The first step is always the hardest one

We never thought we'd be posting on a blog. But--our friends and relatives having suggested it--now we are.
The major area of interest for the foreseeable future is our upcoming pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. We will be walking the Camino Frances, which goes through the northern part of Spain from France to Santiago. The trek is approximately 450 miles long, and we expect it will take about 6 weeks.
We have been training for a few weeks now. Yesterday we took our first training walk with loaded packs! They came in at 15 pounds each--just under 7 kilos.

Two of the places we have been training at are the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and the Mission Hike and Bike Trail. This picture is from the Pintail Lakes trail at Santa Ana, in early April. This refuge is famous for its bird viewing. We saw Chachalacas--and heard them too! There were also a few ducks on the Pintail Lakes. (Not in picture)