Hiking: It's warming up, and time for some nice weather hiking!

I generally don't let bad weather deter me from hiking.

My October hike to the Notch in the Uintas yielded shots like this one.

That being said, once it starts warming up, my eyes light up as I start thinking about the hikes I'm wanting to do sometime between now and next time the snow flies. I never get to do all of them, but one can always dream, can't one?
There are several trips I'd like to make this year. I'll be doing an unscheduled one this month, so I won't count that one. Most of the ones I want to do this year require the snow to be pretty much gone. In May, I'm going up into the Stansbury Mountains to follow a road/trail called "Mining Fork Road". I was on it a couple of times in 2016 and never followed it all the way up. It ends at South Willow Lake, which I'd really love to see. I also want to follow the road down as far as it goes, because I've been unable to locate where someone might get on it and drive partway then hike the rest. So, that's on the agenda. Whether that will take one day or two, remains to be seen.

On the trail to the top of Deseret Peak in the Stansburys

Second on the list is the Pfeifferhorn. It has been on my list for a number of years and I haven't ever made it.
There are a number of other peaks that I have climbed before, but would like to do again. If I do them though, I want to do them with someone this time. I've been a solo hiker for a long time, simply because of my schedule, but I'm wanting to share the experience with others on these peaks. The peaks are Timpanogos, Nebo, and Deseret Peak. I also wouldn't mind doing the relatively easy hike to the top of Baldy in the Uintas if someone were to tag along.

Some of my best hiking partners are my grandkids.

But I also like taking other family members and friends along.

Of course, I'm open to other hikes that aren't as strenuous as the three tougher hikes mentioned above. Hikes to some of the Uinta lakes for a little fishing and relaxation are always part of my agenda.

If I could, I'd do a backpacking trip. I'd really love to go to Red Castle in the Uintas as I have never been there and I've heard a lot of great things about it. One of my friends would really love to go to Kings Peak with me, and I'd do that one again if I could swing the time away from home. My wife. Ann is disabled and hasn't felt comfortable with me going away over multiple nights, or even one night for several years. She has hinted that she might be open to it in the future though, so here's to hoping.

I imagine I'll do my share of solo hiking as well. Maybe up to Silver Glance Lake or elsewhere in the Wasatch. No matter what happens though, it will be great to get out and experience whatever the good Lord allows me to experience. I will be counting each adventure as just a bonus to an already amazing life.

Sometimes ya gotta go it alone if ya want to get out there.

What a week!

Many of you know of the struggles Ann was going through this week. I spent the night with her Wednesday night at the Emergency Room at the University of Utah Hospital after she went in to have the pain in her legs checked out and the doctor found out her oxygen level was very low. I ended up getting two hours of sleep that night.
Ann only had to spend one night in the hospital and got some plans for fixing her oxygen troubles, but nothing for the original leg pain. I spoke to the doctor as I was waiting in front of the hospital for the transport people to bring her out. He initially didn't want to prescribe any kind of pain killers, because most of them relax the lungs and make it harder to get the oxygen you need. He finally said that he could prescribe Prednisone, and that if her regular pain remedies of Ibuprofen and Tylenol didn't help, to call him back in a couple of days. This was after hours on Thursday evening.
Later, after we were home, I told Ann about the conversation and she said that I should have told him that she needed it now, not a couple of days from now.
She called the doctor's office on Friday morning, talking to the assistant, and got mixed up and the prescription wasn't called in. Now, of course, it's the weekend and it's not going to happen until they get back into the office tomorrow--that is provided that they aren't taking off MLK Day.
She has still been in a lot of pain, but actually this morning, after I encouraged her to walk more (she has been scooting around on her desk chair), she walked down the hall from the bathroom to her chair in the living room. I was glad to see it. One thing I've noticed with injuries in the past is that if you baby them too much, your muscles begin to atrophy and it's that much more painful to get back to good health.
I'm hoping that this is the beginning of her being healed. Certainly I and others have said enough prayers. I plead with God last night that he would heal her and get her back to normal. Today became a day of praise after she decided to walk instead of scoot the chair. Finally, I think we are seeing some improvement.

Woe isn't me: How I stop feeling sorry for myself

Sometimes I wonder out loud why I can't just live a normal life. I see other people's lives and watch them as they go camping, fishing, traveling--even activities out in the yard--and I get a little homesick for the days when that was my life.
I can get away fairly frequently for a few hours or a day, but being a caregiver requires its sacrifices. And that means if I camp, I need to find a friend who can go, or go alone. And going alone means leaving Ann alone. Ann had a scary episode two summers ago on our family campout, and is terrified of trying it again. And I don't blame her.
Even around home, in the yard, life is not normal, nor what it used to be.
But that, my friends, is part of life. We aren't put here on this earth just to have a good time. I have the option of feeling sorry for myself, or realizing that I still have it very good. I may have to try a lot harder to find ways to travel, like finding lodgings that have recliners, but at least I have that. And at least I still have the company of my companion for the past 36 years. A lot of people can't say that. I am truly grateful for that.
Life can be hard. It can be a challenge to wake up every morning and wonder how you're going to deal with your day, how you're going to make it through. When I look at my load of work, after I get home from my job for the day, it sometimes seems overwhelming. But I'm glad God has given me the health and strength to do it. Just last weekend, I got sick and it was amazing how much that made things worse. So I'm very grateful for a sound body. Now a sound mind would be nice too, but we  can't have everything.
So, if you're feeling overwhelmed, or down in the dumps, just remember, you've got a lot of blessings too.

