Forest walks

This is the fourth year that Suzy and I have been leading walks in the Town Forest on Tuesday mornings.  We have some great "regulars" and always a few newbies join us.  Yesterday we had 11 people, five of whom were nearly 80.  They were visiting our neighbor Lois and attending their 60th high school reunion.  Lois had said she wanted to take them to the Empire Lookout which has views of her old house.  Paul and Janice wanted to get home by 10:30, so I didn't tarry but led a brisk march through the woods.   I'm usually pretty slow, with Suzy taking the lead.  She had a sore throat and didn't come.  We were also missing Bill (biking?) and Lee (on vacation).

When we finally got to the lookout, about a mile from the start, one of the reunion ladies told me that she had had a stroke last year and that's why she was lagging.  I felt so bad!  I had originally planned a shorter walk in another area, but changed my plan in order to please Lois, a very nimble 78 year old.  So we left the reunion people sitting by the side of the road while Lois went back and got her car.  This incident put a pall on the walk for me although I was trying to accommodate everyone.  Sigh.  Still and all, it was a lovely day for a walk in the woods.  The Empire Lookout is one of my favorites because you approach over pine needles past a lovely quarry.