Another perk that not smoking has given me: I'm able to stand still as long as needed when I'm on a walk so I can watch live animals in their own habitat. In the past, within 10 minutes I needed a smoke- and there went any chance of sneaking up on an animal. Not to mention that I was odorous enough to advertise my presence to everything around.

Since I quit smoking I have been growled at by a nutria, barked at by a deer, have watched a deer busily feeding, flicking its tail, have stood at a pathside water puddle, watching a busy flock of small birds dipping and bathing and lifting and landing and chirping in their high sweet voices, have stood frozen close enough to a coyote in the forest to count the pointy hairs around his throat while he tried to ascertain whether I was something to fear, even had a black bear pop out of the brush within 7 feet of me and for a heartstopping moment we measured each other... and more. I treasure all of these experiences and they would never have happened if I were still smoking.

Ebbie