Two significant things happened a year ago, both within a week of each other. My daughter, Stephanie, made her first major purchase: a beautiful Australian Shepherd puppy that she named "Kelly," and the Walking Example Group began here in Cooperstown!

Since we were going to be walking anyway, because we all know "puppies need walks", we joined the Walking Example Group (WE-GO) just to "see" how far we would walk in a year. Throughout the summer we took two walks a day, thoroughly enjoying our quaint village.

We would walk up Main Street, pointing out where the Hall of Fame was for tourists who had lost their way. Kelly made friends with people at the bank, Ellsworth and Sill, and other merchants in town who gave her treats. We stopped and visited with a woman in her nineties who brought out ice water in a bowl for Kelly and a glass for me as we sat on her porch watching the setting sun.

The dog days of summer turned to glorious days of fall. The autumn colors graced each step and our walks continued as the temperature dropped and the snow fell. In spite of snow, which on many days was knee deep for me and chest deep for Kelly, we continued our daily ritual. The snow-induced silence gave a surreal sense to our now very familiar route. The tennis ball throw was replaced by the snowball chase but still our walking continued day after day.

Finally, and after this winter, I mean finally, the snow began to melt, hints of spring green were seen, crocus and tulips lined our way, life stirred again. The beaver was back frolicking in the falls by the hospital, a doe and her new, soft-brown fragile fawn could be seen drinking from the riverbank. A favorite Frisbee replaced the tennis ball as Kelly passed her first birthday and mastered the skill of catching the flying disk in air!

People we know, and some we don't, beep and wave to us as they pass, adding to our incredible sense of appreciation for this wonderful community in which we live. A year has passed and we've totaled our steps. To our great surprise, from June 16, 2002 to June 15, 2003 we walked 3,490,990 steps! At my stride that's 1,377 miles! A sense of accomplishment, yes, but greater still is the sense of gratitude for the joy that walking has added to my life.

Lin Quinlan is the co-pastor of the Cooperstown Presbyterian Church and an original member of The Walking Example Group (WE-GO).