During the deepest, darkest times of the pandemic, when anywhere outside your own home was a risk, I began walking laps around our backyard pool. I worked long hours producing virtual events, managing crisis communication, and "pivoting" to offer online services for my clients.
In between all the endless, nonstop work, I needed a break. Any kind of break. So, I took to walking around my backyard. At first, it was 3-5 laps around the edge of the pool. Then it became 10 laps. Then I began walking the paved pathways around the yard to increase the challenge. At that time, any movement was welcome, but walking even our quiet and quaint neighborhood felt unsafe. However, my backyard was definitely safe. So I found ways to challenge myself by increasing laps around the pool. By walking faster or walking in opposite directions. Adding in the pathways along the side of the house.
Of course, these days, I am comfortable walking around my neighborhood. Waving to neighbors and sharing a greeting or comment on the mild weather we've had this summer. Of course, we all walk on opposite sides of the street and give one another a wide berth at intersections. Even with these small safety precautions, there is a real sense of freedom walking up and down the streets of our small neighborhood.
Yet, it was not so long ago when doing so felt risky. Today for #WednesdayWalk the mosquitoes are out in full force. The recent rains seem to have given them a boldness that kept me home today. So, I decided to give a nod to those early days of the pandemic and walk around my backyard. This time I did so just because I wanted to and not because it was the only safe option. I consider that progress.
That is progress indeed, and its good you ( and I for that Mater) have a backyard we could walk in during the worst times when walking on the streets wasn't recommended, it is great we can now enjoy our yards because we want to not because we have no other options
What a cool selection of shots you got for this post
Thanks for joining Wednesday Walk :), I truly enjoy exploring the world virtually each Wednesday seeing walks from all around the globe and feeling I am there and experiencing it all myself, such as I did in your post just now :)
Thanks! I enjoy occasionally going into the Portrait Mode of my iPhone Xs Max to take photos. Then playing around with the lighting options. For these pics I chose the Contour Light setting. It seemed to give the leaves, bark, and angel a brightness and separation from the background bokeh.
I also enjoy reading about the #WednesdayWalks from around the globe. It gives me a sense of a real connection with my fellow human beings in the world.
That mode worked well fir these shots
I don’t often take photos with my phone so not even sure what settings it has
I have a 35mm Canon DSLR, but instead of using it to take photos I have it setup in my studio for video streaming. So, my phone is my default photo taking device. Plus it's always handy.
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And phone cameras are so good these days
I am just used to using my camera I guess lol
A walk is a walk- whether your walking around in circles my apt- or as I like to call dancing...🤣 or going for a long walk over yonder, either way, its the its both for the de-fogging of the mental and emotional hubris and keeping the joints oiled, so good on you for keeping up the walking when most give in to the feeling of futility (like I have so stupidly done over the past 6/7/8 weeks of our lockdown no.6..😐...)
But today it's the 2nd warmest day we had since the start of Spring last week at 23c and so I'm taking my friend Wilson out for a walk to the park- which I have shot a million photos there during lockdown last year, but Wilson is going to help me see it in an all new perspective- well atleast share it to you guys in a new perspective anyway, cause Wilson is an Insta pro 360camera...😂
Anyway, I hope that you continue to keep the mental fog away by walking every day.
And I thank you for giving me more inspiration to get out there myself today.
"...keeping the joints oiled..." <- AGREED! Ever since I started walking more regularly my hips and back are much happier. :-)
I'm the opposite but I still do it- actually these days- when I'm in lockdown (like now), I dance in my livingroom and I find that is much easier on the back, hips and knees and it gets a lot more places oiled too, cause arms, legs and everything's flying everywhere, but when you're walking it's just mainly a robotic lower half back and forth, repeat...
Whereas when I'm at work walking about 15-25k steps a day and standing for 8hours, thats when everything feels shattered and excrutiatingly painful and I can hardly walk from the garage to the front door..and that with good shoes and thick innersoles too...
Dancing definitely get the whole body moving. I also enjoy walking when AR gaming on my phone. It's like a double bonus. I get some movement in my day AND I get some game play in, too.