Hi Shelley and Everyone as well,

I have another snake story for you. Recently I was out in the garden picking up sticks ready to mow down the dry grass.

Feeling something spongy under my shoes, I looked down to see about a 1.5 metre brown snake!

I jumped up in the air and squealed at the same time, only to land back on top of the snake which hadn't moved. I then tried to jump forward and that is the way the silly snake went too! One foot landed on the snake again!

Eventually we both decided to part company, me going one way and the snake the other! I then went inside and put on my knee height rubber boots!

Snakes! They do get my heart racing!

From (Mrs) Dools

Me again Sheeley,

I wanted to thank you for the recognition as the person starting a thread that has hopefully inspired people to consider things to be thankful for.

The hug was much appreciated as well.

I try to hug our cat, but she doesn't like it very much and only tolerates it for about 2 seconds. She doesn't like to sit on our laps either.

We tried putting her in a harness so we could take her for a walk outside, she just lay down in a heap and refused to move. We don't like to let her out by herself due to the snakes!

Hello Elizabeth

I am so sorry that you were struggling at the lake, with the sun on your face, bringing up those memories. I wish I could take all the memories away for you. If I was with you at the lake, I would have hugged you, if that is what you would have wanted.

Much love for you today

Shelley xx

Hey Mrs Dools

I have this image of this kitty, with a harness on around its middle. It is sort of  trying to slink it's body out of the contraption. Can't manage that.... so it lies down in defeat and simply refuses to move at all. Ha Ha... Well at least you tried to get he or she out to take a walk. So your heart was in it.

With much love

Shelley xx

 Hugs to all

 Came across this today.....

Exercise, including walking releases endorphins, which create feelings of happiness . Studies have shown that exercise can even alleviate symptoms among the clinically depressed. For this reason, doctors recommend that people suffering from depression or anxiety (or those who are just feeling blue) pencil in some time for regular exercise. In some cases, exercise including walking, can be just as effective as antidepressant pills in treating depression.

So there you go........

Shell xx

Thanks Shelley for the hug. Much appreciated. The info re exercise & endorphins is well known. Walking is also recognised as one of the safest exercises for people with nearly all conditions and all levels of fitness. 

Dools your incident with the snake makes a very funny story although I don't imagine it was funny at the time. I remember as a child living in the bush being instructed by my dad to make lots of noise as we walked to scare away snakes. Of course I listened very carefully and understood what he was saying so My siblings & I would sneak through the bush quietly particularly when we saw a snake so we could sneak up close. At least we were careful not to stand on them!!!!

You are very welcome Elizabeth!

Shelley xx

The one positive is I am still walking each day regardless how I feel. Hopefully I will get back to enjoying it rather than enduring it. I left early as I was awake anyway and wanted to avoid the heat except it has warmed up really early. My daughter& family is visiting today since she missed coming last Sunday. Her children have recovered.

Hi Bushscout,

I really enjoyed reading your post with all the information about walking. It will be interesting to read further posts from you and all others who post here.

Hi Everyone ,

I went for a walk this morning and was happy to see and hear different birds. I am not sure if the colourful ones were parrots or not, but they were very pretty. I like to listen to the magpies as well, they have a lovely song.

Today I wandered a long a dirt road surrounded by paddocks with a few huge majestic gum trees.  Unfortunately we are very close to the highway, so it is hard to get away from the noise of traffic.

This morning I really tried to take notice of all that was around me. I looked at the shape of the clouds, picked some leaves to smell from the various gum trees and pepper tree. I stopped to watch a rabbit jump and scamper across a paddock with crop stubble until I could not see it any longer.

As I was walking along, I was thinking of all the things I am thankful for.

It was such a refreshing walk in so many ways.

Almost home I was feeling very lethargic and ready to put my feet up, when down a very long drive way rushed two over excited guard dogs! They dashed out onto the road, I sped up and  thankfully had enough distance between me and their property for them to not chase me up the road.

They have bailed me up in the past, barking at me, baring their teeth and making me feel quite threatened. Give me a snake any day!

Next time I walk along that road I might take a pair of those walking poles with me!

Any ideas on how to control wayward dogs?

Suggestions will be gratefully accepted.

From Dools

 

 

Hi, I have read that before about walking and exercise being beneficial in so many ways. There certainly are so many benefits.

Regarding the cat, she really didn't enjoy the walking idea at all. My husband doesn't like her out in the garden at all due to the snakes, the 4 cats next door that live in our yard and he is afraid she will run away.

We do have a fully enclosed patio area with plants where she can sit in the sun and is entertained by the canaries in the cage. Now and then she climbs the cage and sits on top looking down at her dinner! Ha. Ha.

Now and then I do let her go outside and walk around with her. Most times she returns to the door and wants to go back inside.

