As I walk alongside the harbour, I greet other walkers at least a couple of dozen times in my 2k walk. I have been interested in the differences between “Hi,” “Morning,” “Good Morning,” and “Hello,” each said with varying inflections.
I have also noticed that only people who make eye contact will greet me, and tourists don’t usually make eye contact. Similarly, people wearing headphones don’t usually look at or greet me. When I first arrived in Nanaimo I was responding to other people’s greetings, but today I realized I was initiating the dialogue. It has only taken a month for me to take on the mantle of a local!
Also greeting me this morning was the new month. I took a couple of pictures of the sunset on July 31st:
And then I took a few more of the sunrise on August 1.
Good morning, August. You are a lovely young thing.
Snowbird of Paradise 
Lovely pictures.
Thanks, Barb.
It is an interesting social dynamic, that greeting another as we pass by. In my experience people my age are more likely to initiate a greeting than young adults. So I do a friendly greeting, and they look up (sometimes in surprise) but are always pleasant in return. If they have a dog with them, I greet the dog as well. But don’t try to pet their dogs.
That’s a good point. I too have noticed that older people are more inclined to both make eye contact and to say hello.
In this neighbourhood, there are lots of older people with dogs and the dogs often greet each other before the people do!
Another attribute that is likely to prompt conversation is a baby. Somehow they often raise a smile and friendly questioning. How old? What name? That sort of thing.
Yes, babies are good for conversation too.