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| Worst Parking Job Ever! |
JANUARY WALK
Thanks to all who braved the -17/-25(windchill) temperatures for our KAPPS walk this month. Not knowing what to expect we re-visited the section from the Western Murphy Road intersection of the K and P and walked into Calabogie. The sun was glorious and almost spring-like with cold wind which stayed at our backs all the way.
Good spirits and good conversation got us back to Polly’s for burnch before the “church-rush”. Special thanks and welcome to Gayle T who chose this as he first walk with KAPPS and showed us how they walk in the Whitewater Region - fast.
And thanks again to the staff at Polly's who fed and coffeed us.
Here’s a photo of an odd sight just outside the restaurant. It seems like someone abandoned their truck in the grass many years ago, and trees have grown to imprison it where it sits.
Yours , on the journey,
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn
OK, let me announce my limits as a walker. I don’t walk where there are vicious animals.I don’t walk on fire. And I hate walking when its below -15 C, especially with a wind chill. Chicken-sh*t? I own that. With that out of the way, let me encourage everyone of us walkers not to give up in such cold weather. We have options.
One is the many “walk-in-the-halls” programs where you can walk in lighted, safe and warm surroundings to your heart’s content. I’ve tried that but its not enough. My choice was to sign up with a local gym where they have treadmills and elliptical machines. I agree with a no-nonsense local trainer who calls this stuff “dog-sh*t”, but, in the absence of an outdoor trail without lethal conditions, you take what you can get.
This offers me a way to walk on an “as-if” path with ups and downs, at whatever speed I care to go. I use the same walking tunes and shoes, so its not totally unfamiliar. Of course I would rather look at trees and ponds than TSN highlights.
What I particularly appreciate about the machines is the pre-sets which give me a simulation of a hill walk, with ups and downs. It is pretty much non-negotiable, so when it tells me to boot it up a slope, either I do that or embarrass myself by dialing down. My pride doesn’t like that.
The other advantage of a gym environment is that I can combine some mat work or rowing machine or weight routines with my walk. This keeps the days varied and increases the strength-building element of my walks. I can hardly wait for warmer weather, but the treadmill is a not-bad alternative.
Yours , on the journey,
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn
WALKING SONGS
I was reading a commentary on the use of walking images in pop music and that got me thinking about how many songs actually use walk or walking in the title.
Here’s a list:
Walk - Jet
Walk - Foo Fighters
Walk - Kwabs
Walk - Don't Run - The Ventures
Walk Among Stones - Kate Campbell
Walk Away - Ben Harper
Walk Away - Good Charlotte
Walk Away - Franz Ferdinand
Walk Away - Kelly Clarkson
Walk Away - Five Finger Death Punch
Walk Away - Tom Waits
Walk Away From The Sun - Seether
Walk Away Renee - The Left Banke
Walk Away Slow - Tiffany Page
Walk Believer Walk - The Black Crowes
Walk By - Good Charlotte
Walk In the Country - Scotty McCreery
Walk in the Shadows - Queensrÿche
Walk In The Sun - McFly
Walk it Back - R.E.M.
Walk It Out - Jennifer Hudson
Walk Like a Giant - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Walk Like A Man - The Four Seasons
Walk Like A Man (You Can Call Me Your Man) - Grand Funk
Walk Like An Egyptian - Bangles
Walk Me Down the Middle - The Band Perry
Walk Me to the Bridge - Manic Street Preachers
Walk Of Life - Dire Straits
Walk Of Shame - Pink
Walk Of Shame - Deap Vally
Walk On - U2
Walk On - Neil Young
Walk On - Billy Currington
Walk On - Lucinda Williams
Walk On By - Dionne Warwick
Walk on the Ocean - Toad the Wet Sprocket
Walk on the Water - Britt Nicole
Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed
Walk On Water - Eddie Money
Walk Over Me - The All-American Rejects
Walk Right Back - The Everly Brothers
Walk Right In - Rooftop Singers
Walk Straight Down the Middle - Kate Bush
Walk Tall - Kele
Walk That Walk - Dorrough
Walk The Dinosaur - Was (Not Was)
Walk the Edge - Shadows Fall
Walk The Fleet Road - Editors
Walk The Walk - Poe
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
Walk This Way - Run-D.M.C.
Walk This Way - Mø
Walk Through Exits Only - Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals
Walk Unafraid - R.E.M.
