My husband, Bruce, and I enjoy outdoor activities but we have differing purposes, goals and pace. To illustrate: One morning as I prepared for my bike ride I decided to invite him along. "Would ya like to go for a bike ride with me?" I yelled to him as he fiddled with something in the garage.

"Okay, Yeah that sounds good." Bruce said with unusual enthusiasm."Would you like to ride in front so you can set the pace and decide the route?" I asked. "No, I'll do whatever you do. If I get behind that's all right." Bruce answered.

I set off at a moderate pace. I didn't want to discourage him and I truly enjoyed his companionship. In no time at all he was lagging behind. I would ride in circles until he caught up; or I would turn back to meet him and continue our ride. Our ride kept on in this manner. When we returned home Bruce said, with an obviously bruised ego searching for redemption, "I like to stop and smell the roses while I bike!" He said this with such self-righteousness I couldn't help but retort. "Well maintain that pace and you'll be pushing up daisies. If you are going to bike with the goal of lowering your cholesterol you need to push it a little and get your heart rate up."

We also pursue hiking in a dissimilar manner. Bruce likes to look around and observe nature as we hike through State Game Lands. I like to push my body into turbo, moving as fast and as far as possible. Our differing styles would surely remain but they would be greatly mitigated if I weren't so myopic. I don't readily notice that deer in the woods; or see how the bark of this tree differs from the bark of another. Bruce loves to notice all those things and more.

From such perspectives Bruce and I set out the other day for a hike in Pennsylvania's State Game Land. On such trips Bruce always takes the lead while I follow behind. This prevents me from running into trees, falling over boulders or walking off a cliff. Bruce tries to move at a pace that will satisfy both of us. My heart rate can climb a bit and he can stop to smell his roses. Trouble is we don't often smell the same scent...especially if it's offal.

You see, we were following the paw prints of two Bobcats. On an earlier hike Bruce had found their den. I was excited to see this den and I wanted to hike with a faster pace than would permit the observation of animal poop. But Bruce relishes the opportunity to impart a nature lesson to a captive audience.

"Deer have been running through

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