I felt like I should hang out a sign when I departed this morning on my walk: “Gone Galavantin’ – back in a bit” – you know, kind of like a fisherman does when he heads out, pole in hand and a can of night crawlers and his favorite lures within easy reach.

I meandered along leisurely, lollygagging as much as I could to extend my trip and enjoy the beautiful day. I was happy to stray from the regular schedule, because, even though it was a work day, I was not in a terrible hurry to get back home since my boss is sailing the Great Lakes today and through the weekend on the cement-hauling freighter, the Steamship Alpena. He packed up his sailor’s duffel bag and left the port of Detroit today; the next stop will be Cleveland, Ohio and then he will hop off in Alpena, Michigan on Sunday. It promises to be a perfect weather weekend, so he lucked out this time – sometimes when he has sailed on this annual jaunt, it has been rainy and stormy, or cold and very breezy out on the “high seas”.

The weather here in my neck of the woods was picture perfect today, and, when I stepped out of the house for my walk it was a cool 56 degrees and a little breezy. The Summer heat and humidity have taken a brief hiatus – I can’t say I’m sorry to see them go.

I had a slew of errands which could have been done by car easily enough, but they were all along Fort Street, so I decided to tackle that list on foot.

While pounding the pavement along the highway is neither picturesque, nor does it produce much fodder for a blog post, it was an easy-breezy way to add another five miles to my total.

Despite the blah-and-boring venue, I have to agree with the poet and naturalist Henry David Thoreau, who would tell you “an early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”

Tomorrow, I’ll return to Council Point Park and commune with Mother Nature’s marvels instead of MDOT’s mundane asphalt and cement.