Once a week I meet a friend early in the morning. We park our cars next to the J. Spencer Love Tennis Courts next to Lewis Recreation Center, comment on how tired the other looks, wonder who’s idea it was to meet at such an inhuman hour, and commence walking. We walk around Country Park, following the road that loops around a couple of lakes, past covered shelters, playground equipment and feisty geese. It’s a delight.

[You can watch the slide show below and see what we see every week.]

Country Park has been around for as long as I can remember. When I was little there were class outings to the park and the Natural Science Center, which adjoins the park. In those days, the science center was little more than a collection of aquariums with lizards and snakes, a petting zoo with a a couple of goats and docents who were probably 40 years old but seemed ancient to us kids. Now the Science Center is a prize for the city and I’ll write about it in an upcoming post.

For now, the plain, serene, no frills Country Park has the stage.

There’s much to be said for a place one can go and do nothing. Or very little. The planners of New York City and Boston were wise to realize this when they made Central Park and Boston Common sacrosanct, protected slices of land and trees, water and birds, flowers and soil. Greensboro has several parks. Country Park happens to be the one I’ve known all my life and frequent the most. As a teenager I picnicked there with boyfriends. Later I watched my children learn to ride their bikes – their father tirelessly running along side them, silently releasing his hold on the backs of the seats so they were riding on their own without realizing it. We walked our dogs there, attended cookouts and fed the ducks.

Now our children are grown and walk their dogs through the park to the Bark Park, our youngest son will ride in this weekend Carolina Cup Bike Races the and I regularly stroll the park with one of my friends. Marriage, politics, gossip, cancer – no topic is safe whilst we walk along, pulling the sun up as we go.

A little green jewel, tucked between Pisgah Church and Lawndale. It’s  nice to have something upon which you can count through the years and Country Park is that for me. The seasons are always reflected in the lake, the paddle boats are always lined up at the little dock. And the geese are always pretty obnoxious.

Ahh.

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The thoughts & opinions are mine. The quips that fall flat are someone else’s. Please feel free to shoot me an email with a question or a good joke.

And remember, real estate agents aren’t bad. We’re just drawn that way.

Photo by Steve Barrett

[UPDATE: The US Bicycling Hall of Fame will be going to Davis, CA. But Greensboro did well to become one of two sites considered, especially taking into account Davis' rich bicycle history.]

Greensboro has long been host to a wonderful bicycle race, the Carolina Cup. It’s held each year at Country Park and draws pros from around the country as well as fine local riders. My husband has competed in the race, years ago.

And now we may become the new home of the U.S.Bicycling Hall of Fame. An article in the News & Record details information about that.

All this, along with slowly expanding bike lanes around town and enthusiastic local riders is making Greensboro quite the place for cycling.

Hmmm. Colorful jerseys. Snug cycling shorts. Strong calf muscles and thighs. It’s about time for my husband to get back in the saddle.

But that’s a topic for another post.