June 29, 2010

June 28, 2010

Hey, this is walk 179 in the rain at the rehab center where Dad is on his own journey to recover and get home again. That's what it's all about, coming home! But you have to take your journey one day at a time so you can come home again. Dad, come home soon.

A rare night when rain and walking collide. I'm walking under the parking deck, and the rain is spectacular.

June 27, 2010

Tonight, walk 178 and I'm heading out to the Belleair Causeway, the site of walk #9. That day it was 36 degrees and icy slushy sleet was hitting my face. Tonight, a storm is brewing and the sea breeze is kicking up, but it's pleasant and I can't wait to hit the causeway again.

Sunshine shimmering seductively on the water.

A panoramic from the top of the causeway, looking North up to Clearwater Beach, and West, to the setting sun.

That's the pirate ship in the center, heading back to the dock after a sunset cruise.

Storm clouds, sunsets and patterns on the water... and the journey continues...

June 26, 2010

Today is walk 178 and after moving a lot of my stuff to my house, my friend Mike and I went down to the Green Iguana and spent some time walking around back.

Here's Mike. He's a good guy. Best friends for about 25 years now. We interned together at 95YNF. Today, he's helping me move.

We saw this girl at lunch. Hot, right? But she chain smokes... ughhh!

After a walk, it's a swim in the pool which is really off the wall!

June 25, 2010

June 24, 2010

June 23, 2010

Tonight, a very HOT walk for #174. I've been doing this for almost half a year now, and the elements of nature NEVER get any easier.

The halfway point is at 137th Street and Walsingham.

This bizarre rain cloud appeared ONLY above me. Directly above me...

And dotted the road with rain droplets. Pretty funny how that works.

June 22, 2010

Walk #173 and I'm back here at one of my all-too-frequent walking spots, Morton Plant Hospital. Tonight, I'm visiting my dad after his 2nd fall, and 2nd broken bone, this time a hip, due to a fall a week ago. Sometimes, this is all the walking that I can get in, because although the walks are important, there are bigger things at stake...

And the journey's inside this building are a lot more important than most of the ones OUTSIDE this building. And our journeys continue...

June 21, 2010

Tonight I'm at Smokey Bones in Lakeland, FL meeting a dear friend of mine Marty Windsor for walk # 172. Plans are to have a walk, have dinner and catch The Bachelorette together. First things first... the walk.

As you can see, it all started out just fine. Good friends, glad to be together, starting off on a nice walk.

Posing for some happy times together...

Happy to be outside... but wait...

This super-cell storm approached with lightning quick speed and plenty of lightning to scare the bejeezus out of us So we made a mad dash back inside Smokey Bones.

And picked up our trophy for bravest walking couple! LOL. Thanks Marty, it was a blast.

June 20, 2010 - Fathers Day

It's Father's Day and this is walk #171. I'm out on the Osceola soccer fields, this is where my son used to play some of his soccer games and tournaments. I thought it would be a good day to come out here and reflect on some of the happier moments of fatherhood. This place brought back so many memories.

The fields are barren now. Too late for soccer, too early for football. But soon, these fields will be filled with the sights and sounds of young boys becoming men.

An osprey attends to his mate across the field, keeping an eye on all goings on.

I didn't feel all that welcome, and they make this screechy sound to keep predators at bay.


Near the field horses lazily graze in the stillness and serene setting of a forgotten woods.

June 19, 2010

Tonight was walk #170 and it was more like a combination of two walks in one. I was going to take a little "cheater walk" around Seminole Park. A cheater walk is like a walk that you take so that it will count, but I couldn't do that. Although I enjoyed the park walk, it wasn't "meaningful". I have learned over the past 6 months is that these walks have all begun to have meaning. And this one felt meaningless...

This panoramic of the park shows what a treasure we have right in the neighborhood.

I found the "meaning" in my journey tonight in walk number 2. I was meant to see the beauty of a sunset, and God put on a spectacular show.

And Nature does the rest....

And the journey... with meaning... continues.

June 18, 2010

Tonight is walk 169 and I'm walking the streets around Morton Plant. Dad had another hip surgery today to replace a broken hip. He did well, and I took time after visiting all day to walk down to the intercoastal and just thank the man above for taking care of Dad for so many months.

This is what He gave me in return.

Beautiful gifts.

And the journey continues...