… well yay for that and hopefully 2022 will be better all the way around and I don’t just mean as to COVID. It was a year of weather woes, including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and wildfires. Here in SE Michigan I remained unscathed, but for me, the ultimate weather worrier, there were over 20 anxious evenings when temps and humidity spiked, bringing a threat for volatile weather. Mother Nature definitely had a bee in her bonnet throughout 2021.
I did walk today after the fog finally dissipated and the raindrops quit falling. I headed to my favorite nature nook, Council Point Park. It was 43F (6C), not your typical December weather, though New Year’s Day we will be getting a few inches of snow and it will be much colder.
This post is short and sweet, merely to tell you I have walked a total of 1,276 miles (2,053 kilometers) in 2021. That is 20 miles over my original goal (1,256 miles/2,021 kilometers) which I reached ten days ago. I will merely add one more MILE to my goal for next year and the year 2022, will match the kilometers I will strive for.
Weather impacted my daily walks immensely. Though we are enjoying mild weather today, Monday through Wednesday we had freezing rain and a little snow. Tuesday it was above the freezing mark, so I ventured out, only to turn back and head home one block later. I was not sure-footed with patches of black ice on the sidewalk, despite wearing lug-soled hiking boots, so better to be safe than sorry.
This year began with lots of freezing rain and icy mornings. Spring and early Summer were fine but then Mother Nature gave us repeated bouts of torrential rain, which flooded the shoreline parks I frequent on weekends. The perpetual construction, coupled with the soggy trails, had me visiting venues close to home which seemed fine for a jaunt, although that was not always the case as post photos showed you flooded pathways and muddy grass.
So, I will head out tomorrow and do it all again, though we are expecting fog and drizzle before a snowstorm, so maybe I’ll just rest on my laurels.
Tomorrow I’ve already prepared a recap of favorite photos from my 2021 walks, but for now, please click here for a New Year’s greeting to all of you around the world and across the time zones in this continent.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Not a bow…..more like a casket Linda! Let’s bury this year under the largest mountain!
Very happy to hear you accomplished your goal!
Happy and healthy New Year Linda!
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Thank you for the congrats Wayne and I am happy to have done so and met my goal. I had my doubts a few times and then when we had good weather for December, I knew I could make it. Yes, a pall has settled over the end of this year and I almost wrote that today’s gray and gloomy morning matched the feeling that COVID has cast over the holiday; I left that sentence out because some people will go out and celebrate and people will gather at Bowl games and in Times Square … it is not something I would do, though I admit I am probably over-prudent. A healthy and happy New Year to you as well!
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Well done on the walking – and thank you for the delightful greeting!
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Thank you Anne – now I start anew tomorrow (maybe … and now they’ve raised our snow total another few inches). I am happy you liked the greeting. I was happy that it had an international flair!
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Nice post Linda. Congrats on miles traveled this year. Most of us never keep track of how much we venture through this world on foot. I hope 2022 proves to all of us that the world can return to normal. Happy New Year. I will miss the noise at midnight, because I am going to be asleep in my warm bed.
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Glad you liked it Peggy. I bought a pedometer the first year I walked (2011) and it is still working well and that’s probably since it has no bells and whistles on it. I hope the world can return to normal in 2022 as well. We won’t know how to act will we? Happy New Year Peggy – I am happy to have “met” you this year through Andy’s blog.
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Nice to have been your friend in 2021 – Here’s to another year of friendship in 2022. Keep moving and walking – that keeps us older folks in shape and increases our life span. It is 2022 as I write this – We made it to 2022 Linda.
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I kept reading your comments on Andy’s posts and thought to myself “Peggy thinks like I do!” Yes, another year of friendship and exploring nature Peggy – you are very right about staying active. That is why I started a walking regimen as I was not getting enough exercise and sitting here too many hours for work and social media. Now I sit even more hours due to blogging, but walking more miles than in the beginning.
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Here’s to more moving in 2022 my friend.
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Congratulations on meeting your very ambitious walking goal. I am amazed at your dedication, Linda. I did finally met my yearly goal of 1500 miles running. My final total was a little over 1505 (made it by the skin of my teeth!) Here’s to good weather and no injuries in 2022. I don’t have a yearly running mileage goal for next year. I should think of a challenge that appeals to me, but right now, I am coming up empty. Happy New Year!
