Another Walk Home Day completed. Every week, I something different...or at least differentLY.

I came to a pond near Lincoln Park Zoo and spotted a collection of pointy little aquatic arrows like a geometric landscape frozen into the water. But it's September and there is no ice. Then I heard it...the honking of a gaggle of geese leaving a wake as they cruised determinedly (sp?) toward some park visitors that maybe? had some food??

A bit later, I came across the tiniest of dirt beaches on which lay perfect granite statues, only feathered. Some ducks sat flat on the dirt but most stood completely motionless on one foot with their bill tucked neatly under one wing, SLEEPING! How incredible!

As I got closer to home, I noticed that shadows had long ago shaded my path and a cool breeze had kicked up. The days were getting shorter.

I don't plan to discontinue my WHDs, but the calendar may call for changes.

I can A) leave work earlier; or B) walk faster or, dare I say it? RUN; or C) shorten my WHD.

Since work is getting busier, leaving earlier is a "no can do. " As for B, I walk pretty fast to begin with (as most of my friends and ex-boyfriends will attest to) and running??? I do not runn* unless someone is chasing me...and they're armed! (*it should be a four-letter word).

So that leaves me with C, shortening my WHD. I'm thinking I could cut about 30 minutes off by taking a bus or L train to the north end of the loop. It's cheating, I know, and not as much exercise. And I'll miss daydreaming over the gorgeous stone mansions just south of North Avenue.

We'll see.