Lansdale's Labyrinth

At church on Sunday a visitor from not too far away told me that she was spending a couple weeks in Lansdale. I wondered why she would do such a thing, and she said that Lansdale was a nice town. That it is.

Do a web search for Lansdale and many of the hits are about some guy named Joe R Lansdale, an author. I thought it was time to highlight some good things around here.

Here is a strategy that doesn't work but we keep trying it from time to time. Stay up late (this time watching Olympics), arrive home from work the next day toasty and then drink coffee after dinner. Stay up late again...

Last night Mosaic Woman and I headed south on Broad Street to get some coffee. When we arrived here 11 years ago we didn't drink coffee and the town did not have a coffee place. Saxbys is one we can walk to the easiest, thus we went south. Saxbys is a small chain that apparently allows the owners to support local businesses. Their milk products come from a local dairy and the new owner (who valiantly tried to make conversation with two introverts) is stocking their case with baked goods from the Virago Baking Company an independent place farther south on Broad Street.

We took our beverages and headed east on Hancock to Stony Creek Park which has had some work done to it lately. A new playground was filled with folk, but we were attracted to a pond that looks like it may draw some birds. While we sat drinking our coffee a red-tailed hawk was drawn to sit on a power pole and look down at the wet area.

We had heard that a labyrinth was to be placed into the park, but we had our doubts. 11 years ago I knew not what a labyrinth was, then I found out, then I looked forward to any opportunity to walk one... Here is what a labyrinth is...

I know of folk who have had great revelations walking labyrinths. I have not. I have had some good quality silent time with God. These days I tend to stop as the path makes a turn and see what that view of creation brings. Lansdale has placed a nice size boulder in the center. Mosaic Woman led the way and so I joined her on the boulder and for the first time in my life, I had a conversation in a labyrinth. We spoke first about the strange sensation of live jazz coming to us from another of Lansdale's park. Over on Whites Road a free Tuesday night concert had started just after Mosaic Woman entered the labyrinth.

Then a gaggle of punkettes showed up and two entered the sacred space. One got bored and left. The other did what most children do in labyrinths--- run to the center. I sat alone for a moment watching my wife walk, the girl run, and the sun set.

Then our big night out ended as we sat on top of a small hill with a spotting scope that will give great close ups for the birds drawn to my town. Lansdale did a nice job with a piece of land, some time we will go back and explore the nature trail.

want to find a labyrinth near you.... try here.

but they don't have ours yet, but they will soon since I see they have a place to add ones.