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Never Walk Alone

2/21/2023

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​A recent Valentine’s Day gift of a T-shirt heat press had me thinking about the phrase “Never Walk Alone.”

The connection between the press and the phrase may seem a little farfetched, but I used the press to help recreate one of my favorite shirts. 

​The term “Never Walk Alone” was printed on the front of the shirt along with a hound dog and a leash.

I decided to take this phrase and design a bit further by adding a paw print and a hoof print to a hooded sweatshirt. I additionally decorated the sleeve with cutouts of representations of my walking partners. I almost ran out of room.
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The back of the original shirt sported the saying, “It’s not where you walk, it’s who walks with you.”
I did not embellish the new hoodie with that for a couple of reasons. The first being, that it was plagiarism or possibly a copyright violation.
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The second reason was due to the statement, “it’s who walks with you.” 

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​Kennedy, the goat, walks with me. I didn’t feel like advertising that obvious lapse in good judgement.

 Kennedy is the one who butts anyone walking beside him. The dogs have learned this. They sometimes get stuck behind Kennedy on the trail. When they attempt to pass him, they get butted.

They wait until he is distracted by food and then go around.

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When Kennedy is distracted by food, he regularly falls behind, way behind. He is never in a rush to catch up.
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He also must mess with every trail camera along our path. Last week, I was far ahead when I noticed he was tampering with the trail camera at the pond. “No problem. I will fix it tomorrow, “I thought to myself as we continued on. However, that was one of the windier nights that week and unbeknownst to me, Kennedy had unhinged the camera.
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The next day the camera’s memory card was full and there were more than two thousand photos of a particular tree branch swaying in the wind. 

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​Nonetheless, Kennedy continues to walk with us.
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I have walked alone in order to get certain photos. If my photo subjects are near a roadway or can be easily spooked, I will go it alone.
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​However, for the most part, I will continue to not walk alone in the woods. I always feel kind of selfish for not taking the dogs and the goat with me. They will all stand at the kennel gate and look upon my lonesome steps with sadness, and/or jealously.
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It should be noted that the dogs’ and goat should probably never walk alone for safety and sanity’s sake. 
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​Despite the noise and the disruptive companions, we are not often alone in the woods either. The recent warmup in temperatures have the neighborhood deer herd out and about.

However, the raccoons’ winter den in the hollow tree has been abandoned. The masked mammals are roaming around looking for food and mates. The hollow in the tree now really seemed hollow without them.
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Mammals weren’t the only critters on the move.

On Facebook, folks were posting about the spring arrival of certain birds.

Posters were seeing robins and red-winged blackbirds returning to their respective areas.

​I had spotted a blackbird under our feeder, but I failed to get photo. The bird’s arrival was right on time, according to Gary Edwards. In his book “Birds of Venango County” he wrote that they arrive in mid-February.  

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​Other Facebook posts showed that I was not alone in hoping that we might be ready for some spring growth.

Folks touted snowdrops and snowflakes popping through the thawing ground. More and more skunk cabbage blooms provided a little color to the woodlands.
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I hoped that with these signs we were marching toward spring. I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering why this February seemed more like March with all the windy days.
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The reasons behind the weather changes were a little hard to pin down.

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​After an internet search, I found that “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is a song that was part of the part of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show, “Carousel.”

The search additionally turned up many other song versions by various groups and singers.

The lyrics, while different in some versions, communicated that one does not have to face adversity alone.
During my search I also uncovered many, many quotes on the internet about going it alone.

There are times in life when you should walk alone and times when you shouldn’t.
​Nonetheless, there are many times that I have been ready to let Kennedy walk alone.

​That’s just the nature of things ‘round here. 

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    Author

    "The Nature of Things" features the writings and photographs of Anna Applegate, who is a lifelong resident of Pinegrove Township, Venango County. She is a graduate of Cranberry High School and Clarion University. After a 15-year career in the local news industry, she made a change and now works at a steel finishing plant in Sandycreek Township. She is a avid lover of animals and nature, and a gifted photographer.

    ​Very happy to be able to share Anna's great "The Nature of Things" blog.

    Check out Anna's other artwork here!
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