Walk With Me - Richie Kotzen
Walk With Me In Hell - Lamb of God
Walk With You - Ringo Starr
Walken's Syndrome - Fugazi
Walkin' After Midnight - Patsy Cline
Walkin' Back To Happiness - Helen Shapiro
Walkin' Blue - Sonic Youth
Walkin' Mat - The Answer
Walkin' My Baby Back Home - James Taylor
Walkin' My Cat Named Dog - Norma Tanega
Walkin' On The Moon - The-Dream
Walkin' on the Sun - Smash Mouth
Walkin' the Floor Over You - Ernest Tubb
Walkin' Through The Park - Muddy Waters
Walkin' With A Mountain - Mott the Hoople
Walking - October Fall
Walking - Mary Mary
Walking After You - Foo Fighters
Walking Away - Jason Aldean
Walking Back To Jesus Parts I, II & III - The Broken Family Band
Walking Contradiction - Green Day
Walking Far From Home - Iron & Wine
Walking Her Home - Mark Schultz
Walking In Memphis - Marc Cohn
Walking In The Air - Aled Jones
Walking In The Winter - The Coral
Walking On A Dream - Empire of the Sun
Walking on a Thin Line - Huey Lewis & the News
Walking On Air - Bee Gees
Walking On Air - Katy Perry
Walking On Air - Anise K
Walking On Broken Glass - Annie Lennox
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & the Waves
Walking On The Moon - The Police
Walking On Thin Ice - Yoko Ono
Walking Paranoia - MUTEMATH
Walking The Dog - Rufus Thomas
Walking With Elephants - Ten Walls
Walks Like Rihanna - The Wanted
Yours , on the journey,
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn
WALKING INTO 2015
The journey known as Padakun has taken us down many surprising side trails this past year, and looks to do the same for the coming year. The year included a major presentation on contemplative walking at a mindfulness conference in Fredericton, the acquisition of certification for Nordic poling, the founding of the Kick and Push Pedestrian Society [KAPPS], Renfrew County’s newest walking group, and numerous wonderful walks throughout the County. All through the year, I have been pleased with a number of enthusiastic walkers of all ages and all interests. I have made the acquaintance of a few sympathetic walking authors and am convinced that interest in walking, for recreational and spiritual purposes, will only continue to grow.
We had a unexpectedly pleasant [for December] final KAPPS walk for the year. Having wrapped up the route from Renfrew to Calabogie in November, we concluded our double-route adventure, with a relaxed walk into Arnprior, and equally relaxed circuit through Gillies Grove. Although the last section of entering Arnprior was little more than bare fields, the walk in the Grove, with its old-growth trees and friendly fellow walkers, more than made up for the early part of the walk.
Having concluded these two routes we now have the delightful obligation of planning our progress for the coming year. I will be circulating a short questionnaire to all our interested walkers. Please take the time to complete this so we can have the most satisfying monthly walks for 2015.
As the Walker knows, we cannot predict what the trail will look like further along. The path does unfold as we walk it.
Yours , on the journey,
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn
NEW BOOKS - THE LOST ART AND WALKING
A couple more new books arrived in the mail this week. The first is The Lost Art of Walking: The History, Science, and Literature of Pedestrianism, by Geoff Nicholson and the other is Walking Meditation, a collection of three essays by Thervada Buddhist monks. The pair are entirely different, but valuable additions to my walker’s bookshelf.
Nicholson is a sharp-tongued veteran walker of streets and paths. He is at much at home on a mountain trail as he is on the celebrated streets of Los Angeles. I was fascinated by his efforts to re-walk the streets of some famous LA detective stories. His is a readable and light style. A great companion for any walker.
The Theravada collection is quite different. It is three separate essays each by an experienced and committed contemplative walker. The first, Walking Meditation in the Thai Forest Tradition is a straightforward and simple exposition of walking meditation in that tradition. The middle piece, Walking Meditation is Wonderful, captures the enthusiasm of a contemplative walker. I so much appreciated his advice that we “don’t consider walking as second class meditation”. This is one of the primary themes of my own Walk Like A Mountain. The third and longest essay, Walking Meditation Practices. This is a solid practical guide and contains plenty of insight on insight.
The Nicholson book is available at major booksellers. The Walking Meditation book is only available through Source Vipassana. My local contact is Source Vipassana, c/o Judith Fox-Lee, 100 Seaborn Lane RR.4, Perth, ON K7H 3C6, 613-267-3973, infoATsourcevipassana.ca, www.sourcevipassana.ca .
Yours , on the journey,
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn
WILD OPENS THIS WEEK
I’ve been reading about a new film, Wild, for a few weeks now and it looks like it will be the top walkers’ film for 2014. It tells the story of a young woman with a number of problems who undertakes the arduous Pacific Crest Trail for all those reasons we walkers approach any pilgrimage. This is described as one of the finest and most demanding trail walks in the world, passing through every environment between Mexico and British Columbia.
The film is based on the memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail written by Cheryl Strayed. Talk about people whose names predict their lives!
The book jacket says:
At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone.
Critics are raving about the performance of Reese Witherspoon as the author. Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée, fresh from The Dallas Buyers Club success has apparently done an extraordinary job. Lots of Oscar buzz around this 2 hour epic.
For the trailer - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2305051/
For Cheryl Strayed’s website - http://www.cherylstrayed.com/wild_108676.htm
Yours , on the journey,
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn
EVERYBODYWALKS
There is a wonderful YouTube channel and website called EveryBodyWalks and its worth regular checking for us walking folks. It has articles and numerous videos which include health videos, travel guides to great city walks in North America (mostly the US) and some “toolkits” that help you develop walk-and-talk meetings for your workplace or make presentations in any setting.
There is a doc available called The Walking Revolution. It was produced by Every Body Walk! And is a 30-minute documentary film that's guaranteed to get you walking. The Walking Revolution explores the tremendous changes a regular walking routine can make in your life and community.
EveryBodyWalks is found at http://everybodywalk.org/
One I watched recently featured the benefits of walking your dog - the benefits for them and you. Probably the weirdest thing about this video is that it has a few minutes of conversation with Wil Wheaton, the actor who played Wesley Crusher, the Star Trek Ensign everyone loved to hate. He’s a committed dog-walker now, which fully redeems him in my mind.
Yours , on the journey,
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn
