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Mile 1,007.  Christmas lights and sunset.  A nice evening for a walk.  Today's thought is by Richard Scott ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 1,003.  Tortoise did a bonus walk later in the day after walking his thousandth mile, so that he would have over two miles for the day and keep his consecutive walking streak alive at 173.  It was a short La Verkin loop, meaning the whole walk was done on one side of the state highways.  Today's walking thought is by Russell Ballard ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 1,000.  Bluejay was the closest to figure out what Tortoise was trying to do in the past few weeks on his goal for this year -- he thought Tortoise was trying to do it before December 1.  Having as much of Lou's family to enjoy it with him was his motivator to try to do it today ... before some return to their homes after Thanksgiving.  Tortoise enjoyed Bluejay's singing (see yesterday's comments) over this happy day.

Lou picked the warmest (44 degrees), calmest part of the day to do his one thousandth mile by going a half mile northeast from the Crosby Family Confluence Park with Floryne, Becca, Josh, Ethan, Kate, Riley, and Maude.  They then turned around and retraced their steps.  Lots of celebratory pictures when you click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 999.  Tortoise got up early and did a Black Friday special, leaving others to shop while he enjoyed walking the Mayor's Loop clockwise in St. George, beginning and ending at the Crosby Family Confluence Park near the Dixie Center.  Lou has done the full Mayor's loop once before, on January 4, 2014.  That time he did it in the counterclockwise direction.  It is interesting looking at the different point of view on this trail, depending on which direction it is walked.  The view shown above is as the trail approaches the Riverside Trailhead, one of four places that you can park your car and access the trail.

When Tortoise completed this walk, he went to Archie Gubler Park in Santa Clara to watch his grandson play soccer and enjoyed the enthusiasm, skill, and sportsmanship he saw there!  Later he did another three quarters of a mile around the block near his home to complete his 999th mile for the year and leave a single mile to do tomorrow to pass 1000.  There are many nice pictures today, along with the walking thought by Thomas S. Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 993.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  Tortoise very much enjoyed the company of Wounded Duck on his traditional holiday morning walk, and asked him to choose today's title picture.  There are several nice ones to choose from on this fine day, between the walk down to the Virgin River and the climb to the ridge halfway to the La Verkin Overlook.  Today's walking thought is by James Hamula ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 989.  Tortoise caught a little break today.  The weather forecast for the last week showed a major storm coming in for today and tomorrow, complete with rain, wind, and cold.  Lou welcomes all gentle, healing rains, but realizes that would have impacted where and how much he walked.  As it turns out, the storm hit hardest to the north of us.  Southern Utah got plenty of wind, and the temperature dropped 15 degrees from yesterday, but no precipitation.  Tortoise bundled up and headed out on a most excellent walk, the halfway point of which is shown above at the new Confluence View trailhead at the top of Hurricane's Main Street.  From there, Lou continued down to the river and then back up by way of Tortoise Track.  It also includes today's walking thought by Robert Hales ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 982.  Does this look like Thanksgiving week to you?  Tortoise was out walking in shirtsleeves this afternoon.  There is supposed to be cold rain the next two days, so Lou will enjoy this while he can!  Today's walking thought is by Carol McConkie ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 977.  Tortoise began just past 5 pm to walk a loop up the hill from his office, accessing Confluence Park on the Tortoise Track Trail where 200 North ends, continuing down as far as the Basalt Trail, then turning right around and headed back up to the Confluence View Trail to the new trailhead almost complete at the end of Main Street.  Lou then continued on the city streets back to work.  Today's walking thought is by Russell Nelson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 971.  It was a clear, beautiful 64 degree afternoon.  There had been heavy wind in the morning, but none on the Hurricane hill after 2 pm.  It made for some really nice picture taking conditions when Lou climbed that hill and continued to the point shown above a half mile down the Gould Rim trail.  Hope you enjoy them, and the day's walking thought by Henry Eyring.  Tortoise suspects Bluebird might be smiling too ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 966.  It was a tougher than usual day for Tortoise, so when all was said and done at about a quarter to eight, Lou set out on a longer than usual loop of LaVerkin to blow off steam.  And he did feel better when he was done.  Tonight's walking thought is by Thomas S. Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 961.  Tortoise took advantage of a glorious shirtsleeves 62 degree afternoon to explore the Church Rocks Trail in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve before the weather turns again.  Lou accessed this trail from the top of Slick Rock Drive in Coral Canyon, using other trails for just under a mile to get to it.  He highly suggest good walking poles and shoes, and to allow a little extra time for trail finding as much of the way you are walking on rock and looking for the next trail marker pole, or even stacked rocks to know where to go.  The pictures from the extra bit of hill above the nearby Prospector Trail make it worth the extra effort.  Today's walking thought is by David Bednar ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 956.  Tortoise came home late from a quick out of town trip for a funeral in the family, and did an 11 pm walk up Main Street and back, to work out the kinks from sitting in the car for hours before calling it a day.  Today's walking thought is by Koichi Aoyagi ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 954.  Tortoise's favorite walk while waiting for his oil to be changed at Roadrunner.  Why sit and wait when one can breathe clean, crisp air and see the ever changing colors of Confluence Park.  After yesterday's storm, the snowpack has increased on the Pine Valley Mountains, for which the residents of the surrounding valleys are most thankful, and which Lou never tires of seeing.  This view includes the Virgin River as he began climbing out of the park on the Cactus Cliff trail.  The row of trees starting in the middle of the picture and continuing to the right is courtesy of La Verkin Creek, whose path the trees trace.  A fine walk indeed.  Today's walking thought is by Kim Clark ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 951.  The first snow on West Temple of the season, seen a mile into Tortoise's walk on a 41 degree windy day, following a nice 12 hour rainstorm.  Thank goodness for a warm coat and a beany!  Today's walking thought is by Allen Haynie, recounting a charming boyhood story of mud and digging holes ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 946.  Tortoise had a fine day.  Jacob, Hilary, Maude, and Jack came to visit bearing colorful gifts of talent.  Then Ethan, Kate, and Riley joined us at the Peanuts movie, which was fun for old and young.  Tortoise followed this with some play time with them, then when it was near sleepy time he headed out on his walk, winding up and down La Verkin's east hills.  A brilliant way to end a terrific day!  Today's walking thought is by Carole Stephens ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 943.  After a day of meetings and work in St. George, Lou parked his car on the street by the temple and used that as a starting point for his walk in the waning moments of light.  He headed east to Dixie State University.  Pictured above is the relatively new Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Building and the clock tower that also puts on a continually changing light show.  It went into the 6 pm chimes right about this moment, that was nice too.  Tortoise then made a loop of it by heading up 1000 East to Tabernacle, then heading west for 14 blocks before making his way back to his starting point, changing shoes, putting on a tie, and heading inside to complete a nice evening.  Today's walking thought is by Von Keetch, see you on the other side (you know how to get there) ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 938.  The last remnants of sunlight glow seen at 6:20 this evening not quite a mile into Tortoise's walk.  Six months ago today, Lou started a new string of consecutive Non-Sunday walks that is still going strong and giving Tortoise something more to smile about.  Along with today's "ponderizing" walking thought by Devin Durrant ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 934.  A late afternoon walk that worked its way into an early evening walk with the kind of night views that come with clear, crisp air in the deep darkness that occurs shortly after sundown on a late fall or winter night.  It started with two miles along the Virgin River trail, starting at the Riverside Drive trailhead pictured above, then looping back by way of the Foremaster hill which also provided lit sidewalks.  You can see the rest of Lou's pictures and also get Todd Christofferson's walking thought by clicking below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 930.  It rained off and on much of the day today.  The clouds got more threatening as time went on, so Tortoise headed out into the mist while he still could.  He did a little lower loop than usual, and turned back at Main Street, a little sooner than planned, when the mist became rain.  Lou's beanie protected him, and thankfully the rain soon paused long enough for him to return to his office without getting too wet.  Just before the rain picked up again.  It was a very nice rain, that Tortoise was thankful for, and also thankful he was able to walk.  For another picture, a map of today's magical mystery walk, and the walking thought by Henry Eyring, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 926.  It's back up to 70 degrees this afternoon.  At least for today, tomorrow the forecast is rain and low 50s.  So Tortoise went for some therapy by walking along the Virgin River after doing some business nearby.  Lou has a few more pictures, and there is a walking thought by Claudio Costa waiting for you when you click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 922.  Great leaders inspire greatness in others! They are doing good things at La Verkin Elementary these days, it was nice to walk by it this evening.  Lou took some other pictures you might like to see when you click below to continue reading.  Today's walking thought is by Gregory Schwitzer ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 917.  Busy day.  Lou didn't walk until evening, when it became windy in the manner this Hurricane valley is named for.  Tortoise donned his coat and beanie, and did an abbreviated walk that didn't go up the hill to avoid the stronger winds up there.  Frankly, this was the sort of day that Tortoise keeps all those stats at the end of each blog post for ... so he finds a way to keep going.  It would be easy to just check out until, say, the beginning of March.  But once he gets going, it feels good, even on a blustery night ... 

Today's walking thought is by Russell Nelson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 915.  Lou's highlight picture this evening was taken looking down from the hill near the cell towers on 600 North Street in Hurricane.  Interesting streaks in the clouds.  Tortoise took an extra twist in his usual hill loop, and got some fun pictures, including one of himself dressed for the suddenly cool 40 degree temperatures.  For that and today's walking thought by Dale Renlund, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 910.  Yesterday, sunny and near 70 degrees.  Today it decided to be fall all at once, with a heavy dark cloud cover, on and off misty rain and 45 degrees steadily throughout the day.  The view above is about a mile into Tortoise's walk, taken at 5:20 pm.  It got dark halfway through the walk, and with the cloud cover, Lou was glad for the flashlight app on his phone.  Sorry, Anne, didn't think to grab the miner's headlamp before putting on a sweatshirt on top of a sweatshirt and heading out.  There's always next time ...  Today's walking thought is by Gary Stevenson.

Cheerio!

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Mile 906.  Today's walk took Tortoise up the hill headed south on 1480 West Street in Hurricane, on a clear, windy afternoon.  There's more of Lou's scenic pictures, a map and additional details, plus the day's walking thought by Ronald Rasband waiting for you when you click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 902.  Tortoise started walking right after the office closed.  At 5:30 he had completed his first mile, and this was the view.  It was warm and pleasant, so that part didn't seem like November.  Lou continued to do a loop up past the north Hurricane ball fields, then continued on 975 North as far as 120 East before filling in the loop back to his office.  For a map, the day's walking thought by Thomas S. Monson, and more tidbits, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!