Something good

How about something wildly different! 

Here is an update on our classes at CrossFit. In the first photo the woman on the left is Bonnie. She started working out in 2015 ?? with a personal trainer [who later started our CrossFit gym]. Her concern since she is petite was to protect her bones from Osteoporosis. She is active in the church and the community. Bonnie is in her early 80's.

The middle gal travels as a Sheep Judge and photographer. She is in her 30's. I don't recall the woman on the rights name, but she is in the next generation. 

On Friday April 18th, it is bring a friend day to CrossFit. I've asked my grand daughter Ariel to join me and she said yes!

The photo below is a shot of our current Legends Class for our gym. As you can see, we are just ordinary folks over the age of 55+. Most of us much more than 55. Some of us are in our 7th decade but I'm not going to say who.

--I've got the baseball hat on---

We come from all walks of life. Most of us are 'retired' now. You wouldn't know it but some of us are battling some major health issues and we are each other's support.

We stick together like glue in the gym and laugh as we work out with a fantastic coach who tailors our workouts to our abilities and aching parts.

We move together, we moan together, we laugh together.

All of Mobility issues are addressed by our coach and we've seen improvement in everything we do. We don't have to kill ourselves trying to be Olympians, we can be ourselves.

Imagine coming into a workout where we have to run a quarter of a mile. The coach figures out what we can do. We walk fast for 100 meters, 200 meters, whatever it takes to do movement. Those who can 'run' [me] do. Those that can't walk. No one is looked down upon for their abilities and we only encourage each other with positive words and actions.

Some of us lift PVC pipes just to do the motion of lifting. Some of us use weights. Some who cannot walk well may choose to ride a stationery bike or row. No judgement. We encourage and support each other.

The coach leads us in this. She is an amazing person. Her name is Angie. What can I say about a wonderful lady who has encouraged me and made me feel loved and wanted in a gym situation for the past 4 years. If anyone is the epitome of positivity, it is her. 

I've had people ask me ... "but isn't it terribly expensive?" 

Actually no it isn't. It is less expensive for one month's fee than one visit to a Physical Therapist.  I know. I had two shoulder surgeries and one elbow surgery in 3 years. For nearly 3 years, I had to see PT in order to be able to move my shoulders and elbow again.

One does not have to 'be' in shape to join up with our gym. The coaches always work to your level, whatever that might be.

Whatever the world is doing out there at the moment. I have this positive outlet in my life and I am so grateful for it and the people I've made friends with.

Our motto:

I'll be there for you.

What a great visit!

 

Night out on the rock.
Dennis and I went up on Black Hawk rock to watch the sun set. While we were up there, we noticed storms moving in from the west and north.

July 4th morning was hot and humid but our CrossFit gang met up at the track to do the Loredo WOD in honor of Edwardo Loredo.

6 rounds of

24 air squats
24 push ups
24 walking lunges

400meters run

for time....

This is Dennis and I before we started. Our gym folks are always so open and welcoming. One of the coaches had her youngsters with her. 

This is two of the girls doing the running part on the track. I'm running with one of the girls who is doing the workout in her new cowboy boots.

I had told Dennis before we started, that this was a tough cardio work out and it was warm and humid. There was no shame in walking the 400 meters. Many did, just to keep from getting overheated.

Hard to do when a 6 year old passes you by wearing cowboy boots!

We gathered for a group photo afterwards.

Dennis said he loved it even though he wasn't able to finish it. He went out too hard and fast and used up all he had on the first few rounds. 

Our coach who owns the gym sat with Dennis and they talked about body building and cardio benefits. Josh is an amazing fellow. Dennis felt a bit defeated by not finishing. He and Josh had a heart to heart and Dennis felt nothing but positive vibes with this experience. 

Later in the day, Dennis learned how to drive the 4 wheeler and volunteered to do chores.

He discovered that Charlie wouldn't let him go anywhere without his supervision!

He spent a lot of time with Grandpa Rich even though hubby wasn't feeling well. He even convinced him to put on his Mule Kicker hat and have a 'set' on the porch for some photos.

And of course, there was time to stretch out in the cool air inside...

...with a bit of giggling.
However, Charlie was very serious about taking a nap!

Dennis took me to Viroqua to see the 4th of July Fireworks. He knew of the best place to park and put out lawn chairs from all the years that he'd gone as a kid with his Great Grandmother and folks.

We sat down and enjoyed ice cream sundaes. 

And watched the show...

Before leaving to go back home, Dennis and Charlie had to have some quiet time together.

I'm going to miss my Chauffer and chore master!

Dennis didn't seem too anxious to leave and vowed that he'd come back for more adventures.

It was his first solo trip to Grandpa and Grandma's house and he loved it.

He is a very considerate young man with a lot of empathy for others. He said he really hoped his visit lifted his Grandpa's spirits even if he wasn't feeling the greatest.

And yes, it did!

[As it did mine!]

Goal Review with Coach Josh

I've really had a hard time staying motivated for going to the gym lately. I need those workouts to keep my mobility and strength in good form.

There have been a few mornings that I haven't felt so great and others where I just decided I had too much going on. I feel guilty sometimes leaving Rich home to watch out the window and nap. I feel guilty on planning a short trip to see my son. 

Josh asked me pointedly "How does Rich feel about it?"

My answer enlightened me. "Unconcerned. He tells me to have fun."

What are my goals for this summer? 
Me: Do the KVR Trail Challenge again be the first to do it back to back. Take time to visit my son. Another goal was to camp out one night at KVR.

A goal next year was to hire someone to keep and eye Rich while I take a 4 day backpack/hiking luxury vacation in Arizona or perhaps the Pacific Northwest. Another goal was to do more photography for the local track team [I enjoyed IT that much!]

How does that have anything to do with being at the gym? 
Well, in my mind it has a lot to do with it.

Without  consistent workouts, I can lose the ability to do so many things I do around the farm. 
Like shoveling manure, pounding fence posts, or doing the easy things we don't even worry about. Like picking something up off the floor without the fear of falling.
Getting up from sitting on the ground without help.
Standing up from a chair without having to use the table for assistance.

Balance. 

Mobility.
Bone Strengthening.
Cardio.
The social aspect is incredible also. Working out with others makes for a great social gathering.
We sweat and laugh together.

So for the summer, I hope to be going to the gym for classes mostly at 6am. I'm up so early anyway. Why not beat the heat and go and get my day started.

That still leaves time for exploring KVR and gardening, caregiving, cattle rustling, mule riding, . ..

Coach Josh asked if I'd be at the Murph which is a CrossFit challenge done each Memorial Day as a fund raiser. You can read about it here: About the Murph 

The Murph

A word about the Murph. It can be scaled back so everyone can do some form of it. Our gym has this each Memorial Day along with a cookout in which the gym members and their families show up and bring a dish to pass. 

Josh asked if I was coming and I told him about my out of town company. He challenged me to make my action figures do a Murph. I laughed at that silly suggestion. ...

Well. Okay!

 Lil' Bear decided he'd have one for all of his friends just like one at the gym.

These guys chose to run 
through the gardens!

Air Squats on 
the porch.

Group push ups.

Post Murph pot luck dinner
with family and friends.

I plan on doing this next year with the modifications of course. 

After all, my action figures didn't seem to have a problem with it!

The money raised also goes to a great cause.

Unplugged

My day started out with a pre dawn hike with Charlie to the ridge. I guess it really was just a walk as we weren't in much of a hurry. Charlie sniffed around and I walked across the crop land hoping for a colorful and blazing sunrise.

Well that didn't happen, but listening to the birds and watching the deer run across the unplowed land was just fine.

We went by the little tree and just watched for quite a while.

I was pretty grumpy and felt ornery and tired so I thought a walk would do me good. I wanted to cancel my gym class but decided to do it anyway. I had to get groceries in town, so I may as well suffer through a class.