A walk would do our large and lazy  cat a lot of good!

From Dools

 

Hi Elizabeth,

Yer, it is not a good idea to step on snakes at all! It is a good thing this one was not angry at me for jumping on it!

When out walking this morning, I was trying to be more observant as to where I was stepping and what was around me.

I grew up in tiger snake country. One darn snake lived in the wood heap!

One morning while walking to school, we saw a huge tiger snake sleeping on the front verandah of the local shop, with the shop keeper just standing there wondering how he was going to remove the snake to open the shop.

Another time I was walking down to a beach and almost trod on a huge brown snake sunning itself on the narrow track!

And who said that walking was good for you! Ha. Ha. They must have meant walking where there are no poisonous snakes.

From Dools

Thanks Shelley for this much useful thread. It seems well loved (well trodden ?) and so it should. Walking is terrific therapy. I am an habitual daily walker and feel frustrated by too many consecutive rainy days.

I find it sad that many of us do not pay close attention to whatever we come across while commuting from one place to the other. We are far too (pre) occupied with what is within us. I'm always surprised when people have no idea what I'm on about if I mention an oddly shaped tree or the rusty remnants of old fencing at the roadside.. They go past those almost everyday and have been doing so for years...but they never saw them.

I find that really being into a walk, with all senses engaged takes us out of ourselves for a while. A  welcome break ! Walking helps focus on the present, not on thoughts of a gone forever past or a future that may never happen. It put things back into the right perspective, the here and now.

I live among dense bushland and do a lot of tracking training with dogs. No such thing as a flat space, dense undergrowth, gullies and creeks, heaps of wildlife. One can't afford not to focus on what is around, overhead...or underfoot. When not working, just walking, the dogs use this time as we humans read the paper. Who passed here, grubbed for roots there, marked a territory along the ridge ? Who lost feathers or got killed overnight ? Who dunnit etc...

Being interested in conservation and inter species communication, I can spend long minutes, observing an ants nest or striking a "conversation" with a wallaby or goanna. The old brain and its thought overload becomes silent. I still exist but I don't know it. I just become part of it all. Peace.

Hello Dools

You sound like such a colourful person. I loved reading your posts about your adventures that you have encountered whilst out walking. Even though I have not physically managed to walk much these last couple of days, I have now just imagined myself walking where you walked. And it made me feel a bit happier. Almost like I could walk in my mind, thus still getting some sort of benefit. It has taken my thoughts and emotions off other things, like a mini holiday. So thankyou very much for sharing with us all. Way good.....

Much love

Shelley xx

Hello Starwolf

Yes I agree with you, I do find walking a sort of therapy. I am only just starting to learn this though. I love the sound of your bushland and walking all through it. I bit more adventure, that is what I see. I also watch ants, these ants I kept looking at were walking with such purpose. You hardly ever see them still. Always busy.  Anyway I was having a picnic on my driveway. There is a long garden that borders the whole length. There is large green ants living in that garden. A couple were coming up close to carry away the crumbs that were from my sandwich.  I just stayed focused on them, even pulling off bigger pieces of bread to see how much they could actually carry. They were carrying huge amounts. Bigger then there own size. Fascinating...... and a good distraction from our struggles within.

When walking using all your senses is good, like smelling the scent of roses, noticing rusty fencing, seeing trails of ants, hearing the sound of water, noticing the way the sun is, feeling the coolness of the breeze, or even feeling raindrops on your face. Our surroundings are full of interesting stuff.

Anyway you must be pretty physically fit.. Take care and thanks for taking us on a walk in our minds through your bushland..

Shell xx

 

Hi Shelley,

For one reason or another, I haven't been for a walk yet today. Maybe when I get off the computer I will go for a walk. It is a much cooler day here in our part of S.A. today, so no excuse for not walking really!

Right now I will take you on a virtual walk of a trail my Dad has constructed on his nephew's farm.

Once you leave the beach, follow the path along the old bullock track. Keep your eye on the ocean now and then to spot any dolphins which may be swimming past. If you are luck you may see a seal on the rocks as well.

Look out for the sign post near the Shea oak trees, the track is only narrow, so don't miss it. As you emerge from under the canopy of the Shea oaks, look up into the larger trees and see if you can spot any of the red tailed black cockatoos, they like to feed on the nuts in these trees.

As you follow the trail that is now meandering along the trickling creek, you will notice tracks along the valley and heading up the hills. These are made by the wallabies. occasionally you will see kangaroos further up the track.

Watch out for the prickly acacia bushes, they really do sting if you brush against them! They are great for the birds though, as they form great protection against the feral cats!

Stop for a while at the little waterfall and imagine what it must be like to see this flowing in the winter or even after a heavy summer's rain. Sit for a while on the fallen tree and watch for the dragonflies. See how their leaves glisten in the sunlight. Listen tot he songs of the different birds.

