Something refreshing in your own backyard

Jeanet went to Taiwan in December for two weeks, and I was alone in Campbell being single again, doing laundry and cleaning up the items in the refrigerator.

I have been swimming at the Campbell Community Center's outdoor pool for seven years. I have seen people running or walking on the all-weather track, but I have never been
there myself until this past Saturday.
It was a beautiful California day in December. I took my walk around the track, walked to the athletic field, and checked out what else was there that I have been missing for all these years.

Campbell Community Center has a variety of outdoor facilities including a football stadium, an all-weather track, an athletic field, an exercise park, tennis and handball courts, an outdoor swimming pool, and indoor Gyms and basketball courts. With the exception of swimming pool, all outdoor facilities are free of charge, subject to rules of reservation in certain popular time slots. I see my tax dollars at work in Campbell :-)

It was not too crowded on the Saturday afternoon. I checked out the outdoor facilities. The track was quite nice, and the grass was soft and bouncy. There were some people running, jogging, and walking on the track. The exercise park was interesting to me with all the equipment dedicated to exercising and building up certain muscles. This sort of park has become popular in many modern cities now. A few people practiced catching a football on the field.

Tennis courts were mostly occupied; the conditions of the court were quite nice. Some families played for fun in the courts and were not too intimidating to watch. The four courts used an honor system to set up your own clock and waiting queue. The rules and the "clocks" were in the center of tennis court compound, as shown to the right.



I strolled into the skate park. The young supervisor asked me if I needed any help. He left me alone after I told him that I would like to take a few pictures. This sport is obviously very thrilling and challenging, but is really dangerous.

A week later on a Sunday afternoon, I went again. This time I was stunned with the crowd, and I had to circle a couple of times to get a spot in the parking lot. The athletic field was filled with children practicing and playing flag football, along with coaches, parents and grand parents.
The field was neatly divided with dark green grass lines into 12 sub-fields in a 4x3 arrangement. When I was there, 11 of them were in use. I remember that my son Joseph in his junior high school years went to Dr. Lum's office to have a few stitches on his tongue after biting himself playing flag football. He used a mouth guard, but the accident still happened.














It felt so good to stroll, and I enjoyed my time there. What a shame to have been in a hustle and bustle mood all those many years. Take some time to pause and wander without an agenda and without a deadline. Life can be very simple and enjoyable. There is no need to go far. You'll find pleasure and peace in your own backyard if you look for them.