Thread of life along the river
of few clues to the busy thoroughfare rendered invisible by a narrow
curtain of trees. Countless gnat nymphs skitter over the surface of the
river, taunting the fish below. A bullfrog warbles a deep and mournful
call — in no hurry, even though it knows sunrise has lifted night's
comforting cloak once again.
A young rabbit stretches tall on its haunches to consider a runner
making her way past. Three more humans soon follow, their conversation
and the rhythmic thud of rubber on asphalt chasing the furry one back
under the brush.
Ribbons of sidewalk line Washington Street on at least one side all
along this stretch south of downtown and north of 75th Street, but
visitors often opt instead for the pavement that parallels the street
just past the trees, hugging the west bank of the DuPage River.
Daybreak brings out many of them, walking and jogging and pedaling bicycles.
Susan Papanic walks, coming to the riverside path several days a week.
She's been a walker off and on for most of her life, and this route
appeals to her.
"There's a lot of wildlife. We have a beaver that was trying to build a
den over here on the river. We have coyote and probably fox, although
I've never seen one. We have deer," the Naperville resident says,
adding that baby animals bring variety and fresh interest to the
pathway's faunal attraction.
Papanic tries to lace up her walking shoes and hit the trail early,
before the heat sets in. She wouldn't mind if some of the cyclists
would give a little more warning when they approach from behind, but
most of the time the path is pleasant enough.
"It's quiet, and I think it's pretty safe," she says.
A helmeted couple on trail bikes soon roll quietly past, the woman
calling a cheery "thanks" to a pedestrian who gave them wide berth.
Most visitors to the motorless thoroughfare appear quite content to
keep to themselves — the runners especially, most of them murmuring
only a "Morning" or a weary smile to others they meet along the way.
Those who walk the trail near Washington Street may not reap the same
cardiovascular rewards as their more fleet-footed counterparts, but
they can afford to notice the wild blackberry brackens that dot the
path, and the wildlife, and the dancing interplay of sunshine and
foliage, and the way they blanket the path with lacy shadow and light.
7/17/05
