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Pioneer Hills Trail to T-Bone Trail to Pioneer Park to Red Cliffs Parkway Trail ... brings you this view and more in just 4.18 miles!  (Less if you don't purposely pass the highway underpass to your parked car so that you can walk that "extra mile").    Tortoise completed today's edition (rated 3.7) in 1:18:58 hours and burned 655 calories en route.  For a map, more pictures, a video, some tunes, and the walking message containing THE secret for living a long, happy, and useful life, by all means click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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More flash flood damage to the trail.  Wow, that water was really powerful!

Time for what we used to call station identification.  This is the Tortoise Travels network, now for a word from our sponsor, who will bring you some tunes to enjoy while you continue looking at the pictures ...

Note to self:  This was actually where Tortoise intended to start this walk.  Now that I came out here, I can see from the picture above and below where to go to start on the T-Bone Trail from Pioneer Park.  But other than the generic Red Cliffs Desert Reserve sign, there isn't anything that says this is where the trail starts.  Just sayin ...

Just across from Pioneer Park, starting up the Red Cliffs Parkway trail to head back to where Tortoise's car is parked, is a terrific view of St. George.   I'm sure you've driven by and noticed it.  It's better on foot.  Try it!

 2014 Stats:

803.37 miles walked, which is 80.26% of my 2014 goal.

253:39:34 hours walked, which is 81.04% of my 2014 goal

38,498 total feet climbed 

128,316 calories burned
77.32% of the year has passed

I've walked 16 consecutive non-Sundays since my last missed day on September 20, and overall have walked on 229 of the 242 non-Sundays thus far in 2014, a 94.63% consistency rating.

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of distance and time walked than of the year. This tells me I am on track. I'm sure this is more numbers than you are interested in, all I can say is I'm really good at setting high goals and having them slip away because I don't do them every, every day

And now for today's walking message, titled "Today--A Day of Eternity" by George I. Cannon,

"Each day can be richer and more meaningful if we can be happy with ourselves. Some of the most undesirable feelings are those of envying, coveting, and wishing that we were someone else. We should be grateful for who we are and what we are, and for the talents we have been given.

"Here is another suggestion: Don’t worry about those things which you cannot change. If something can be done, do it. If nothing can be done, don’t worry about it. Several years ago, I read an article written about Elder LeGrand Richards. He had just turned age ninety-three. Someone asked him what his secret was for living such a long, happy, and useful life. He said, “I have a verse that has been part of my philosophy throughout my life. Here it is:

“For every worry under the sun,

There is a remedy, or there is none;

If there be one, hurry and find it,

If there be none, never mind it.”

"I have one more suggestion. I share this counsel from President Ezra Taft Benson: “If we want to keep the Spirit, we must work. There is no greater exhilaration or satisfaction than to know, after a hard day of work, that we have done our best."

To watch, listen to, or read this message in its entirety, please visit https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1991/10/today-a-day-of-eternity?lang=eng #ShareGoodness

(Parenthetical smiling tortoise commentary:  (1) Tortoise has wonderful memories of 93 year old Le Grand Richards, barely able to walk, fighting to get to the Tabernacle stand to speak, cane going everywhere in the process.  Once there, he would put each arm on a side of the pulpit, and it totally looked like electricity flowed through his arms and he became super energized throughout his speeches.  Which generally ran longer than scheduled.  He stayed ENERGIZED!  As soon as he let go of the pulpit, he went back to being 93 years old and hobbled back to his seat.  (2)  As a side note to the side note (don't you love how Tortoise does this!)  LeGrand wrote the original missionary discussions, initially solely for the use of the missionaries he was president of ... in the Southern States Mission ... in the 1930s. (He succeeded Charles Callis as mission president, by the way)  These discussions are still a classic, you know it as the book "Marvelous Work and a Wonder".  (3)  Didn't you want to break out in song "We Love To Work" when reading the final piece of counsel that is quoted from Ezra Taft Benson?  You know you did!)

The tortoise is smiling!