I have a set of bamboo chimes sent to me by a friend when she lived in Guam. I can't even remember when she sent them anymore and I love the sound of them in our northwest storms. Several of the chimes have long split or cracked down some if not most of their length.
They hang sheltered from the strongest winds from the north in cold winter storms and from the southeast in fall and spring rain storms, but now days, they're less chimes than objects bumping into each other in the night. I'd replace them but they've survived so long, they're kinda' cool to hear.
Sometimes it's not the quality of the sound that matters, but just the sound itself, weathered and unique.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Walking Update
Well, I wrote in January that every morning each of us is faced with a choice, and either or choice to get better or worse. There is no staying the same. You don't, life doesn't and certainly time won't. And with that I started walking 5-6 miles a day last October from 2-3 days a week to 4-5 days a week through January and into early February.
Well, as life teaches us, too much of one thing has a price and cost, and for this it was my body, namely the legs with shin splints which have long plagued me for periods in the past for running too often, blisters on the heal of both feet, and black toes, those problems where the toenail lifts, bleeds underneath and forms a scab which eventually comes off with the nail.
Yeah, one of the toenails is near the time it will lift off. The other two are weeks away. But the body and work reduced the walking to 1-2 days per week. I'm slowly increasing it again as the shin splints are gone for awhile, the feet get taped now to avoid blisters, and the toenails get taped to protect the toenails. Kinda' keeping the sports tape company profitable.
But I am remembering the goal to get back to running, which is doubtful until later this spring after my cardologist agrees, and get back to hiking in Mt. Rainier NP. As you know there are very few trails in the NP which are relatively flat or with little elevation gain in or out of your destination. I only know of two longer day hikes which fit in that catagory.
Those are the Westside Road from the intersection of Highway 706 to the bridge over Fish Creek and the climb to Round Pass, about 3.5 miles one way, and the Carbon River trail from the NP boundary to Ipsut campground, about 5 miles one way. All the other hikes are short, more tourist focused ones, usually a mile or so round trip.
Anyway, that's the update, and all I say now is, as the saying goes, "Feet, don't fail me now." I hope to do my first hike within a month, always my favorite opening trail to get my hiking legs back, and yes, it's the Westside Road hike. Always a joy, but then Mt. Rainier NP is always a joy to be there.
Well, as life teaches us, too much of one thing has a price and cost, and for this it was my body, namely the legs with shin splints which have long plagued me for periods in the past for running too often, blisters on the heal of both feet, and black toes, those problems where the toenail lifts, bleeds underneath and forms a scab which eventually comes off with the nail.
Yeah, one of the toenails is near the time it will lift off. The other two are weeks away. But the body and work reduced the walking to 1-2 days per week. I'm slowly increasing it again as the shin splints are gone for awhile, the feet get taped now to avoid blisters, and the toenails get taped to protect the toenails. Kinda' keeping the sports tape company profitable.
But I am remembering the goal to get back to running, which is doubtful until later this spring after my cardologist agrees, and get back to hiking in Mt. Rainier NP. As you know there are very few trails in the NP which are relatively flat or with little elevation gain in or out of your destination. I only know of two longer day hikes which fit in that catagory.
Those are the Westside Road from the intersection of Highway 706 to the bridge over Fish Creek and the climb to Round Pass, about 3.5 miles one way, and the Carbon River trail from the NP boundary to Ipsut campground, about 5 miles one way. All the other hikes are short, more tourist focused ones, usually a mile or so round trip.
Anyway, that's the update, and all I say now is, as the saying goes, "Feet, don't fail me now." I hope to do my first hike within a month, always my favorite opening trail to get my hiking legs back, and yes, it's the Westside Road hike. Always a joy, but then Mt. Rainier NP is always a joy to be there.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Raynaud's Syndrome II
I wrote in 2009 about my Raynaud's Syndrome which struck my hands in the winter of 1990-91 and accept an opportunity to get out of the field work, which with the USGS isn't a seasonal job in basic data. You go whatever the weather and conditions. You find a way to get there and do the work.
Well, in the fall of 2010, Raynaud's Syndrome found my toes and by the end of the winter 2010-11 I had frostnip-like (1st degree frost bite) symptom which developed into scabs through the spring and into the summer before the toes fully healed, only to suffer again the following winter, and each winter since it's gotten worse where the several toes are swollen through the winter.
