The horizontal blue line points to our house, and it’s 415 steps to the back door
With a Snowfall Warning of 10 cm of snow to begin falling today I decided to take two walks, one for today and the other for tomorrow when no doubt walking would be an impossibility. A second push for extreme winter will begin on Sunday and into Monday-Tuesday, but I’ll take two days at a time. With a biting wind chill making it feel like 19°C and discouraging loitering, I’ll do the same with this blog and get to the point.
Walking is really a leisurely stroll. I do not wear a pedometer because I’ve not changed the batteries in mine, but more so it’s because I’ve found a way around it. I count my steps manually. It sounds kinds of nerdy but it keeps me focused and aware of what I’m doing. I treat it like a Lean exercise, all about improvement, value and productivity. I maintain accuracy and keep it scientific by jotting into Notes on my iPhone.
Here are my stats for Walk 1 today’s walk. (Each has to be multiplied by two to factor in the return trip):
10 steps from backdoor to yard.
405 steps from yard to the blue line in the photo below.
360 steps along blue line to highway. (I stop at the Stop sign.)
That’s a return total of 1,550 steps.
A step or pace measure approx. 26 inches, bringing Walk 1 to just above half a mile (.513 miles or .82 km).
Walk 2 (for tomorrow)
1330 steps from blue line going north to farm on second photo.
That a return trip of 2660 steps which is just over a mile (1.1 miles or 1.76 km)
Total walking distance is about 1.6 miles or 2.6 km.
My USUAL ROUTE is from back door to farm return, and not going up to the highway. That is usually 3,470 steps or nearly one and a half miles (1.4 miles or 2.29 km) which I usually do in 40 minutes but 60 if I include spending time with the cats.
I had taken a similar count in summer and the results were significantly different. The reason? I take smaller steps in the snow and hence have a higher step count.
Can you spot Eiffel?
The main reason I walk to the farm is to see the cats. 
Sir Smokey was all furry-purry and happy. Eiffel was his usual crazy wild self, peeping from the rafter nears the planters safe from being touched. As if anyone wanted to touch him! (no sour grapes, right?)
Walking is not about capturing distance. It is the fresh air, the serene fields, the delightful animals (excluding bears and coyotes), the healthiness of being outside in a clean environment, exercising my body and keeping “youthful” in the coolness that preserves the skin. The ability to use Lean to improve my overall lifestyle self as I’ve done in my business practices. I’ve found that walking in the countryside brings thoughts of God more naturally than walking elsewhere and for this I am grateful.
How do you keep your walking fresh and exciting?
