There’s This Spot in My Neighbourhood That No One Seems to Know About But Me

(…and a cheeky mink!)

Valerie LaVigne
2 min readMar 9, 2022
Coronation Park Sunrise by Valerie LaVigne 2019

Every few mornings in early spring I leave the gym and it’s still dark and cool. My body is warm from my weight training workout, and there’s still some sweat along my hairline.

As I walk to the parking lot and toss my gym bag in the trunk, I get a quiet thrill of what beauty I will see today.

The short journey by car takes me to a spot in my neighbourhood that no one seems to know about but me.

I park the car in the lot and snuggle into my fleece sweater. The air is cold on my hands this morning, so I grab my soft mitts too.

I need this today. I think to myself and skip over to my secret spot. It’s past the bushes, behind the rocks, in perfect view of the lake and sunrise.

The huge rocks are cold under my bum and I watch as the colours shape in the sky and on top of the lake’s waves. The waves are louder against the jagged shoreline, this morning and it quiets my mind.

I breathe deeper here. I am present.

Until…

A brown furry intruder leaps out from between the rocks and I *gasp* loudly!

“WHAT THE EFF ARE YOU!?” I shout. I try to breathe but the adrenaline is taking over.

Do I fight this tiny fluffy creature or do I flee from him? — (I’ve decided he’s a he okay, keep up! Things are moving fast!)

Then I wondered, if he would fight me?

Things were happening so quickly, before I could make my move, the creature made his. He leaped TOWARD ME and his whole body came up out of the rocks in this elegant tubular way and he disappeared between more cracks in the rocks in front of my feet.

Coronation Park Dawn by Valerie LaVigne 2019

BUT WHERE DID HE GO!!!!? Without making too many sudden moves my eyes darted around the area, I think we were both startled by each other.

I start to catch my breath again. I see the critter leap, this time metres away from where I was sitting. A big *sigh* of relief washes over me. He’s gone.

Now it’s my turn to leave too.

Before getting back into my car I turn around once more. This time I don’t look back at the sunrise.

This time I look back at the special spot in my neighbourhood that I share with my cheeky friend, the furry mink.

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Valerie LaVigne

I write to process the world around me and find my place in the changing world