Exercise and the Outdoors

I need outdoor exercise to give me the mental and physical boost that I need when I feel tired of being indoors. I always feel so much better after I've walked, gardened, or played a sport. The exercise reminds me of past days spent playing softball, volleyball, horseshoes, and running. Exercise even makes me feel younger than I am, especially if I don't overdo it and injure anything! At my age it just takes too long for an injury to heal.

One of our daughters and her husband recently went on a bike ride in rural Missouri. The farmland was mostly flat with gravel roads laid out on mile by mile squares. Missouri streams occasionally cut through adjacent pasture land and swampy areas. The day started out sunny and refreshing.

I found an extra bicycle found in their large garage, even though I haven't ridden for several years. When my husband saw what I was contemplating, he decided to ride too. So grandparents, parents, and grandchildren criss-crossed several gravel roads for one to two hours. I saw only two farm vehicles during the entire time.

The weather quickly turned warm and windy, and I got very thirsty. Leaving the others, I returned home the first. Loading the car with cold bottles of water, I hosted a popular "Sag Wagon" of refreshment so the rest of the family riders could complete their tour comfortably.

I'm really going to miss these wonderful and warm days in the coming winter months. That's when I'll look at the computer screen to be tempted by ads for travel to New Zealand and Australia!