More often than not when I walk outside I’m birding and carrying my Canon with a 600 mm lens. If I don’t expect to see birds, I sometimes leave my camera at home and focus on walking fast and covering more miles.
On a recent walk on the Dunes Trail I was slowed by the beautiful flowers. Beginning with several Azaleas bordering the parking lot.
Of course, I had to stop, pull out my iPhone and get a closeup of them.
The path on the other side of the bridge didn’t have any more azaleas, but it was covered in lupine.
And, once again, I had to pause long enough to take a closer look.
Apparently my Apple Watch didn’t appreciate my stopping to take pictures and repeatedly asked me if I wanted to stop timing my walk. I ignored it and pushed the dismiss tab so it would at least add the mileage to my total.
I was sure my Fitness app would warn me that my Walking Pace was trending down later, but that didn’t stop me from taking another shot of this beautiful Oregon Iris further along the trail.
I’ve been trying to increase my walking pace at the YMCA, including jogging a lap, to get in shape for your upcoming trip to Colorado and a summer hiking on Mt. Rainier, but, outside, I still break for snapshots of Nature’s beauty.
Once I hit 80, I realized it’s more important to enjoy the moment than it is to prepare for the future. I probably should have realized it much sooner.