A Morning Walk

Doubling up on my exercise every day means twice the walking, which isn't hard when you live in the country. Come along with me and Shadow this morning on the first of four walks I take with the pups.

First we need to go past our neighbor's property. This walk was the day after lightning struck the old magnolia tree on their property.

The road I walk with the dogs is about quarter mile in length, so it's a half mile round trip. Summer temperatures have me walking it twice very early in the morning and twice just after sunset. (Shadow, slow down, there's a speed limit!)

The road also slopes down, so my legs get a nice workout.

Here's where I switch sides so I can see the cars coming toward me (deaf people can't hear you when you drive up behind them.)

The road is pretty quiet in the morning, and the air is cool. The trees keep most of my walk shaded so it's really nice.

Sometimes there are horses in these pastures here.

We don't go to the very end of the road, as traffic out there is a bit heavy and it spooks the pups. So here's where we cross and turn back to walk home.

There's a drainage ditch on the other side of the road that turns into a seasonal mini-lake. Ducks and egrets like to hang out here in the evenings.

The walk back slopes up, so this is when my legs start getting the real workout.

There's a gate here where people often walk through from the neighborhood next to ours. I love the houses over there; they're all really beautiful and their properties are gorgeous. Someone also plants honeysuckle over there, which perfumes most of my walk.

The toughest part. I always feel great after I get to the top of the slope, even if I am a little sweaty.

Another view of the lightning-struck magnolia. That's the end of our walk -- thanks for coming with us!