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Thank you Laurie – I got 20 miles over the original goal, which was nice, but I was 65 miles above my goal in 2020. I don’t think we had as much rain last year and it seemed there were house issues or car issues, or other errands, that ate into my walking time this year. Congratulations to you Laurie and you were over as well. You did well, plus the London Marathon under your belt and many miles run in various venues during your extraordinary year of travel you have had. I would suggest going to 2,022 miles for the year, but that is a large jump in miles and your birth year is also a huge jump from 1,500 miles. You’ll come up with something clever. We’re having substantial snow Saturday into Sunday – they’ve upped the total snowfall to 3-5 inches which will mess up walking and another storm the end of next week. I’ll be hitting the exercise bike now. Happy New Year to you and Bill!
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You are right, Linda. Both my birth year and 2022 are too many miles for my goal. I would have to run an average of 40 miles/week, and that’s too many. Maybe if I include walking miles….I’ll have to see.
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You will figure it out and it will be an admirable goal, no matter how you do it Laurie. I think I told you before about how my dentist and a few running buddies take the year and tag-team for the eventual goal. They don’t all run every day, so that works for them – you could split the year 2022 mileage-wise with your favorite running partner. I cheat by doing kilometers for the current year. 🙂
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Happy New Year Linda!
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Thank you Cathy – same to you!
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Congratulations on meeting your goal Linda! and Happy New Year! Loved the card!
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Thank you Joni – I will start again tomorrow if there’s no drizzle. Now the weather forecast for Saturday afternoon shows a few more inches of snow than when I wrote this post. I guess it was inevitable. Glad you liked the card – it was hard to pick a favorite. Happy New Year!!
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Be careful though. A doctor once told me that people who mostly walk on cement ruin their joints. But there are ticks in grass. I’ll stick to my indoor Schwinn Airdyne.
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Yes, it’s difficult to figure out what to do. We had ticks in bigger forest areas. Most of those places were flooded a good part of this year. Council Point Park luckily has been tick-free as far as I have heard. I’m keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way.
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Happy New Year, Linda! And thank you for the dazzling e-card. It will be interesting to see what 2022 will bring us ~ may we be ready for anything!!! Congratulations on exceeding your goal and best of luck for reaching it again, plus one mile, this year. 🙂
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Glad you liked the card Barbara – I had a tough time deciding which to go with as three had an across-the-miles theme to them. I wonder if this time next year we’ll still be talking about COVID? I hope you got your visit with family in without incident … next year I hope it is easier. Thank you and I have had a good start today with five miles under my belt. I seized the opportunity as we are getting 3-5 inches of snow overnight. They keep increasing the total. No walk for a few days now unfortunately.
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We did have a very nice visit, and hopefully a safe one. Now I am happily exhausted and trying to catch up with my ordinary life and routines. Hope you didn’t get more snow than you can handle! Nothing here yet…
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That’s great and fingers crossed a totally safe visit Barbara. Well, I hear our weather is headed to the East Coast and I hope you are lucky like me. They upped the total from 2-4 inches, to 3-5 inches for our New Year’s Day storm and we only got about 2 inches but it was sleeting and the snow as wet and heavy. I took some photos of the snow as it was pretty. The weatherman said “our snowstorm was an underachiever in places.” Hmm.
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Lol — that’s the first time I’ve heard of a storm described as underachieving. 🙂 We’re supposed to get an inch or two today and perhaps a big storm on Friday. ❄️
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Yes, I think he was red-faced since he kept raising the totals and then it fell flat (which is okay with me), but … after going out to run the car this morning, where I shoveled yesterday was slick with ice and the street was slippery as well. So a larger snow total might have been better. There’s been banter here about a storm later in the week. Sigh.
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Yay on exceeding your goal! Have a happy New Year full of mostly good weather and lots of feathery friends.
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Thank you Kate! I had some doubts when we had that incessant rain through the Fall. I decided I’d deal with a light misty rain to walk, but not in heavy rain … I was worried I’d have to change my mindset. I got out today, but we’re now getting 3-5 inches of snow which will mess up walking bigtime.
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We haven’t gotten any measurable snow yet. It’s late this season but I’m good with that. We tend to get a lot in February.
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Well we got a wintry mix and it was slippery this morning. We only got about two inches instead of the larger amount and the weatherman said the storm was an underachiever. No walks for a couple of days until some of the ice melts.
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Happy New Year Linda enjoyed the card. Keep on walking through 2022.
