Another 1.5 mile walk today and 0.5 miles yesterday

Yesterday I walked half a mile with my two grandkids while they took another joy ride in my battery powered jeep. The kids left last night to go to their home, but they will be back tonight. So, I took advantage of being home alone today, and I walked the 1.5 mile northward path again this afternoon. I met a guy named Thomas while I was walking. He likes to walk, too. I enjoyed visiting with him, because he knows a lot about the river and the small creeks that feed the river. Thomas said that we were walking on top of a dike that borders the river in that area. The dike was originally built to protect the farmers who lived near the river. I had noticed that the path was higher than the fields, but I hadn't paid attention to that observation. The path is about two feet higher than the fields, and the other side drops sharply to the river.

The river was very low today because the dam that is near the end of the path is wide open and is letting more water go downstream. Thomas said the dam begins on an island that was built in the river. The dam goes across the river to the other side. Going the other way from the island is a flood gatefor a spill-way. A canal takes water from the river just before the dam. If the canal gets too much water in it, the flood gate is opened to let excess water flow around the island and go back into the river.

The temperature today was in the low 70s (F), and it was pleasant to be outside. I hope to do the 1.5 miles again on Saturday, and then next week I'll start mixing in small amounts of jogging with my walking. However, I'm feeling tired tonight, so I may delay for a week the mixing of jogging and walking. I haven't run for two months and a week, and I need to work back into it slowly so I don't overtax my body.