Today's keys for better health

I've recently been seeing a naturopath to try and figure out ways to lower my blood pressure without resorting to blood pressure meds. So far, so good. My last three measurements have been 110/62, 100/58, and 128/78. Those aren't bad readings. There is really no clear cut answer for what levels blood pressure measurements would be considered "low" other than how a person feels. If you have reading, like say, my middle one of 100/58, well that would typically be low, but not necessarily. It's more based upon whether or not you feel good. With low pressure you may feel dizzy or light headed. I felt none of those symptoms when I hit my lowest figure.

So what's helping me? I've been eating better. I have a smoothie for breakfast, try and eat less grains (the doc says it's not because they are bad for me, but because eating grains keeps us from eating veggies and fruit). I'm also avoiding foods with added salt, such as canned cream of mushroom, tomato, or cream of chicken. Though I still eat the occasional bad meal (yesterday I had chili cheese fries for lunch), I'm mixing in more lunches from home and progressing in a more positive direction--away from the fried foods in general, bringing tuna sandwiches to work, eating apples on my breaks etc.

I've also been doing things to control stress. Relaxing, deep breathing, controlling my own reactions to things.

My exercise levels have gone way down during the past couple of months due to being on the overtime list at work. I can only believe that once I'm back exercising like I should be, at the beginning of April at the latest, my health will improve even more. I will be able to go for a walk this morning while I'm waiting for Ann at her doc's appointment, and I will be skiing this afternoon, so it's not like I'm totally ignoring the exercise part.

So, here are the keys: avoid fast foods and extra salt intake, eat wholesome veggies and fruits, practice stress relief, exercise, drink plenty of water. A guy in my study group last night said that giving gratitude to God for the water as you're drinking it actually makes the water respond is a positive way and that studies have shown that. Though a cursory look found no studies to confirm this, it doesn't hurt to have an attitude of gratitude in all we do. A positive outlook, keyed by gratitude goes a long way to creating an atmosphere in which good health can flourish.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who take the time to read my posts. Sometimes the things I write may seem strange, incoherent, or just not your cup of tea, so to speak. Fair enough. As an individual, I have my own idiosyncrasies, my own way of looking at life. I'm thankful for all of you and your own differences and ways of looking a things. I wouldn't be posting anything if I wasn't getting readers, so a big THANK YOU to my loyal readers. I hope all of you have an amazing time today wherever you may be.

And if you can reach through my computer, give Scout a pat on the head.

Gratitude: I'm grateful for fabulous health product recommendations

So over the past year, I've discovered three items that have improved my life, thanks to the recommendation of others. These three items are coconut oil, psyllium husks, and melatonin.

Coconut oil can be used in a variety of ways. I have mostly used it for my dry skin. Since I work in an industry that requires me to be outdoors in harsh weather conditions, my hands can get extremely dry. When I remember to put in on my hands, it helps out a lot with this condition. I understand it makes a great massage oil too, though I have yet to try this usage.

The psyllium husks that I use come as a powder that I mix with water and drink. I have had diverticulitis twice this year and needed to find a way to get more fiber into my diet. In addition to providing that, psyllium husks provide other health benefits as well.

Melatonin was recommended to me as a way to reduce long hours of wakefulness in the middle of the night. It has worked amazingly well. For years, I've dreamed only rarely. Since I've begun taking the stuff, I have had dreams nearly every night. I think that might mean that I'm falling into deeper and thus more restful sleep. Certainly that's beneficial.

When people recommend great products to me, I think it's highly appropriate to thank them. So my gratitude goes out to those who have suggested the above products to me. They have made me life better, by helping me with some of my minor health issues. Thanks!

Gratitude: Today, I'm thankful for Flo

So yesterday I was delivering my mail and there were a lot of Progressive ads going to homes along my route. I was looking at Flo all day.

I'm kind of thankful for Flo. Those commercials early on were appealing and something fresh. I know it sounds weird, but Flo is a bright spot in a world of stupid commercials and television programs. I don't typically like commercials, but there are a few entertaining ones and the ones with Flo in them are among the best. Besides that, I think the woman who portrays Flo is probably nice in real life, and the world needs more nice people, especially in the kind of world in which we live.

So two thumbs up for Flo. I hope she has a happy Thanksgiving.

