My May Day Walk

Today I decided to take a slightly longer, and different, route on my lunchtime walk.  This one was also to a church, a small non-denominational one that looks like the building may originally have been a Brethren Church, by its design.  It is well kept, as are the grounds, and as a matter of fact, a yard maintenance man was in the back puttering around.

I love the three-story belfry tower, and as I approached, I remembered that there was a Little Free Library in front of the building that I had previously noticed as I drove by.

The hasp was a bit rusty on the door, but I tapped it with my keys, and it loosened open.  Inside were mostly children's books--a good variety--but there were a few for adults.  I leisurely browsed through, mostly thinking of something for my grandson, but they were all too old for him.  Eventually, I chose a couple for myself and proceeded on my walk.

The church sits on a corner lot, and the north side is a grassy lawn with picnic tables and even a cute little gazebo.  Having some benches inside would have been a lovely idea, so that someone could sit and actually "gaze about," which is where the term comes from.

I tried to take a photo of the entire building before I left.  Even though the sky was cloudy, there was a glare and I didn't quite get the top of the steeple.  I'll have to try again on another day.

This really is a pretty building in good shape, and now I want to research the history of it, using local city directories and newspapers.  That will make an interesting future blog post, I think.

I decided to return up the parallel residential street, instead of the arterial. I was hoping to find a few more older homes to admire.  I wasn't disappointed.  There was a great display of bright red tulips near the sidewalk and steps. 

Several of the homes were displaying the American flag.  There were actually three in a row here, but the one to my immediate left was set back from the street, so I couldn't get it in the photo.  The rock wall reminds me of the one in yard, only this one is taller.

This home is so sweet and charming!  From the diamond on the gable, to the curved walls around the upstairs window, to the multi-paned sash windows, to the arches at the porch roofline, to the porch swing (I have *always* wanted a porch swing, but I don't think my porch roof is sturdy enough!), this place is absolutely darling.  It's just missing some cushions on the swing and some pots of flowers on the porch and steps to be perfect.

When I left the office, it was windy and cool, but by the last few blocks of my return, it was warming up and my cardigan felt a bit too much.

Here are my treasures from the Little Free Library.  The title of A Year in Provence seems very familiar to me, but I don't recall ever reading it.  And I grabbed Anne of Green Gables because just a few days ago, I was thinking I wanted to reread it.  My daughter now has my Lucy Maud Montgomery books, and although I could easily borrow them, it was a good opportunity I couldn't let pass.

I'm looking forward to another walk soon!