Shall we go for a walk?

Reg and I have asked this question of each other many times since we first met. Over the years we've walked miles and miles together. The arrival of our three boys didn't slow us down. We once bribed them, one chocolate M & M at a time, encouraging their little preschool legs to complete the 3.5-mile loop around the Wawona Meadow in Yosemite. It took us the better part of the day!

One of my favorite things about living in Ashland is being able to head out my front door and set foot in any direction. My walks have taken me uphill and down, through neighborhoods filled with beautiful homes and into downtown where restaurants and boutiques await. The fresh air and local beauty are my therapy.

It took determination to conquer the hills above Ashland, but the views are well worth the challenge.

Walking with my camera in hand made me see and appreciate the little things along the way.

The slow pace of walking allows one to appreciate the the simple things in life; things that might otherwise go unnoticed. And the best part is that it doesn't cost a thing! All you need is a pair of shoes, and you too can discover what treasures are hiding in your neighborhood. It will be fun…I promise!

The Hargadine Cemetery is tucked into the hillside of a residential neighborhood. It is named on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Sometimes there are lessons to learn from my wandering. I stumbled upon the Hargadine Cemetery one day as I was walking around a corner, downhill towards home. It was obviously a fascinating piece of history, so I couldn't resist wandering among the weathered headstones. After a little research I learned that Robert Hargadine was a local merchant and one of three original founders of this community once known as Ashland Mills. Sadly, his one-year-old daughter was the first to be buried on the wooded slope back in 1867.

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