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Over the past couple of months, I’ve discovered the joy of two things – reading and walking.

Now, before I go any further, the joy of walking is a more recent thing as I’ve tasked myself to walk every day during the month of October. I’m calling it my Walktober month.

I admit, I missed the first two days, but I’ll catch up on them with two longer walking sessions.

Right now, my walks have been focused on the downtown area in Atmore. There’s a route I take that takes me down Church Street a short bit and then right onto Trammell Street.

From there, I walk down Trammell, hang a right onto Ridgeley Street and then left onto Main Street.

My point of turnaround is at The Yellow Garden. I turn around and walk down either the right or left side of Main Street. The choice of side is depending on what I want to look at or view.

My end point is at the newspaper, where I typically park.

The route is around 30 minutes or less for me, and just over a mile if memory serves.

That 30-minute route helps me so much mentally and physically. I’m thankful I started walking again.

As for reading, around August, I started reading the Lee Child “Jack Reacher” novels.

About a month, or less, later I have read some 10 of his books. These books, generally around 500 pages, are quick and engaging reads.

The books, themselves, have kept me from spending too much time in front of the TV during my streaming time, which is good.

The books have also helped me mentally. For example, when I dream, the sequences come in site quite randomly. But, after a night or day of solid reading, the sequences make sense, to me.

At present, I’m trying to finish reading the first book of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” series.

To be honest, I’m slowly reading “Dune” because it’s not grabbing me like the “Reacher” novels, but I’ve set a weekend deadline to have the book finished.

I’m trying to have “Dune” read before the film adaptation is released on Oct. 22.

I know I can make the deadline, it’s completely doable.

Much like walking, it’s going to take discipline to accomplish my goal.

So, here’s to October, where the joy of reading and walking will help in more ways than one.