Walking

There is nothing more satisfying than walking in the sunshine, feeling your blood pumping, and breathing the fresh air.  In fact, I attribute my excellent health (and figure) to my daily walks.  For most of my life I have delighted in the words, "wanna go for a walk?".  As Henry David Thoreau said,

"An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day."

And it's true, taking an invigorating walk puts you in a good mindset for the entire day.

Jan Zoetelief Tromp (1872-1947) is a Dutch artist I recently discovered; I instantly fell in love with his work.  These pieces are perfect for the subject of walking.

Jan Zoetelief Tromp

Jan Zoetelief Tromp

We are fortunate enough to live on a pleasant farm in the Pastoral Midwest, also situated conveniently near a small city brimming with the arts.  Here are some lovely sights from my daily walks, along with some of my favorite walking quotes.  Many well-known writers, composers, artists and philosophers have also found solace and inspiration in the act of walking.

                                               

 "You ask me where I get my ideas.  That I cannot tell you with certainty.  They come unsummoned, directly, indirectly - I could seize them with my hands - out in the open air, in the woods, while walking, in the silence of the nights, at dawn, excited 
by moods which are translated by the poet into words, by me 
into tones that sound and roar and storm about me till I 
have set them down in notes."
-Ludwig van Beethoven

"If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should 
explode and perish."
-Charles Dickens

"Mine is a dog's life and I never stop walking; I walk 
here, there and everywhere."
-Claude Monet

"Walking is also an ambulation of the mind."
-Gretel Ehrlich

"Now shall I walk or shall I ride?
'Ride,' Pleasure said;
'Walk,' Joy replied."
-William Henry Davis