Early Walk in the Woods

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

I walked this morning and it felt so good.  I'm not sure that I conceived any "great thoughts" though.  The robins are crazy out there - so many.  I read an article discussing Blue Zones (areas in the world where people live longer) and the common lifestyle characteristics of these zones.  One of the identified zones, Sardonia, Italy boasts the importance of walking.  There are many shepherds there, all who walk an average of five miles a day.  I walked three today; not quite a shepherd but...pretty good, I think.

"Walking is man's best medicine."
- Hippocrates

Another article cites the mental health significance of walking in nature.  A Japanese research study even proposes that a walk in the woods exposes one to "wood essential oils" which help immune systems and  lower stress and blood pressure levels.

 “My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the heck she is.” ― Ellen DeGeneres

(I've heard humor helps also!)

I found these peeking out of the snow on a south-facing hill!  I think I'll walk again tomorrow.

  "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching."
- St. Francis of Assisi