up and live and give thanks for God’s gift of another day.

This is another article from the first issue of “Tips & Tales” in June 2009. It was printed at the time as “An Irregularly Published Independent Screed Produced by and for the Residents of Sunnyside for Sharing News and Information About and of Interest to them.” It wasn’t officially given a name until the second issue in August, when “Tips & Tales” was selected from among 12 suggestions submitted by residents. Many of the observations in the article above are still relevant today, except school buses generally haven’t been running for the past year because of the pandemic and there is considerably more construction to observe on campus these days