You may catch a glimpse of a robin red breast or a blue wren if you are still enough. Further up the track be sure to look for the sign showing you where to find the eagle's nests in the top of the gum trees. They are huge! If you find golf balls along the way, the crows collect them from the nearby golf course and drop them here for some reason.

The horizontal tree you are now climbing over was there when I was a child, we used to marvel at how the branches could still grow towards the heavens when the trunk was flat against the ground.

By now you may have reached the shallow stagnant pond, filled with green wispy looking slimy growth, imagine how silky and soft that slime must be. This is the area where you might see the kangaroos.

Once you encounter the dirt road, the trail is finished. Return back down the trail. You have a totally different view now of everything you have just seen. Dools

 

 

That was beautiful Dools

I could hear all the gentle songs of different birds, and I even did see a glistening dolphin sort of gliding in an arch in the cool ocean. I was mindful of the prickly bush as I walked by it. I even saw a bushy looking cat poking out from behind that bush. Yes the golf balls look a bit odd there.

I have just now scrolled back up to read the "Virtual Walk" again by the talented author/ writer that is you.... Dools

Gosh I have only just read the first paragraph again, and I have already been transported to sand that has little hollows, where previous feet have trod. I can smell the ocean air and feel a soft breeze. I can see leaves dotting the ground on the track, and I have now turned around to see more dolphins and yes there is some seals, a group of them hovering together on a large rock. With waves crashing into the side of the brown rock. The seals are not bothered at all by the sprays of water vapour. I actually have held my binoculars up to my eyes now, so I can see them quite clearly. 

It is wonderful even the first paragraph of the "Virtual Walk", so much that I am going to hang out here for a while just looking out at the dolphins and seals......

Thankyou Dools for taking us along the " Virtual Walk"

With much love

Shell xx

Hi Shelley,

Thanks for sharing your ant life experience. Aren't they just fascinating ? And yes, just watching all this activity could give one a headache ! Such purpose to them... I also admire their ability to cooperate. If the load is too heavy, they'll team up although it may take a whole bunch of them to carry it to safety. Distracting green ones with food was a wise move. They can be a tetchy lot ! Good to know you deflected their wrath.

Animal group consciousness never ceases to amaze me. I love watching flights of birds suddenly change the geometry of their formation and its order without missing a beat. Disturbed brumbies taking off at speed, all in the same exact direction at the same time. Although in large numbers and in a panic, there's  never a collision. Walking through a dense cloud of tiny midges...such a seemingly chaotic pattern of ultra rapid flight in every direction but they never touch each other. They instantly part around you as you walk, like a living curtain. Try that one in a human crowd on the move !

So much natural wisdom, wonder and beauty is about, but our self-imposed blinkers and blindfolds makes us oblivious. Even in populated area, close observation of people (both unguarded and "on display", traffic etc...can give great insight into human behavior generally and also into our own.

As for being fit, sometimes I feel more exhausted than athletic. Following keen and young tracking dogs (whose only intent is to reach their goal as fast as possible) over rough terrain can make you painfully aware of your shortcomings. Especially when they reach the top of a hill at full speed then turn around with that "C'mon woman, what are you dawdling for" look...Aaaargh ! It does make one feel a tad inadequate.

And yes, you're right Shelley, it is possible to go walking or doing anything else in mind only. All it requires is a strong imagination and the ability to engage all senses in the process. You obviously have this privilege. Enjoy its blessing. It is a terrific asset.

Happy trails !

Thank you for taking us along this path from the seaside. I thoroughly enjoyed the walk. I sometimes miss the ocean, the coastal breeze and distinctive landscape. Regularly, I feel the need for an iodine fix, the urge to drive over the range to satisfy it.

So thank you for this deep breath of oceanic air.

Well my imagination has currently gone walkabout. I will read the last few posts again later to see if that helps me relax. I did a short walk this afternoon with my husband. It was too sunny to be very energetic. We haven't walked together for ages. Certainly not since his last couple of hospital admissions. I have just rang a friend & arranged to visit next weekend. She lives near the beach so we can go for walks and my husband gets on with her husband so  it gives me a break. 

Hi Elizabeth and hey Shell for 'Walking Shoes'..its a great help in my recovery

Nice1 on your walk with your husband...You always keep trying...The more I read on 'Walking Shoes' the more I heal.

Being a short walk or a long one is really not relevant..Its the strength to go for a walk in the first first place

Its the Quality...not Quantity...You guys are wonderful...I have learned (again) again not to 'fight' against my agoraphobia but will do only what I can do :-) Thankyou

I hope your hubby is doing okay Elizabeth

Kind Thoughts

Paul

Hugs to all that would like one.....