Because of this I no longer can walk around barefoot without socks. Well, most of the time anyway, I love walking barefoot, even walked home from town one day, 3 miles (ok, blisters made wearing shoes worse and it was summer). Most of the time now I have to watch the temperature and adjust the type of socks and wear Gore-Tex socks for trips outdoors.
So, it's life with both the hands and toes with Raynaud's Syndrome. Such is getting old, and yes, it sucks.
Well, in the fall of 2010, Raynaud's Syndrome found my toes and by the end of the winter 2010-11 I had frostnip-like (1st degree frost bite) symptom which developed into scabs through the spring and into the summer before the toes fully healed, only to suffer again the following winter, and each winter since it's gotten worse where the several toes are swollen through the winter.
Because of this I no longer can walk around barefoot without socks. Well, most of the time anyway, I love walking barefoot, even walked home from town one day, 3 miles (ok, blisters made wearing shoes worse and it was summer). Most of the time now I have to watch the temperature and adjust the type of socks and wear Gore-Tex socks for trips outdoors.
So, it's life with both the hands and toes with Raynaud's Syndrome. Such is getting old, and yes, it sucks.
What I Always Say
If I was wrong, or did or said something wrong, or I challenged anyone with the realistic possibility of making a mistake or causing problems, especially to others, besides apologizing I always said one thing, "I accept the responsibility of my words or my actions, and I will always accept the consequences of my words or my actions."
That's what good and honest people do, but more so, you should always think before they decide, speak or act. Why don't we see it in many public figures or celebrities? I'm not always perfect with my own rules of life, that's being human, but I do recognize my mistakes and apologize, and I always learn to be better.
That's what good and honest people do, but more so, you should always think before they decide, speak or act. Why don't we see it in many public figures or celebrities? I'm not always perfect with my own rules of life, that's being human, but I do recognize my mistakes and apologize, and I always learn to be better.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Either Or
My philosophy about life, in part, is that every morning when you wake up you have a choice, a real choice about yourself, your life and your world. You can either get better or you can get worse. There is no in between. There is no status quo. There is no today will just be another day and nothing changes.
Everything changes. Even you. Physically, mentally and emotionally. You get one day older and it doesn't matter what you do or don't do, it just happens. Time is always there, not your friend, just doing what time does, passing along. You are simply another person on the path to the future.
You can't get off for a moment, it's just what is, time. And that means you get older every day and you have the choice to get better or worse. You can do both in the same day, and mostly we always do, but at the end of the day, while you are still older, you will be better or worse.
Twice in my life I've faced being what I thought was my worst. When I turned 49 I was physically the best I'd been since my 20's. I was running 3-4 miles 3-4 times a week, which for me was the farthest and most often I'd run. Then the pressures from work took it all away by the time I turned 50 I was a physical wreck, 15 lb heavier and I couldn't run a mile.
I spent the next year and a half to get back to close to what I was, and only got close but never there. The body just didn't seem to have the ability to get there, it always got tired when I approached that goal. So I settled and stayed about the same, running 3 miles 3-4 miles a week for years before getting older and slower to my mid-late 50's.
And then the proverbial wheels came off as I slowly quit running and gained the weight back. I tried walking which worked for awhile but then the body had problems as I've noted, so, when I turned 62 I was even worse than before, the worst I'd been in my life, again, and I saw no end to getting, let alone being or feeling, better.
Then I started walking ~6 miles to town and back. First 2-3 days a week in October-November and now in January I'm up to 4-5 days a week. Not without issues again. Blisters were the first issue but now I simply tape my feet to avoid them. Then the toes (black toenails), and those I haven't resolved, but I'll live with them.
The worst is the infrequent problem I've always had all my life, shin splints. They've haunted me more with running since my 40's. Usually they last a few weeks and go away with consistent running, but they haven't gone away with walking. For now I just walk through them and by mile 2-3 they're gone without any return problems until the next walk.
I have an underpronation with my left foot which causes more stress on the outer muscles of the shin and results in shin splints. This only happens with running and extended walking (more than 1/2 to 1 mile), and can continue for another 1-2 miles, less with running. There are months it's not a problem and then suddenly it is for a few weeks to months before going away.