I left my phone at home and was surprised at how I didn't miss it at all. No little dings letting me know that there was news, or email, or whatever.

CF put me in a good mood as did the sunshine. Between CF class and Mobility, I took off on a jog/run. Last week we had a run/jog WOD which I enjoyed immensely. I hadn't jogged in two years and I found my rhythm as if it had never left.

After lunch Charlie and I went looking for leeks in the woods and we found some above the creek. Yum! Looks like forest food is coming up! I picked some newly emerged nettles for tea and greens for supper.

Before heading back to the house, I sat on a mossy log and listened to the creek. In the past two years, it has been so dry here that this part of the creek was nearly dry and silent. I watched water bugs and listened to the creek music. 

10 second video of creek sounds and a woodpecker marking his/her territory.

Things are still without color mostly in the woods, but with this warm weather the plants will get a jump start.

Late afternoon I found my phone and discovered texts and emails. One was from our grand daughter Ariel. She is coming to visit us on her own, was that okay?

Another was from Olive. She wanted me to meet the new addition to her family. Gertrude or Gerti. She had Monday and Tuesday off, could we get together?

Being unplugged is nice, except when you miss something! I took care of the messages and brought the skid steer out of the shed and parked it next to the house running...

I told hubby that he needed to clean up the gravel pile that Frank had left and fill in the dip in the driveway as his granddaughter was coming to see him for his birthday. 

Wow! He got out! 
I'll be washing his skid steer today and making him strawberry shortcake for his birthday. I need to run to town to get Almond Milk for Ariel with a couple of other foods for her special diet needs.

I hope we get to meet Gerti too! Olive texted that she thought Gerti and Charlie would get along just great. So I am assuming she has a new dog!

Guess I'll plug back in.

At least I got rid of the Grumpies....

Motivation

Sunday was cold and windy. I had so much to get done in the morning which included electric fence repairs. 

My Grand Plan was to head out early to the Reserve and see if I could spot red wing black birds and maybe check out the ponds to see if any geese or swans had arrived.

All that went ka-put. After lunch I had to call my elder friend in Alabama. She was having a bad day so we talked for an hour. She is in her mid 80's and was telling me that she had not gone out to do anything in weeks. She forgets to eat, she is isolated she says, and depressed. She used to be a librarian, so I asked her where the nearest library was. Her answer was 3 blocks. I asked her if she'd go to the library and just go find a book and sit at a table and read. 
Why? She asked me. I told her...so she could be around other humans. 

I asked her to visit her meal site once this week and text me what she had to eat. I gave her two assignments or as I called them: Challenges for Motivation. 

I had to agree to let her set a Challenge for me too. She wanted me to send her a photo of me in Mobility Class. 

So today I was at CF and did Mobility Class afterwards. My coach Angie took these photos for me.
Mobility Class:

Shoulder Rotations

After class. 

One of my little pals, 
coach's daughter.

Am I going to be successful in helping someone a long distance away get Motivated? I sure don't know, but I like my Alabama friend. It is unfortunate that she has no immediate relatives to help her look out for herself. She is also fiercely independent so it is hard for her to ask for help.

This is the woman who was Captain of an Oil Rig in the Gulf when she was in her 30's. Mind you, that was over 50 years ago!

So. After my motivational talk. I packed my camera bag and headed out the door in the late afternoon to get myself moving.

I knocked off another section of the KVR Trail Challenge and enjoyed fresh cold air. I took what I think is a boring trail. It was so far from boring!

I will let these photos speak for themselves. This is along what is called the Old Harrison Trail. It leaves the Visitor Center and heads down towards the valley. It was a road once upon a time. On one side, it is marshy and wet, on the other side there are rocks and trees.
The huge surprise was the icicles on the rocks.

With the recent alternating snows and rains water has been seeping from the rocks around pines clinging to the rocks...

I found two pairs of Canada Geese:

I saw red dogwood, the pussy willows are starting to blossom, and there were some other trees budding that I couldn't ID.