Today I'm thankful I never got soaked, and other assorted topics

Winter has finally come to Utah. It's just as well. I was getting burned out of keeping up with the yard, and now, I can look forward to not having to do that kind of stuff until spring. I got the Accord finished with the safety and emissions inspection--it had failed because the bracket that holds the battery in had broken. Anyway, I replaced that today. I got a tool in the mail that's supposed to help with clearing obstructions from toilets. In our basement, where our daughter, Rebecca and her family live, the toilet is having issues. I had plunged it last week and got a toothbrush out, but then found out that there might be more toothbrushes and whatever else in there and that it was still sluggish. Rather than pull the toilet to clear it, I got online and looked for easier solutions. Anyway, I found out about the toilet auger that a bunch of people swear works well, then I checked the video that's mentioned in the comment section. In case you ever need to know this, here it is.

I put Rebecca's husband, Justin on the task this morning. I'm anxious to see how it went.

Ann and I are going to try and finish up our Christmas shopping for the kids and grandkids sometime today. We like to get it done early, so we don't have to worry about it. I still have a bunch to do for Ann, but what do you expect? Her birthday is December 12, then there's Christmas, and on December 30th, our anniversary. If I could figure out how to get Mother's Day and Valentine's Day into December, I would and then I could have the whole shebang over for the year.

On the writing front, I think I'm going to find some agents to whom I can submit my Christmas poem entitled The Cowboy's Mile: A Christmas Story. I feel that it would be easier to try and explain my idea for the poem with illustrations to an agent rather than to a publishing company. It's a lengthy poem--about two to three type written pages of verse--and it would lend itself well to a format with a stanza or two on a page with an illustration to go with it. I'm fairly certain both children and adults would like this story--I just need to find a way to get it published. I'm also confident that it would be well-received among the Christian book market, so maybe that's the kind of agent I need to approach.

As for gratitude today, I'm grateful I didn't ever stay out in the rain long enough to get soaking wet. It might have caused trouble with clothes clinging and all of that. Okay, I know, that sounds like a weird thing to be grateful for, but I have my reasons. And I am trying to think of things I don't normally think of for which to be grateful. Normally I don't mind getting soaking wet, especially when it's very hot. But this year, it seemed kind of like, well, it didn't ever really get hot enough to need that cool down effect, another thing for which I'm grateful. And, it's just plain hard to get out of the wet clothing. I'm thankful I never got that wet and that all my excursions this year were relatively tame. Well most of them. That's a story for another time.

Today I'm grateful for sunrises and sunsets

Earlier this year, during the summer, I went hiking specifically to take pictures of the sunset from the Salt Lake Overlook. It was a great experience that I enjoyed immensely. I have been treated to many great sunsets this year. I have been treated to spectacular sunrises. When I see them, I try to share them because, well, spreading the joy is always a good thing.
Sometimes when I see a beautiful sunrise, I cannot help but think of others sharing it too. That's one of the great things about both sunrises and sunsets--that many people can see them, if they take the time. Sunsets and sunrises lift the spirits and impress upon the mind the beauty of God's creations. And I kind of like that.

Sunset along the Kings Peak trail, 2014

Gratitude: for advice that's worth more than I paid for it

In looking back over the past year, I've received a lot of good free advice. Some say, advice is worth what you pay for it. I say, that in the past year, the free advice I've gotten has been as valuable to me as if I'd paid a lot of money for it. I don't think that we often count free counsel by others when it come to gratitude, but this time, I'm going to. So thanks for the advice. It has been worth far more than I ever paid.

Gratitude, green lights and geese

November is typically the month when we tend to think of gratitude a bit more frequently. Of course, that's associated with Thanksgiving Day. Really, we should be full of gratitude all the time for our great blessings. I've participated in the past in events that included listing some of the things I am thankful for on social media sites. Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be posting in this blog some of the things for which I'm grateful.
This first one is going to seem odd to some, not so odd to others. I'm thankful for green lights. That's right. Green lights. Far better than red lights, green lights suggest that it's okay. Okay to proceed, okay to go, okay to do a lot of everything. If I see two green lights in a row, I sometimes think that maybe this day, God is on my side a bit more than usual--and I can always use that kind of feeling.
I was a bit sad earlier today. Feeling blue. Blue's normally my color, but not when I'm sad. But then, something amazing happened. I hit two green lights in a row and somehow I knew that everything would be all right. So, I want to thank God for making sure I saw that today.

There was something else I saw today that had God's mark all over it. I was at the gym, having just completed my workout and I was walking around just thinking for a minute. I walked down to the west doors and looked up at the magnificent sky. The perfect mixture of blue, gray, and pink warmed my heart, but just then a flock of geese flew past, heading north. Within seconds another flock flew by, this time heading south, and then a third group, heading south as well. Big, beautiful birds bringing to me, a message of peace. God knew my heart needed it this morning and he delivered, as he always does when I decide to trust in and honor him.