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Mile 1,057.  Tortoise walked another loop up the hill from his office on a cold, windy day following yesterday's snow flurries.  This picture tells the story of the goodness available less than a mile from Lou's office.  At first glance, it is simply a close-up of a small, delicate cactus.  You get the feel of being alone in a vast desert.  You might have to click on the picture to enlarge it to see these details, but not far away is a row of telephone poles.  That shows you how close it is to busy 600 North in Hurricane.  On the near hill is the city's trademark block H; to the right of that the gash in the ridge that allows Gould's Wash to pass through on its path from the mesa above to the Virgin River.  Behind this ridge is evidence of yesterday's snow on the peaks of the higher ridge beyond.  

There's more pictures of this walk to West Cinder Knoll, some of them worthy of the beautiful large coffee table picture book Lou dreams of compiling.  And then there's the day's walking thought by Ronald Rasband ...

Cheerio!

The first of several views of the snowy Pine Valley mountains,
hiding under a fluffy blanket of clouds.

Zion Park's landmark West Temple is looking nice in white too.

In less than a mile Tortoise is greeted into the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

One of several cows roaming the desert hills looking for dinner

Beginning views in several directions from the top of West Cinder Knoll

Today's walk was 4.02 miles and had a 4.7 tortoise rating earned by climbing 279 feet in the 2.01 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3320. This walk burned 599 calories in 1:16:40 hours.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2015:

1,057.58 miles walked which is 105.55% of Lou's 2015 goal.  On this day in 2014, Tortoise had walked 984.88 miles.  

325:17:19 hours walked which is 103.93% of the 2015 goal (which is to walk 1 hour a day on the 313 days other than Sunday in the year).  

58,326 total feet climbed, compared with 48,057 feet on this day in 2014.

158,933 calories burned.

95.53% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 187 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 290 of the 299 non-Sundays in 2015, a 96.99% consistency rating.  This compares with 286 days walked in the same period in 2014 (a 95.65% consistency rating).

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of both distance and of 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.  (If you doubt this, compare Tortoise's walking record up until 2013 with 2014 or 2015 ... for him, it is what it takes to be consistent.  He hopes you find what works for you).

And now for today's walking thought ...

"We are the Lord's hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children.  He is dependent upon each of us. ...

"... Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these ..., ye have done it unto me (Matthew 25:40)

"Will we respond with love when an opportunity is before us to make a visit or a phone call, write a note, or spend a day meeting the needs of someone else?"

-- Ronald A. Rasband, "The Joyful Burden Of Discipleship", April 2014 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!