Penning Photography Daily

The sun was out, the wind wasn’t at gale force, and I was ready to take a walk.

My errands had me out near Southwind Park, one of the Springfield Park District’s newest parks. It is designed to be completely accessible, with no barriers for any of us that have difficulty navigating stairs and other obstacles.

At one point, I sat on a bench that had a ramp to an elevated platform, where someone in a wheelchair or a scooter, could be at the same level as someone on the bench. These equalizing spaces of rest dot the many paths that wind through the park.

The sky was majestic. Full of wind-blown white clouds against a clear blue background. The wetland preserving group of tall grasses and other plants was a nice counterpoint to that sky. I especially loved the cattails. They reminded me of the cattails that surrounded the pond that was on the land where I spent my youth, exploring nature.

The air was chilly, but I was warm from my walk, and from the sights of the park, and of the sky.