Trail Tales

This morning marked the second of what I hope will be a regular activity for Clare and me: walks on the Silver Comet Trail. Last Saturday, on a whim, I asked her if she'd be interested in joining me for a walk. To my surprise and delight, she said, "Yeah!" And so we walked 3.5 miles, with her telling me stories the whole way. She was very pleased with herself for walking that distance, and decided that next time, we'd walk 4. Which we did, today! Again, she told me a number of stories, and also initiated lively conversations about a variety of topics. This has proven to be a great venue for the two of us, because I am finally able to truly focus on what she's saying and having an engaged conversation, rather than trying to multitask and only partially paying attention. This is in addition to the physical benefits, too. We're not winning any awards for speed, but I have to remind myself that her legs are significantly shorter than mine. (It's an exercise in patience for me if nothing else.)

Clare says that when she's 10, we're going to walk 8 miles. My ambitions for us aren't quite so lofty, but I like that fact that she's looking to make this a long-term habit.