Madison, WI

Started walk at 8:00 a.m.

It was Sunday morning and the sky was somewhat overcast. The day was cold but still not down to Wisconsin standards for December. Preparing for a longer walk than usual, I remembered to take my new Nissan coffee thermos that was a Christmas present from my oldest woman child.

Again, with the exception of the usual sounds that emit from my faithful companion's nose, the walk was quiet. No birds. A stillness in the air.

At my first coffee stop, I filled the Nissan with Costa Rican -- it was very good and stayed very hot. Kudos to the design engineer that remembered the needs of the 1997 urban hiker. No cranberry muffin today.

Chance and I extended our walk an extra mile to upper Monroe Street and visited another coffee establishment for a java refill. The coffee was not as good as the first (is it ever?) but I did pick up a rhubarb muffin for nourishment. Chance was very pleased. The return trip was as equally uneventful as the first leg of The Walk. All in all, it was a good walk.