Amazing...

So I went for a walk this morning, first time in about a week and a half.  It was still pretty dark when I left home.  I decided that I would walk for about half an hour and see how far that got me.  Round trip was exactly 1.4 miles.  I started out by crossing the street and walking down the sidewalk.  Across the sidewalk were some wet bunny foot prints.  After a minute or two I rounded a corner and there was the bunny.  Bunny hopped off into the grass and I continued to walk.  After another couple of minutes, I heard a rustling to my left and looked up and no kidding, there was a bald eagle about 6 feet above and a few feet in front of me.  It flew across my path and out over the field to my right.  To that I uttered an audible "wow" even though I was the only one there.  Still marveling over the eagle sighting, I continued to walk down the sidewalk.  I was coming up to an area where to the right was a corn field and to the left across the street was an open field bordered by a wooded area.  Still walking forward I saw something move a little way down the sidewalk.  Then I realized it was a red fox.  It came from the cornfield to my right and crossed the road and cantered off into the open field.  Pretty amazing.  We occasionally see one or the other, but not usually both at the same time and not usually that close up.  Usually if we see an eagle it is circling high above a field or the pond hunting.  If I see a fox it us usually running around in the ditch by the highway.

Early morning...

I really had to talk myself into walking this morning.  I have really felt tired this week and so I just want to be lazy in the morning.  I have to remind myself that I really do enjoy being outside in the morning.  The fresh bit of cool that is in the air and the birds singing.  I noticed that sunrise was quite a bit later than it was the last time I walked. A reminder that we are on the downside of summer and fall is not so far away. There was one particular redwing blackbird this morning who was annoyed by my presence. Kept flying and chirping at me about 6 feet above my head.  I'm guessing its nest was close by somewhere.

I was greeted by purrs and invitations for belly rubs by my funny little kitty when I got home.  She waits in "her" chair for me every time I walk.  It's right next to the door. :)

Averages...

When I walk I use an app on my phone called Run Keeper.  It tracks the miles I have gone and keeps an average of my time.  I have noticed an improvement in my average, so that means I am at least walking a little faster than I did when I started a few weeks ago.  Today my average minutes per mile was 18.39.  On June 14th is was 21.25.  Yay, at least I can see a marked improvement in my average times, even if I don't see it elsewhere.

Have a great day!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

So today I had the opportunity to work at our Sartell office, which is only about a mile from my house. There is literally sidewalk from just across the street from my front door all the way to the parking lot at work.  I took that opportunity to walk both to and from work today.  It is just about 2 miles round trip.  The weather has been unbelievably hot and humid here this week, but this morning was much better.  I was thankful that the weather was decent and fairly cool for a July morning.  

Choices....

I was recently reminded by a sweet friend that this is all about making more good choices than bad choices.  Unfortunately,  have been doing just the opposite lately.  Right now, at least, I have to consciously make better decisions with each choice that I am presented with moment by moment throughout my day.  Sometimes that is exciting, sometimes hard, always exhausting.  I work as a bank teller and in my job I am faced with hundreds of critical decisions throughout my day.  "Is this person who they claim to be?", "Should I cash this check for this person?", "Is the endorsement correct?", "Am I following the correct regulations and laws?", "Is this person being taken by a scammer?", "If so, what do I do to help them not be taken?" and on and on... by the time I get home, I don't want to have to make more tough decisions.  I want the decisions I make at home to be easy ones.  Ones I don't have to think critically about.  I think that is part of why this is hard for me.  The hard truth is that I need to do it anyway.  

Discouraged...

Actually gained 3 pounds over the last 2 weeks.

Lazy...

I have been lazy the last few days and I have just plain said "I don't feel like walking, so I'm not going to".  This is what I need to overcome.  I have found if I make it an adventure of walking in a different place than usual, that it makes it much more enticing to walk.  I get bored with the same old scenery.  I need to scout out different and new places to go.