And that's why I have the choice every day now, to walk and get better despite the problems, and hope they'll get better, or not and know rest won't make the problems go away and I'll go back to gaining weight and feeling crappy. At my age, the choice is pronounced and obvious, and the decision even more important.
So, despite the body not wanting to get out in the winter cold and often rainy weather, I have a choice, to do nothing knowing hope won't make me better, or to do something with the chance I will get better. For now, the effort is the better choice. Every morning of every day for the rest of what life I have left.
Every mile walked is a mile away from who I was and a mile closer to someone and something better. What I don't know, but I'm slowly working up to 7 miles with plans for 8 or more miles, as they say, down the road. I have the routes to town planned out to add increments of 1/2 to 1 mile when I'm ready. When I'm better.
And by then I'll be better to add the distance. And with each trip I carry the backpack to bring home stuff from the local commercial area where the turnaround point is, with the cafe as the reward for the halfway mark. Add 10-20 lbs of stuff and the walk becomes more exercise with the return route with some elevation gains and losses between there and home.
And that's the either or for me now, but it's less the either or the or and simply what I must do to stay alive or slowly get worse.
Everything changes. Even you. Physically, mentally and emotionally. You get one day older and it doesn't matter what you do or don't do, it just happens. Time is always there, not your friend, just doing what time does, passing along. You are simply another person on the path to the future.
You can't get off for a moment, it's just what is, time. And that means you get older every day and you have the choice to get better or worse. You can do both in the same day, and mostly we always do, but at the end of the day, while you are still older, you will be better or worse.
Twice in my life I've faced being what I thought was my worst. When I turned 49 I was physically the best I'd been since my 20's. I was running 3-4 miles 3-4 times a week, which for me was the farthest and most often I'd run. Then the pressures from work took it all away by the time I turned 50 I was a physical wreck, 15 lb heavier and I couldn't run a mile.
I spent the next year and a half to get back to close to what I was, and only got close but never there. The body just didn't seem to have the ability to get there, it always got tired when I approached that goal. So I settled and stayed about the same, running 3 miles 3-4 miles a week for years before getting older and slower to my mid-late 50's.
And then the proverbial wheels came off as I slowly quit running and gained the weight back. I tried walking which worked for awhile but then the body had problems as I've noted, so, when I turned 62 I was even worse than before, the worst I'd been in my life, again, and I saw no end to getting, let alone being or feeling, better.
Then I started walking ~6 miles to town and back. First 2-3 days a week in October-November and now in January I'm up to 4-5 days a week. Not without issues again. Blisters were the first issue but now I simply tape my feet to avoid them. Then the toes (black toenails), and those I haven't resolved, but I'll live with them.
The worst is the infrequent problem I've always had all my life, shin splints. They've haunted me more with running since my 40's. Usually they last a few weeks and go away with consistent running, but they haven't gone away with walking. For now I just walk through them and by mile 2-3 they're gone without any return problems until the next walk.
I have an underpronation with my left foot which causes more stress on the outer muscles of the shin and results in shin splints. This only happens with running and extended walking (more than 1/2 to 1 mile), and can continue for another 1-2 miles, less with running. There are months it's not a problem and then suddenly it is for a few weeks to months before going away.
And that's why I have the choice every day now, to walk and get better despite the problems, and hope they'll get better, or not and know rest won't make the problems go away and I'll go back to gaining weight and feeling crappy. At my age, the choice is pronounced and obvious, and the decision even more important.
So, despite the body not wanting to get out in the winter cold and often rainy weather, I have a choice, to do nothing knowing hope won't make me better, or to do something with the chance I will get better. For now, the effort is the better choice. Every morning of every day for the rest of what life I have left.
Every mile walked is a mile away from who I was and a mile closer to someone and something better. What I don't know, but I'm slowly working up to 7 miles with plans for 8 or more miles, as they say, down the road. I have the routes to town planned out to add increments of 1/2 to 1 mile when I'm ready. When I'm better.
And by then I'll be better to add the distance. And with each trip I carry the backpack to bring home stuff from the local commercial area where the turnaround point is, with the cafe as the reward for the halfway mark. Add 10-20 lbs of stuff and the walk becomes more exercise with the return route with some elevation gains and losses between there and home.
And that's the either or for me now, but it's less the either or the or and simply what I must do to stay alive or slowly get worse.
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