Starting Off 2019

We end 2018 with rain . . .

We ended 2018 on a pretty good note. On the next to the last day of 2018, we received about a third of an inch of rain. We had a good year for rain. Up until October or so, it had been pretty bad, and I was getting worried about our lakes. But then the skies opened and we got quite a bit of rain. We ended the year with about a foot of rain more than our annual average, and our lakes look better than they have since we moved back to the area in 2011.

. . . and start 2019 with cold and rain

New Year's Day was gloomy and cold, a real wintry type day. There was no sun to brighten the day. The day started at 40 degrees and it went down from there, reaching the freezing mark by afternoon. Precipitation moved in the second day of the year, and the temp stayed at freezing or below the entire day. Still, I didn't see much ice outside. The local news would beg to differ, though, as a large number of accidents occurred around the city throughout the day. Things were certainly worse east and north of Angelo, moving all the way to the east coast.

The first 2 or 3 days of the new year were very wintry looking. A very light layer of ice is on the ground in this picture. We did not see the sun for 3 days.

Jan. 3 dawned with some ice on the roof tops and on the ground, but the cloud cover was breaking. We soon had sun and all the ice melted quickly. The temp rose to about 50 that day.

But temps got back to the 60s by Friday, and the forecast for the coming week reports good weather. I'm ready for spring!

By Friday (Jan. 4), temps were consistently in the high 60s or low 70s during the day, and Donna and I were able to get out and do a bit of walking.

And speaking of walking . . .

2018 was a pretty good year of walking for me

Up through the summer, I was really doing lots of walking. Part of that was due to the fact that we were not traveling much. I really get off my walking routine when we travel. And for much of the year, I was doing walks of from 4 to 6 miles, sometimes a bit longer but seldom -- if ever -- shorter.

But we started traveling again in late summer or early fall, and my numbers began to skid.

In 2017, I walked 737 miles on 190 days. That's an average of 3.87 miles per walk. Not bad at all.

In 2018, I walked 918 miles on 193 days. So, I walked about the same number of days, but I walked for longer distances. That is an average of 4.75 miles per walk.

I don't know if I can keep up that pace in 2019, but I'll certainly try. I do not like walking in cold weather, so I walk less in winter. And my legs are beginning to bother me a bit more, so I'm slowing down. As a result, I may try to walk more often, but for shorter distances.

We'll see.

Donna and I are thinking about joining a local gym. If we do, I'll probably walk less outside, swim more, and work on my upper body strength much, much more.

I can't stress the health benefits of exercise, though. I enjoy walking, so I would walk regardless of any health benefits. But exercise certainly helps my cholesterol numbers as well as other things. Anything I can do to stay off medication is worth doing. I prefer to control these things naturally.

So, 2019 is off to a good start. I wonder what the year holds for us.