We took an ordinary walk my wife and I , in an extraordinary place.

The second made all the difference with the first. It was an amazing walk. On a flat as a pancake road, no hills, no curves…straight and flat. The walk was fabulous.

Do you take walks with your family these days? Why not? It has been said, “If God intended people to fly, He would have given them wings.” Instead He gave us legs…to walk, or run. At my age walking is great. Do you walk? If you have children, are they with you? Let’s use our legs. Walks engage our minds too. Each of us are highly sensitive: eyes, ears, noses, fingers and skin, even taste buds; a walk engages them all. Just a plain ordinary walk.

No walk is ordinary.

How can that be you wonder? Repeat, no walk is ordinary. First there are the physical extra ordinaries: lowering blood pressure, lowering stress, and strengthening the heart. Then there is the human immune system. Contemplate this statement from Harvard medical school: “Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study from the Harvard Medical School of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. If they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration.” Our skeletal system is strengthened, digestive health is improved and our brains are healthier. Are you convinced?

No walk is ordinary.

Remember those senses? Assuming your walks put you outside whenever possible, the second extra ordinary of a walk is the interaction of human senses with the natural world in your walk environment. What our eyes see, our ears hear, our noses scent, the touch of the breeze on our skin…these effect our minds to the depth of our souls.

You don’t believe it do you?

Why does walking release endorphins? You remember endorphins. They are natural-opiate peptide chemicals our bodies produce while exercising. They diminish pain and trigger positive emotions. Just walk, you’ll see and feel it to your soul.

We took a walk last night. It was on a flat road. We walked one mile north, turned around and walked a second mile back to our parked car. All of the physical benefits: received. All of the emotional benefits received. Stress relieved…sleep last evening was sweet, even for this old guy.

There were other benefits to share with you at the conclusion of this little “No Walk is Ordinary” chat. We walked in a wild place. Coyotes live there. We did not see any, hear any, or see their tracks. But they live there…and that is sweet mystery. White tailed deer live there. Not on the road, while we saw their tracks there in the gravel, they live in the prairie on either side. We did not see any, or hear them. They live there and knowing that deepened the mystery.

Where were they coyotes? Somewhere out there.

This is what my eyes did see, what my ears did hear…Rooster pheasants crowing in the distance…from all directions. Ever hear a Rooster pheasant call; near sunset? It is one of my favorite sounds. Wilson’s Snipes were calling on both sides of the road. Once my dear wife stopped and looked around. Today she told me the calls of the Wilson’s Snipe sort of “creeped” her out. Listen here…scroll down the site to #1 Winnow Call-close.

Listen to the Wildons Snipe

Here is the left profile. It flew after a few quick photos. That happens…often.

What do you think? Let’s call the Wilson’s Snipe winnow call magnificent. As we walked, Red Winged Blackbirds called and flew from the cattails on either side of the road. We were surprised by the silent flight of a Sora Rail. A beautiful bird of wetlands, Soras are secretive birds. Then, a few steps further the much larger American Bittern flew. Did you know the Bitter is also called the “Slough Pumper?” You will be amazed…Listen…scroll down to calls, click on “onk-a-chonk.” (Really that’s what it’s called!)

This is the American Bittern

I have many nature favorites. Another is the silence. While birds were calling all around us. Our two-mile walk was done in the silence of the prairie. Have you heard prairie silence? It is deep, large and powerful. It is filled with mystery of something much greater. And where does this greater mystery come from? How do these birds have such unheard of calls?

God.

He made all we were seeing and hearing. While He is not visible on our walks…He is present. Job knew. Read his words “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; Job 12:7

Would you take some counsel from an old guy? Take a walk, because, no walk is ordinary.