14 January 2024
I’m on a run of good days! This was my third day of a morning walk (1.1 miles) on an overcast, misty morning. I was afraid for a time I wouldn’t be in shape enough for morning walks until the heat of summer. I didn’t want to miss out on the cool mornings strolling through the neighborhood. In the summer, if you wait past 8 am, you are going to pay dearly in sweat. Also, good news, my Apple Watch didn’t warn me that my cardio fitness level was for crap.
I remembered to do the insulin injection this morning after breakfast. It went fast and efficiently. The only question is whether or not 14 units is sufficient to bring my glucose level down or if I have to up the dosage. After four days, if not change, I up the dosage by three units. It’s still painless so far.
I’m in the process of adding my music CD’s back to my computer/iPhone/iPad. It seems like every time I purchase a new computer, 3/4 of my music collection disappears. Most of it is backed up on iCloud but even so, sometimes it won’t download from the Cloud.
Several years ago I purchased a portable CD player. It’s hit or miss with it. Some days it loads the CD without any trouble and other days it balks and refuses to work. Yesterday was a good day and today it rejected one and accepted another. I think these inanimate things are less inanimate than we think and have moods like all of us. At this rate, I should have all my CD’s back on the computer in 2026.
If I keep having a few more of these “good” days, I think I might start planning a trip. I know I won’t be able to hike any distance but just getting out in nature will make a big difference to my frame of mind. There have been several studies that show walks in forests make a big difference in the emotional stability of people. I need to go hug a tree! Of course, that means I need to get my jeep back first.
Last blog, I mentioned a hike to Pulaski. My first “real” hike was in the Boy Scouts as a Tenderfoot – an apt description, by the way. My Scoutmaster, Mr. Polk, suggested we hike out to his house on Old Highway 80. It was 2.5 miles out and 2.5 miles back. We had to complete a 5 mile hike to move to the next rank in Scouts, Second Class. It also had to be with a pack. Back then, all we had was the standard issue BSA backpack that only had straps. After a while those straps started digging into your shoulders. If I remember correctly (dubious) I was hiking with Ricky Waite. You had to have a partner in order to prove you did the hike and we had to sign off on each other’s score card.
To this day, that’s the longest 5 miles I’ve ever done. We did it in the heat of a summer day – no one said we were smart Scouts. What the hike did was get Ricky and me more comfortable with each other and we both became more observant. One thing we noticed as we hiked the road bordered by a barbed wire fence was a dragonfly impaled on a barb. A little later down the road, same side, we noticed a small snake impaled similarly. As we continued, we noticed more and more animals stuck on the barbs. That was the first thing we asked about when we met Mr. Polk at his residence. He quickly informed us it was a loggerhead shrike that often killed their prey by impaling them on thorns and barbs. The shrike was collecting his lunch. Snakes on aisle three, dragonflies on aisle four.
Somewhat later, we discovered pack frames. Our first ones were old army pack frames. They weren’t much better than just the pack straps.
Eventually I managed to save enough money to get a pack frame that fit the curve of your back. Today, you can buy packs with frames that they mold to fit you in the store. I bought my last pack frame pack at REI and they heated the frame to bend it to the contours of my body. Truly, it helps, particularly if you are shlepping a heavy load but even with padded straps, these packs still dig into my shoulders even though most of the weight is now on your hips.
I have backpacked in a long time. I think the last time was when I hiked a trail at Point Reyes National Seashore that did me in. Since then, I only take day hikes and use a small day pack. The strap still dig in. Hopefully, I’ll be back on a trail sometime soon. I really do like hiking in winter.
Stay tuned!