Photo Journal

Wandering With Wally

I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list.

Susan Sontag

Wandering With Wally

Wally is a tiny walrus

A plastic one at that

He doesn’t speak, but he captures hearts-

My silent diplomat

 

I have to carry him everywhere -

His feet were not made for walking

He soulfully stares as we wander the world

from the corner of my pocket.

 

He probably wishes it was cooler

In the places we go together,

But he doesn’t complain; he just goes along

No matter what the weather.

 

A diplomat, my Wally is -

He’s always making friends

So I always take him with me

When I go to explore new lands.

Overlooking the Atlantic on the way to A Guarda in Spain along the Portuguese El Camino

Resting on a cliff in the Cies Islands National Park in Galicia

Wally carrying a little burden on the Portuguese Way…

Sitting on a signpost along the Portuguese El Camino.

In Italy - sitting on a terrace overlooking the mountains in Emilia Romagna

Resting among the leaves on a sidewalk in Fort Worth

Wandering through a unique historic district of Fort Worth, Wally posed on an outdoor tap dance stage, and beneath the eggplant at a community garden.

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

George Bernard Shaw

I’ve been traveling a lot this fall - to Europe for three weeks, then a quick trip to Indiana and then Texas for my mom’s 80th birthday. Everywhere I go, I bring Wally with me. I found him in a rest area parking lot on a road trip a couple of years ago - he was a little dirty, a little banged up, but adorable. (Click Here to see the first Wally post). Over the past couple years, he’s been stuffed in my luggage, backpack; purse, pockets and/or camera bag - sometimes I just carry him in my hand while I’m walking or running. I’m always looking for photo ops for him while I’m out wandering. He’s very photogenic. He lightens my mood and makes other people smile. Maybe they just think I’m crazy. Either way, it’s ok - I learn a lot by trying to put him into a scene; to have a little fun with perspective, to inject a sense of humor into my travels. I hope you enjoy the results.

Thank you so much for being here! I will see you next week!

Wistfully watching the sun rise over the mountains in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

Celebrating a Year with Wally - A Toy Walrus

The most simple things can bring the most happiness.

Izabella Scorupco

January 13, 2023 - Wally on his own Tiny Planet- Ferndale, Michigan

January 13, 2023

This past week, while I was back in Michigan, I decided to play around with my camera, and my toy Walrus, Wally. I found him almost exactly a year ago at a rest area in Florida while on a road trip. I’ve been taking him everywhere since then. He’s very photogenic. There’s something oddly soulful in his expression. I hope the pictures make you smile; I had fun taking them.

January 14, 2023 - Wally finds an ice cave - Fennville, Michigan

January 14, 2023. The lake does magical things in winter - like this little ice cave which I imagine was created when water filled with sand flowed over the rock and somehow froze in a hollow shell. Later, when it got warmer, some icicles formed. It was almost as if it was custom made for Wally.

January 15, 2023 - Resting on the frozen driftwood

January 15, 2023. Posed Wally on a dark piece of driftwood covered in ice at the edge of Lake Michigan. This cold weather is just right for a Walrus. He’s in his element.

January 15, 2023 - Looking out from a soft moss bed - Pier Cove, Michigan

January 15, 2023. Took Wally on my long run to the Pier Cove Trail. I let him take a break in the soft moss by the edge of the trail mid-run. It turned out to be a beautiful sunny winter day.

January 15, 2023 - Wally gazing wistfully over the lake at sunset.

January 15, 2023. The perfect end to a beautiful sunny January day. Tired and happy, I took Wally down to watch the sunset.

January 16, 2023 - Wally reflecting on the shore of Lake Michigan.

January 17, 2023. Wally and me. Look at those eyes.

Here’s one from last year - not long after I found him. Wally stopping to smell the roses on Miami Beach. I’m thinking about doing an entire book of his adventures. Just for fun.

The true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground.

Gilbert K. Chesterton