Walking.....

When we first moved to Brandermill from Roanoke I could scarcely walk a hundred feet. That's how much the pain of arthritis had debilitated me. While driving around the neighborhood area I became aware that there were really fine macadamized trails around being used recreationally be walkers and bicyclers. It was easy to be envious.

Then hip operations a year and a half ago made it possible to consider the possibility of exploring those trails. Looking back at my blogs I see where I walked around the circles in my immediate vicinity up to mile this past February. These were estimates using the car odometer. A few months later an iPod walking app revealed that it wasn't quite a mile.

This summer my grandson and I began our first forays onto the trails. It wasn't long before we were regularly walking a mile and a half. One morning we broke the two mile barrier and did so again yesterday. I'm so grateful for this accomplishment.

The trails run through wooded sections of our development and often parallel to the main highway we use to go for groceries. The planners laced the whole large area of our development with these trails and what a delight it is to explore them.

 We have met other walkers who seem to be regulars...taking care of their health one of the cheapest and most delightful ways. I look forward to seeing the changes that Fall will bring.


The trails cross over Brandermill Parkway several places and this morning as we approached the road a car saw us and stopped to
let us us cross. This is the second or third time I've noticed this

consideration for walkers. It is, after all, a neighborhood where
people wave to total strangers who drive our area.

We took these pictures several weeks ago during our morning walk. I feel so very privileged to be a part of his growing up years.