A Distracted Workout

​Are we on the wrong path, literally?   My friend and I have been walking at least six days a week for the last four years.   We walk a three-mile path through a nature preserve.   This morning, we saw the elderly lady who usually completes her walk just as we arrive.  Today was different.  She was parking her car as we began our walk.  As we passed through the trail’s entrance, we could see her getting out of the car and tightening her shoelaces.   
About a minute into our walk, we heard an unusual sound - "hoot, hoot...hoot, hoot". The sound became louder as we continued our walk.  There at the top of an electric pole was AN OWL'S NEST.  His "horns" extended upward as if he was on high alert.  His circular eyes stared at us across the distance.  I quickly took a picture with my cell, and we continued our walk.  The elderly lady was now only 400 – 500 feet behind us.   Struggling to increase our lead, we heard a roar.  The roar was deep and resembled the sound a lion would make to call in the pack.  This was no lion at all.  Around the corner was an alligator. He was up on all fours as he bellowed to gain his mate’s attention.  Thank goodness we were not his type.  As I took out my cellphone, he seemed to calm down a little, and I could comfortably take his snapshot.  We resumed our walk.  At some point the elderly lady (at least 20 years our senior) passed us.  As we stopped to admire the camouflage of our green lizard friend, I told my friend that we cannot have any more distractions.  I'm beginning to believe that our new goal is going to be maintaining a 20 minute/mile pace.  
Finally, we could see our cars in the parking lot at a distance.  The elderly lady was probably at home eating her biscuits and sipping a pot of freshly brewed coffee by now.  We were determined to not let another obstacle stand in our way.  The stopwatch was close to 58 minutes, and we pressed on to make it to the end before the hour mark.  When suddenly, out of nowhere, appeared the cutest little bunny.  He was chunky and had a perfectly round white cottontail.  I could not resist a snapshot.  
Our morning walks are never dull, but when it comes to staying on task and hitting our target heart rates - we are surely on the wrong path!