Killing Time

Years ago when I had a broken leg and was on crutches, I was forever trying to get people to “save steps” by having them carry more than one thing at a time or do more than one thing that “needed doing” when they got somewhere. It was all too obvious to me on crutches how much energy it took to go back and forth a lot.

To this day I’m still trying to “save steps” including scheduling my in-town activities on the same day. The glitch in that comes when you suddenly find yourself with more time than expected between appointments. Today I had an hour to kill. I could a) drive back home and have a nice cup of tea but I’d spend 15 minutes driving each way and waste gas; b) go to the library and read but it was a beautiful fall day; c) go shopping but I’d already gotten everything I needed; d) go for a walk. I chose d.

Admittedly, I could have walked the streets of Hamilton which would have been different than my country lane. On the other hand, Hamilton has the Madison Lane loop trail, a beautiful walking trail through a small wetland adjacent to their senior housing complex right in the village. The goldenrod and New York & New England asters were still in bloom & the weather was perfect for walking (I did the loop twice) – 60 degrees, mostly sunny, light breeze. It was a great way to spend a little time and, of course, feel virtuous all day.

Footnote – Today I realized I had forgotten to get dog food which meant another trip to Hamilton… so much for “saving steps/gas”!!!