“You do not complain to a beautiful morning,” wrote Walter Teller in his book Area Code 215. I resonate with the sentiment. There’s something about a morning walk, especially when the weather cooperates, that lifts my spirits.

Annabel Streets (52 Ways to Walk) says it’s the sunlight, which is the primary timekeeper for our body’s cells. The light, even on a cloudy day, sets our circadian rythym (which helps us get a good night’s sleep) and triggers our body to make serotonin (which makes us feel good).

It doesn’t have to be a long walk. Streets says 10 minutes will do the trick.

I have less scientific reasons for choosing the morning for most of my jaunts. The early hour has its own gifts: the cool temps, the empty brick streets in old town Canyon, the lack of traffic noise that accentuates other sounds—a faraway train whistle, the chiming of the clock in the city square. And there’s the greetings of other morning walkers, sometimes just a raised hand or nod of the head. I don’t know most of their names, but we share a connection, a common love of the morning.

And the best part? The sunrise of course, which I’ll write about in tomorrow’s blog.