My choice of exercise is walking. I've tried many other ways to expend myself but I always come back to walking. I like going to the gym-  when I go. I like to ride my bicycle but man, I've never found the right seat, if you know what I mean. We have this great set of weights, buried out in the garage. I'm just a walker.

I have a distinct memory of 25 years ago walking down the very early street-light lit block where I lived.  That is my time-marker. I've been regularly walking 25 or so years with lots of time off as life dictates.

But no matter how long of a break I take, something in me yearns to get my feet back on the asphalt or the sand or the mulch, press "start" on my Fitbit, and get it done. I keep all my walk stats on a spreadsheet so that I can compete with myself and be accountable. To me.

The distance from my house to Caloosa Park is .35 mile. When I enter the park, I am suddenly drawn into a magical place where not much else exists except this inner world of Nature. I feel like it is a big secret that not many become intimate with and so I am grateful, always grateful. 

Nature seems to interfere with my speed walking goals- and that's not a complaint! I can't tell you how many times I pull the phone out of my pocket, type in the code (face ID doesn't appreciate my sunglasses), open the camera, get a shot or 15, reverse the process and try to get back up to that three mph!

The asphalt trail is 1 mile & the mulch trail is a little over a mile. 

I like to do the mulch first because it is more difficult. 

It feels like easy-street by the time I hit the asphalt trail.

A portion of the park is filled with pine trees. 

It feels and smells just like being in a forest.

👟👟