Friday, January 04, 2013

Ten years of walking

Ten years ago my friend Beth and I were at a New Year's eve party and got to talking about our need for some exercise. Beth had had foot surgery several months before. I had retired from my full-time job. We both felt like slugs. We decided to try walking together several times a week and made a plan to meet the following morning near the Garden Home section of the Fanno Creek Trail. The walk was beautiful, the conversation was fun and the coffee afterward was delicious. It became our habit to walk most days and it has lasted for ten years.

Yesterday was cold and clear, with the moon quite visible in an unusually blue January sky.


We took a goofy photo to commemorate ten years.

I have blogged about our walks many times—about our fight with the Portland Golf Club to remove the razer wire they put up along their section of the trail; about foggy mornings and sunny mornings; and silly moments; rare sights; new friends; rainy walks; fall color; critters and encounters. When I moved to our current house we moved our walk to another section of the trail near the Koll Wetlands and the historic Fanno Creek Farmhouse. For the last year my friend Paula joins us when she can. We have learned about the history of our area and the wildlife and started so many days with friendship, fresh air, beauty and inspiration. We agreed we would keep walking as long as we could find something to talk about. I don't think we will run out of topics soon!

Here is a little sample of ten years on the Fanno Creek Trail.


8 comments:

  1. How wonderful! Walking regularly gives a terrific boost to our health and spirits. You have such a gorgeous trail to use. :)

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  2. You find the best music. Thanks

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  3. Really enjoyed this look back. Thanks.

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  4. Hooray for morning walks. Kudos to you and Beth for keeping it up for a decade and beyond.

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  5. Congratulations! Here's to the next ten.

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  6. Hi,

    Can you tell me the music that accompanies this wonderful video?

    Thanks!

    (Lurker Jeannette)

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  7. The music used with the slide show is Leo Kottke, "Realm."

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