Every Walking Thought

It is exactly a 3.13 mile round trip from my backdoor, east at the end of the driveway to the corner, and then back west all the way to the cemetery, around the corner headed north to Hughes road and then all the way back home. My max speed today was 4.3 mph, with a moving average of 3.0 and and overall average of 2.9. The 2.9 probably comes from when I stopped at the end of our driveway before heading west to make sure the girls went and told Papa they were home. They walked the first half mile with me, but they way they walk~back and forth, weaving all over~it was probably closer to a mile for them!

It takes less willpower to walk outside than it does to walk on a treadmill, for several reasons. Walking outside is prettier and more entertaining by far. But you also only have to have the willpower to go halfway. Once you get a mile and a half from home, you have no choice but to complete the trip and come back, especially if you leave the cel phone home on purpose. On a treadmill, you can bail out at anytime.

It is astounding what you can hear when you also leave the ipod or headphones at home. Did you know that a beetle actually makes a noise when it walks on pavement? The sound of the breeze in the grass, far away traffic, jets ever farther away, the metronome beat of my shoes on the road, the thrum of a ladybug's wings, and the waterfall of burbling, twittering, chirping bird song were only a few of the sounds I noticed today.

I probably should have worn sunscreen, but I've waited so long for the sunshine that it will be worth it if I'm a bit toasted later. And why do my fingers feel puffy when I walk? It goes away almost as soon as I get home. Hmmm.

The picture above is a trading card made with two stamps that I carved. It is one of my favorite quotes.