MORNING WALKS AND TRAVEL TALKS

I've noticed over the years that we sometimes have our best little talks while taking relaxing morning walks. Our serene pine forest trail lends itself to quiet conversations as we hike along with our 3 dogs most every day around 7 or 8 in the a.m. Sometimes it's a 3 dog day & sometimes it's only a 1 one dog day depending on who feels like walking that particular morning. The furry guys are getting a little older & some mornings they just aren't up to walking. Three dog days are best though and it's nice to have the whole gang to-gether. As departure time approaches, our thoughts are more on our upcoming travels these mornings. Have we forgotten to pack something, how far do you think we should drive the first day, will we be stopped at the border for an agriculture check again, should we consider just going to Texas because it would be cheaper, can we really afford to be going this year, should we try & make it to California again, will the tires on the motorhome be ok for one more year, where will we be & what will we be doing a year from now, we lost "how much" on the stock markets yesterday again, do we have enough blankets for the cold desert nights, is Checkers aging hip going to be a problem for getting in & out of the motorhome, is our satellite-internet-TV system going to work once we get down there, because of the poor economy will this be our last winter of traveling south, are we really enjoying our morning walk if we're worrying about all this stuff?? Hmmmmmm!!
Different walks have different squawks. Years ago when I belonged to the Stratford Field Naturalist Club the group walks were very informative. Each person brought along they're own expertise in various fields of interests & hobbies. The bird watchers pointed out & identified the many birds along the way. Other folks drew attention to the abundant wild plants & flowers alongside the trail while others were astute at tree or animal identification. Always an exchange of information & points of interest. I also belonged to the Avon Trail Hiking Club for awhile where the focus was on exercise, wellness, & speed. We would traverse the trails in single file, moving swiftly, keeping the conversations low, & not stopping to look at too much. When I was with the Stratford Camera Club we focused our attentive walks on things like composition, color, shadows & lighting. The eye became trained to look photographically at our surroundings. Conversations revolved around shutter speeds, f-stops, camera brands & lenses. Every outing was an adventure in seeing. All these clubs taught me things that I still remember & use to-day. Many walks & talks with people years ago. Many things learned & many things applied.
And so it is now with our morning walks & travel talks...........................:))
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