14-340

Mile 962.  Tortoise went with 25 other folks on the La Verkin Winterfest Mayor's Walk today.  Beautiful weather, good company, and learned some more about our fine town!

Please click below for more pictures, a map,  and today's walking thought by Eugene Hansen that includes:  "Often it is the work and sacrifice one experiences in obtaining money for a worthwhile purpose that produces the most satisfaction." 

Cheerio!

The walk began at the elementary school.  Mayor Kerry Gubler
was excused and the walk was led by county commissioner
Victor Iverson

We started by heading up through the food booths
at the end of the Soapbox Derby course

We walked past the state historical monument for the founding
of La Verkin.  Heard the story about how La Verkin was an Indian
phrase for the beautiful valley.  And the alternate version
about being a misspelled Spanish phrase.  However we got
our name ... it's a nice place

If I heard Victor right, this is the oldest house in La Verkin,
and Ovando and Edna Gubler's former home is second oldest.

Now we're leaving Main Street headed up 140 South
hearing about how fertile the land is here ... and how
the canal made it possible to grow things on it

Is this a beautiful December day or what?

They tried to dig the canal to here, but it didn't work at this spot

So we walked another blog to where the canal did come out
of the mountain.  (It's the blocks above Kevin Bennett's head)

So now we'll walk west on 300 South towards the
pressurized system that brings us water today

Remember what I was saying about good company

and fabulous weather?

There's a water line that follows the Virgin River to Quail Lake
La Verkin gets irrigation water through these pumps from that line.

We continued from here back to the elementary school.
A very nice walk. :-)

Here's a map.  It includes Lou's walks to and from the elementary school from his house.

Create Maps or Search for a route from millions at MapMyFitness

Here's a bonus today.  An aerial view from start to finish, courtesy of Google Maps and Map My Fitness ...



Today's walk was 3.11 miles, with 189 feet climbed in 1:14:06 hours, giving it a 4.9 tortoise rating.  501 calories were burned.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2014:

962.34 miles walked, which is 96.14% of my 2014 goal.

303:23:32 hours walked, which is 96.93% of my 2014 goal

47,044 total feet climbed 

152,464 calories burned
93.29% of the year has passed

I've walked 66 consecutive non-Sundays since my last missed day on September 20, and overall have walked on 279 of the 292 non-Sundays thus far in 2014, a 95.55% consistency rating.

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of distance and time walked than of the year. This tells Tortoise that he is on track. Yes, this is more numbers than you are likely interested in, all Tortoise can say is he's really good at setting high goals and having them slip away because he doesn't do them every, every day.

And now for today's walking thought, originally presented in October 1993:

"What is happiness? Where do we find it? How do we obtain it? I remember reading the results some time ago of a national survey which attempted to summarize the responses as to what brings happiness.

"While I don’t remember all the details of that survey, I do remember that most people felt money was a significant part of happiness. The author’s research, however, indicated that money alone seldom, if ever, resulted in true happiness.

"Two thoughts come to mind here. I recall a talk given by President David O. McKay. He made reference to a statement by John D. Rockefeller—then one of the world’s richest men—who apparently had stomach trouble and had purportedly said, “I would rather be able to enjoy a good meal than have a million dollars.” Then with a wink of the eye, President McKay remarked, “Of course, he had a million dollars when he said that.”

"I readily concede that it’s important to have sufficient money for our needs, but beyond that, money has little to do with true happiness. Often it is the work and sacrifice one experiences in obtaining money for a worthwhile purpose that produces the most satisfaction."

To watch, listen to, or read this message in full, please visit https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1993/10/the-search-for-happiness?lang=eng #ShareGoodness

The tortoise is smiling!