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Thank you Andy – I got five miles under my belt this morning, so I am on my way!
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That’s an incredible number of miles, Linda. Congratulations! Weird weather is not stopping. We’re getting high winds that I can’t ever recall in winter. And I’m sure you know about the fires in the Boulder area. Sheesh. Not a good way to start off a new year. But I do hope for better.
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Thank you Eilene – I got out yesterday for a five-mile walk, but today we had snow/ice from last night’s storm, so no walk for a few days – too dangerous. I’m not complaining as I have heard about more bad weather in Kentucky and also I have heard about the fires in the Boulder area. There were people interviewed saying they rushed out, only the clothes on their back and had come back to look today at the damage. Very bad this last year for natural disasters.
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The situation in Boulder County is just so sad and very freaky! We’ve been having a lot of high winds at our house, which is very unusual in winter.
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Yes it is very sad. We’ve had high winds more than normal too and they were usually following some of the tornadoes that have been around the country since the devastating ones three weeks ago.
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Happy New Year, Linda, and congrats on reaching your walking goal! Persistence pays off despite Mother Nature’s efforts to interfere. We were blessed with a snowstorm out here in Colorado from New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day. Normally I’d be upset, but boy do we need the moisture. Really hoping the 2022 weather patterns (and everything else for that matter) get somewhat back to normal.
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Thanks Dave – I had my doubts a few times with our erratic weather. Yesterday morning it was 40 and very mild and today our windchill was in the teens and we had a wintry mix storm last night leaving ice everywhere I do keep hearing about the snow storms and fires in Colorado – just terrible and I hope Mother Nature rights this weather ship soon.
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Happy New Year – thank you for the lovely e-card! Congratulations on exceeding your walking goal. Despite the up and down weather, you stayed determined and focused. You’re an inspiration! I look forward to seeing how 2022 unfolds for you and your furry and feathery friends.
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Thanks Shelley and glad you liked the card. I did worry for a while with all that torrential rain and the high winds … I got five miles in yesterday, but today had to deal with that wintry mix and the ice it left – ugh!
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Yes, I did. We didn’t have the rain, but we’ve been blessed with bitter cold. So it’s treadmill time for us! Stay warm and safe!
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Yes, here too Shelley – I scoped it out this morning and a few more days til I venture to the Park or anywhere for a walk as it was ice everywhere. I think I would have preferred snow! (And I never prefer snow!)
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We have a heat wave this morning at 12 above…we might get to walk outside finally! I agree, snow is better than ice, and no snow and ice is even better!
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I scoped out the street this morning as it was sunny and bright … no go, as it was slick. The plow came down the street this afternoon and I often walk in the street to get to the Park, so I thought “good, tomorrow is a go then.” Now we have a high wind advisory starting at 7:00 a.m. – winds 22 mph gusting to 40 at 7:00 a.m., then all day from 45 to 50 mph. So high winds and possible ice – nope. How many days til Summer again?
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Yeah, it hasn’t been nice here either. It’s been windy and snowing. So thankful that I don’t have to go anywhere. And I’m thankful to have some books I want to read to keep me on the treadmill. May be time for you to get out that yoga tape and learn some new moves, eh? 🤗🥰😊🧘🏻♀️
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I think we’re in for the long haul Shelley … same as last January, prolonged period of time with ice messing up sidewalks and streets. You’re lucky to have the ability to read and walk on the treadmill. I think you’re right about the tape. I have been riding my exercise bike downstairs but I can’t read at the same time.
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It does seem to be the case. Yay for hitting the exercise bike! I took a couple of days off from the treadmill, hoping for nicer weather, and have been sadly disappointed. Maybe this week! Stay warm and safe!
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I did get out both days – happy for that, but had to go late morning Saturday and mid-day today after the ice melted and it stopped raining. Success, but not many miles today as the wind was gusting at 24 mph! You stay safe and warm too Shelley … going to be cold the beginning of the week. Cannot believe the Pack lost to the Lions and Aaron Rodgers played first half … they had an off day I guess. 🙂
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Yay, glad you got some walking in. We got out and walked too. Not since, though – too cold!
Yeah, the dang Packers. We think they were just saving their star players for the next game. Plus it gives the second string a chance to learn and play. We’ll see what happens next game!
