When I lived in California I used to go hiking, often.  I also rode my bicycle to work at least three days per week, and every weekend as well.  I went to Pilates classes twice a week and was in the best shape I had ever been in my life.

Then we moved.

Now before I say another word you must know that I adore where we live and have no intentions of ever going back to suburbia.

That said, I do miss the ease of being able to hop on my bicycle to go anywhere I liked, and my hiking friends who kept me on the trail as often as I was able to go.  Since moving I have been plagued with back issues and this finds me in not very good shape at all!  I have gained two inches around my waist, and lack the vigor I once had.

I am 59, and I believe too young to be this bad off.  So this week I have started a new path to regain my health.  I ordered two books which are:

1. Hiking Alabama, 3rd: A Guide to Alabama’s Greatest Hiking Adventures (State Hiking Series) by Joe Cuhai    
2. Rail-Trails Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, from Wilderness Press 

You may find these helpful books, or others for your locality, available through Amazon.  (I received no compensation for these endorsements!)

Now I am not going to jump into cycling marathons, or try to hike an 800 foot elevation change, but I have to start somewhere and so Wednesday I started here…

This is a paved, level, two-mile round trip.  I saw a total of two people here during my visit.

Now some might find that lonely, but  there were other encounters along the way…

A hawk

Silent sippers at a trail side Butterfly bar

One graced me by landing on my shoulder.  She was lovely!

A shy little turtle.  Don’t you find the pattern on his shell lovely?

A lazing caterpillar who warmed itself in the sun

And while I was busy with eyes looking through the lens of my camera, the clouds moved in and threatened rain!

I stopped.  “Just  one more shot.”  I told my companions.   “You see, I have been working on getting water droplets to clear up and pop in my photos.”   (I think I am very close with this one!)  I think they were unimpressed…

A tulip tree leaf that was still wet from the morning’s rain.

Stopping at the paved trail’s end,

I promised myself to return another day and continue on, taking the shady trail into the woods.

I turned to my companions and found them looking wistfully in the direction leading back to the car.

“Ok Boys, let’s go home!”

What do you enjoy doing to stay fit?

~*~