At 6:30 Monday morning, I decided to go out for a walk.
I’d been up for a couple of hours (I’ve always been an early riser), had done some stuff on my computer, caught up on the comics and the news of the day, and decided to get some exercise.
The first thing I did was look out my apartment window. No snow in the air, a very slight amount on the ground, and no apparent wind.
Next, I checked with Environment Canada on my computer to make sure Mother Nature wasn’t laying a trap for me. You know the one we get in Prince George: it’s a beautiful looking day, so you step outside and immediately have various body parts start dropping off because it’s chillier than you thought.
But the temperature Monday morning was a very reasonable -7 degrees Celsius, so I pulled on my shoes, my coat, my hat and my gloves, and set off.
It turned out to be an absolutely perfect morning for a walk. There was very little traffic, no wind, and the sidewalks were pretty much bare and dry, as the saying goes.
It gave me a chance to do some thinking, which is something I find I don’t get nearly enough time to do. That’s one of the great things about going for a walk. You’re going to have enough time to do some thinking, and as long as you’re paying a minimum of attention, the chances of winding up in Hixon are pretty slim.
I had my route mapped out before I left, and it’s one I like to use from my apartment because it covers a decent distance without having to cross a lot of major intersections.
I neglected to mention earlier that, in the interest of safety, last winter I picked up a couple of reflective wristbands that just snap around the wrist, so I felt quite safe given the minor amount of traffic and the fact most of the drivers were doing a safe rate of speed.
So as I walked, I contemplated the previous few days, mentally went over my calendar of major things for the next few days, thought (as I frequently do) about sports local and otherwise, and in a surprisingly short time found myself back at my starting point.
A check of my watch revealed I had, in fact, been walking for about an hour. The time had passed very quickly, and I decided I’m going to do more of this walking thing.
Weather permitting, of course.