Walking Is Good For The Mind
Really, I miss riding. You could get in the breeze with nothing but the sound of the rushing air and the occasional major diesel engine whizzing by. It was the solitude, with nothing but your mind generating random thoughts–which was great until you had something you really wanted to remember–but couldn’t stop to write it down. 
So now, I’ve substituted walking my 12 lb Bichon Frise–that fluffy little white faced dog with the black eyes that look up and grin at me. I can see she is enjoying the air as well–never mind smelling every bush, shrub, or tree.
Interesting how other dog walkers approach you–either knowing their dog will behave or won’t–and tugging them tightly to the side. My little girl, Frosty (actually Frosty Dancer Nampa Dandy–Frost for short), exhibits a mild interest unless the opposing dog becomes aggressive. On the walk today, I was struck by how many little white tailed bunnies were about–noteworthy because one block away my little dog and I met with a coyote just a few days before. No, we aren’t out in the country–merely greenbelts and golf courses. 
The walks give me the same pleasant drop in blood pressure, leaving the cares of the world back home, and while not “in the wind” at 75 mph, still the quiet privacy of alone time. Thinking; making those mental lists, generating ideas, blog prompts, and snapping those mental pictures of scenes to be remembered.
Well, that is, until the advent of the smart phone. Damn.
Isn’t modern technology grand? To aid in my walking goals, I discovered the sport apps. Two in particular, because I couldn’t find one to do everything I wanted. Mind you, both are multi-purposed and will calculate everything except your decreasing checkbook balance. They will monitor your heart rate, total your miles, check your weight loss, scrutinize your running, accumulate your burned calories, keep the history, suggest exercise partners, and propose challenges. However, the “S Health” app on my Galaxy 5 won’t chart my route. Rats! The purpose was to walk 10,000 steps per day–that would equate to approximately five miles. Sure it became too much in the oppressive heat of Phoenix. So I revised that to 7,000; also a bit much. 
Endomondo will do much of the same, including the benefits of calculating your average speed, duration, and distance AND follow you via GPS on your route. Great! You can even note your favorite routes and “share”. (uh oh) Here’s the rub–even set to walking–Endomondo won’t calculate the steps. If I have a monumental thought, it can be recorded on that whiz-bang machine. Or, if I really don’t want to think, I can have music the entire route with both apps. What??!
No! I was seeking quiet, thinking time.
And, I think the walk was doing the dog some good, too!
Rosepoint Publishing 
Quiet time, thinking time … yes, that’s my goal for walking. I used to be able to remember story ideas that bubbled up, but now I must write stuff down or by the time I get home, it’s gone. Sad.
So it’s a small notebook in my pocket or else a smartphone that I can write on–wait, I need reading glasses for that! And a bigger pocket! — or else dictate to. I have only a texting phone, being cheap. :) (And having a laptop at home and at school. I don’t need additional Internet accessibility, right?) My sons think otherwise, so I sense that a smartphone is in my future. The winds of change…
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smart phones are expensive, but so powerful. far more capability than i’m prone to handle. however, i have found a lot of potential uses for them! one is verbal notes to myself. thanks for the comment!
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Taking a walk is primal in nature and is a part of the very nature of a human being. The sounds and visions of nature alone are enough to return our spirits to joy and happiness.
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so true–especially enjoy the birds. and the dog–you know the saying: “birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, and dogs gotta walk.” thanks for the comment!
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