5. It's raining. Okay, given that this is the Pacific Northwest, where we supposedly live under clouds all year round and we have moss growing between our toes, you might think it rains all the time. But that's not exactly true. Even on the rainiest days, there may be times of reprieve while the clouds soak up more vapor so they can unleash a new downpour. This excuse only works a few days of the year, therefore. Sigh.
4. It's cold -- or it's hot. During the winter, it sometimes gets icy or snowy. I don't mind snow, but I hate everything about being outside on ice. Driving, walking, standing -- none of these activities are performed well on ice. But just plain cold? As long as I'm walking and wearing appropriate clothing (especially a hat and gloves), I'm fine. And the summertime? We usually have a couple of weeks of really hot temperatures, but there's always morning or evening when it's comfortable. Bah.
3. It's going to get dark. There is about a four-week period when it gets dark way early. But since I only work part-time, I've got one morning and two afternoons a week that could afford some walking time. Grrrrr.
2. I should be [insert menial housework chore here]. Yep, I definitely could be doing that. But if I go for a walk and stir up those helpful little endorphins, I might actually feel like doing something for a few minutes when I get home. Hmpf.
1. The dog. One of the reasons I hired Polo was to be my walk-buddy, but he still hates cars. He is afraid of being trapped inside of a car. He's afraid of other cars driving nearby. He's afraid of any kind of noise a car might make. He won't walk more than a half block in our neighborhood, because then we're getting too close to a busy [noisy] street. If I decide to take him someplace in the car, I'll probably have to tug him at least part of the way outside and then lift him at least halfway into the back seat. And even if I can't smell, I don't want my car to remind everyone else that I've been lugging a wet dog around. Ugh.
Today, I was out running errands and realized that I'd be finished before dark and I'd be very close to a scenic little lakeside park. It's not a place I want to take Polo, because he'd be way too distracted by offleash pups. But I knew there would be other people around, so I felt safe going there alone. Guess what?
I did it! I walked for 20 minutes! In the cold! Without my walk-buddy! And I loved it! Endorphins are my friends. I should remember this fact.
Another good reason to walk, besides the physical betterment that results? I can take pictures any time I want, and there are plenty of great things to see. Here are a couple from today's icy lake:
The second photo is kind of beyond the ability of my camera phone's, er, abilities. But it looks just impressionistic enough to be art, so there you go.
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