Up sticks

The main reason for setting the dates of the trip was to attend the country on the paternal birthday. I had no present prepared for the event, but my wife has been using a set of Nordic walking sticks recently and I thought that something similar might encourage pops to take a constitutional once in a while. The girl in the shop was very helpful and we settled on a pair of the same make as the ones in Japan. Leki. I handed them over the day before the anniversary of the blessed event and Dad got on fine with them. I was impressed by the difference in his locomotion when accompanied by the items in question. He has said that he takes a morning walk about three times a week now. That should see him through a few more birthdays now that he has crossed the 80th parallel. If one were a quibbler one might say he is carrying a few more pounds than necessary, a lighter load might make the road onward easier to travel.