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The Lions were feeling smug with three wins and one tie under their belt. 🙂 I did get more walking in this weekend but it was really cold: 12 with a real feel of 6 Saturday and Sunday. I was trying to do a slideshow today and had some issues. No issues the last time but WordPress was a bit wonky today. It kept doing a pulsating circle where the picture was, so I deleted the image, then it started doing it on that image. I deleted the slideshow, started over and it did it to each picture, so I said forget that and eliminated five pics and just put them in the already-long post.
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Yeah and so were the Packers. We’ll see next game how they do.
Good for you on walking in those temps! I need to walk today, it’s 24 out! Heat wave!!!
I’ve found that sometimes WP does that to me if the picture size is too big. If you resize it to medium it might work? Otherwise, there could’ve been some update they were running in the background?
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I think I need to get warmer boots Shelley. I like my lug-soled hiking boots, but they’re not lined. It took me a few years to get used to them as they rubbed my ankles, so the first year or so, I had to put bubble wrap around my ankles to break ’em in. That makes sense they are running updates. It was wigging out a little. I can’t remember if that picture was too large … I eliminated it, then it all was acting up, so I scrapped the slideshow.
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Yeah, sounds like warmer boots are in order. I ended up with Columbia’s one year and they are warm and you burn extra calories walking in them…they’re heavy. Bubble wrap, that’s clever!
WordPress teaches us perseverance and patience and workarounds! LOL
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It took me a while to break in the hiking boots and I have warm boots from when I took the bus, but I don’t know if I’d want to take a long walk in them. I have a pair of Sorel boots and they were a whole size (9) and I took an 8 1/2 so they fit kind of sloppy and I didn’t feel sure footed and I don’t think they were lined. I’ve not seen them in years – all my boots I wore to work are in Rubbermaid totes downstairs. So you like your Columbia boots – do you have a style name for them Shelley? Are they Ice Maidens? My hiking boots are New Balance and I was not sure I’d buy another pair of New Balance (even sherpa or fur-lined) just because it took so long to get acclimated to them. Yes, I thought the bubble wrap was clever because they were the first boots I had that went up to the ankle and they were rubbing my inside and outside ankles – really uncomfortable. I had a blogger I followed a while ago who lived in Alaska and wore Ice Bugs, but not the ankle height, just like a shoe and she swore by them.
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I do like my Columbia’s, my toes never get cold in them. They’re from years ago, so I’m guessing they aren’t available anymore? The first pair I had I walked the soles right off. They’re the Bugaboot style. Very warm and comfortable to walk in. I don’t know what I’d buy now if I had to get some new ones. I hope you find a pair that you like and can walk in while keeping your feet warm!
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I should look in Fall, though they’d probably be on sale for a song right now. I got mine at a small shoe store which has since gone out of business. The owner retired and sold the family business. I asked her recommendation as she was a walker and had recommended the Easy Spirit “Punters” for walking and they are very comfortable. It was bad in this extreme cold and I guess a prudent person would say “well, you could wait until later in the day when it’s a tad warmer” …. I like going in the morning as it is disruptive to go mid-day. I did that a few weeks ago and my weekend seemed chopped up.
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I bought my boots the day the previous pair I was wearing literally fell apart as I was walking to the store where I ended up buying the new pair at. I hope you find the pair you’re happy with and that is warm!
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For sure, I will look when they come out in the Fall. I have a high pair of boots with lug soles, but they are starting to split on the top. They are Khombu and that brand is still around, so I may go that route. Must. Have. Warmth.!!
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Miss Linda………………………………..Congratulations on your walking goal…………………………..each year you get better and better………………………….keep it up young lady………………………I love your happy New year card………………………………it was great…………………..like you!
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Ann Marie – you swell my head! Thank you and onward and upward for me … and you as well. Today was a no-go and I suspect for you as well with that icy snow mix we had. I’m not sure about tomorrow either as I don’t they cleared the Park path. I’m ready for Spring already. I’m glad you liked that card.
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Good job Linda, you always inspire me to keep going with all your walking and photos showing every where you go. 🙂
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Thank you Sandra – I appreciate you saying that. I started the new year with a five-mile walk, but lots of ice this morning on sidewalks and street slippery, so may have to put walking on hold a couple of more days.
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You are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I think you walked further than I drove. 😂
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Ha ha … well up until a few years ago, I used to keep track of my car mileage and post that at the end of the year too. A friend of mine said people would wonder about me if I walked more than I drove … I said “I don’t see a problem with it.” I still don’t. If it was not for going to large parks to walk sometimes, I would really be low on mileage!
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