It is 12 :20am, and we have just returned from the beach. It was so so lovely out there.  We drove on out about 8:30pm. I went swimming in the ocean baths, which was awesome, especially because it was so hot today. I walked through the water, but I was a little cautions, as I don't like the feel of slimy seaweed. But no drama there, I didn't feel any.

To get down to the baths, you need to walk down a long set of concrete steps. I walked up and down these a couple of times, just to work out a bit. I did get puffed, and you can feel the ache in the backs of your legs. But it was all worth it. Way good.....

Starwolf I know what you mean by the ants, they are very fascinating to watch. And I have also seen them help each other with their loads. I thought I was the only one that watched ants. I don't think I have ever seen my family watch them, like I do. Brumbies are horses aren't they?, like the ones in "The man from Snowy River "movie. I have never seen them run in the wild. But I don't think they collided in that movie. I guess when you think about it, that is quite amazing isn't it, how they can run like that. So when you are out walking with your dog's, what are they tracking, like rabbits or what? You have a very interesting life, so different to most people. So do you get any snow up there? Hope you have a good day tomorrow. Take care.

With many hugs... Do you like hugs, I am not sure??

Shell xx

 

Hey Shell

thankyou again for your walking shoes post....I do hope you have visited the Cafe for a coffee...:-) I left a plain white on the counter for you Shell

Its 19C here....I am over heatwaves....the effort that you put in with your walks is huge..as always..Ocean Baths? I wish!

Im knocking off early Shell....lot happening with my mum at the moment....

Its all yours...Ciao

I do hope you have some quality sleep

(Hugs)

Paul

Hey Elizabeth, that sounds really good, that you will be able to visit your friends. You said you enjoyed walking on the beach at sunset, was that right?  Hope you have a bit of a rest too, and a change of scenery helps with emotions and stuff. Well it helps me. Enjoy the delicious salt air, and maybe have some lobster at sunset, for I know you like it.

Much love

Shelley xx

Hey Paul

I am glad you are finding this " Walking Shoes" thread helpful to you in your life. I am unsure how you find it helpful though. Does reading it motivate you in some way. Because you are already pretty fit.......running up your steep driveway.

I visited the CAFE just before I went out to the beach at around 8:00pm maybe... But I will go visit it again soon. Thankyou for thinking of me, and leaving me a white coffee on the counter. I very much appreciate your kindness. 

I do hope your dear mum is OK Paul??

Hugs to you also, I always seem to need hugs, I am not sure why though. So thanks for yours.

Shell xx

 

Hey Paul, 

is your mum ok? Hope whatever is going on will be alright! 

Hugs

skye

Hello Skye, Shelley, Paul, Elizabeth, Stafwolf,

Another hot day here today.  I had intended taking Holly for a good walk today, but I will have to wait until it cools down a lot.  And maybe defer for a couple of days, as it is meant to get cooler by mid week I think.

I have loved reading all your posts, including the virtual walk.  Good one.

Paul, I reiterate Skye's concern over your Mum.  Is she okay?

I will report back once I get my walk in.

Sherie xx

 

Oops, my apologies Starwolf, for the typo in your name in my last post.

Feeling very tired and 'doughy' this morning, hence the error.    ( - :

Just another reason why I should make the effort to go for a walk, doesnt it?

Sherie xx

I really want to go for a walk today, my psycologist has said to walk every morning, but I'm struggling guys, it seems such an effort to just get by at the moment! 

Yes I understand Skye, I feel the same.  Struggling, that is.  And yeah, doing anything is an effort.

I keep reminding myself that I must exercise whether its walking, pilates, swimming, anything.  That I have promised myself and my friends here that I will so.  And I do not make false promises, I always do what I say I will do. So there is no choice, it just has to be done. The good thing is that once I do exercise, I always feel so much better for having done so.  Almost a sense of relief.  One more thing I can tick off my list of 'to do's' for the day.  And I know its good for me.  There is really no excuse, other than the heat, for me not to do some form of exercise.  And even if its too hot to walk outside, I can attend my pilates classes or play my pilates DVD at home.

But ................ its still a major effort.  And currently being so tired, it requires even more of an effort.  Just when I need the exercise the most.

Keep pushing yourself.  And when I say that to you Skye, I am also telling myself.

Sherie xx

Hi Skye, Sorry you are struggling. I have set the daily walk as a goal with no excuses. I know once I stop it is too easy to keep making excuses. On the days I'm really tired I do a shorter walk. The distance doesn't matter as much as getting in the habit. I have typed up a chart with my weekly to do list so I tick off the walk each day as +ve reinforcement. Just a suggestion.

I walked this morning with my husband. I need to do this more often. I have been avoiding this as I feel I need to be more alert to ensure he doesn't get hit by overhanging branches etc but I need to get over this.