Chilly

We're having a chilly day today, but I'm still considering going for my walk and swim. The cold doesn't scare me yet, it won't get seriously and consistently cold until mid-December. I am half Labrador so I'll gladly swim every time I am perspiring, which I usually am after the mile-and-a-half walk! I carry a bathing suit and a big towel in my maroon backpack (along with doggy poop bags) whenever I walk Lily. This ritual of getting out is very good for my head because I breathe and look around, I aerate my mind and my ideas. The swim revitalizes me and gives me a second wind, like drinking a cup of espresso. The solitude is important though I do love to see people along the way and wave hello. For me these daily walks are one of the secrets to happiness. I have boots and rain gear and wool hats and scarves for the wet and wintry days. I want to be brave and strong as a lobsterman, facing the weather in all of its moods. In winter my house is barely heated, so if I can warm up on a brisk walk the house feels warmer when I return. I did almost get hypothermia once swimming for 45 minutes in a cold pond in Vermont in Autumn (I was showing off!) So when it is really cold water I don't linger without a witness or a hot bath awaiting me.