I even took a photo of myself next to the Kickapoo River and sent it to my friend to make her day a little happier?

I do wonder how I can help my friend and motivate her to go to the meal site and interact with others. 

I know motivation has to come from within and cannot be forced. 

Sigh.

I am a curious person who likes to explore and be social too. I cannot imagine losing something so precious as motivation. It would crush my life.

That back pain!

For the past few years I've had back pain which I understand is the most common thing that drives people to go see their doctors.

If I sat for a bit, I'd be stiff and walk a few steps stooped until I could straighten up. It was worse every morning when I got up. I had resigned myself to the thought that this was 

how it would be for the rest of my life. 

The doctors confirmed the arthritic issues in my low back and described bone spurs and such. With their diagnosis, I felt...well this is it...as good as it gets. 

Most days, things would feel better by mid morning and I'd forget about it until I sat down for a bit again. Or...I worked in the garden and would feel as if I were locked up and couldn't straighten.

I had taken a break from the gym because of the diagnosis of osteoporosis and mainly because I wasn't sure of where to go next. After the medication reactions, I decided to get back into the gym and join the Mobility Class. 

I decided to do some personal training to see if I couldn't combat the bone thing. If nothing else, would it make me feel better?

Could I have done this exercise at home? Sure I could have tried. But I know that if I do it on my own, it gets pushed back until the day is done and exercises go undone. I know myself. I used to be very disciplined while training for running. But doing a whole body workout is not that easy. 
Nor is doing it properly. I needed a supervisor!

The fact is, I stink at home exercise programs. Hey, there is always a nap to take, a book to read, or time to do it later! [Not]

So I went to Mobility Class twice a week during the summer and added one day of personal training. My coach, Angie has worked very hard on setting up the training sessions just for me personally and geared for aging bones and spines.

In September, I switched from two Mobility classes to one and went to two personal sessions per week.

I woke up last Friday morning and a thought came to me as I made coffee and gazed out the window. 

Wait.
Wait.
How many days have I been getting out of bed and my back isn't hurting?  Those muscles weren't stiff and cramped up. 

I thought to myself that the muscle pain has slowly dissipated.  How can that even be? I've had it for so long ... surely it was permanent. 

Each time I get ready to go to the gym in the back of my mind I think...Nah, I really don't have the time. Or, gosh I could just forget it today. Or, I don't feel like sweating today.

I get dressed and go. I am not kidding you, it takes dedication and it is not easy. The results are not immediate. And somehow, twice a week Angie makes it interesting and challenging. 

We work on making those muscles that protect my 'frail' low back stronger so they can protect my whole body. We work on all of the muscles and let me tell you, it is hard work!
But afterwards I feel great.

Trying to keep yourself mobile and strong enough to do regular everyday things is difficult. Even more so as a person ages.

What a bonus for me to have coaches and people I can trust to guide me in exercise and my journey in keeping up my strength, balance, and stamina. [Not to mention the release of endorphins which make the mental attitude much rosier.]

This video is a fun one she made of me on Friday...

One last note. 
Some of the members of our CrossFit Viroqua gym are as follows:
Aged from youngsters to those in their 80's. We have knee replacements, metal joints, replaced hips, old hips, and those who have or are recovering from cancer, stroke, ... you name it, we make up the gym just like we make up those in our society.

Our gym is not comprised of jocks and body builders. We are normal everyday people.

Dear Coach

This is written to my Coach[s] from Viroqua CrossFit. Each week the coaches ask us to share our bright spots and that can be in or out of the gym.

So I'm going to share my Bright Spots which are a cumulation of things that are positive that happened not just in the gym but because of the gym.

Friday I was working out with my Coach Angie. Since spring, she has been coaching and helping me work on strengthening and conditioning for my lower spine and hips. 

While I was catching my breath from a Tabata, I told her how much things had changed over the summer for me. I surprised myself this past week while cleaning my old saddle that I hadn't used in years.

The saddle was no longer seemed too heavy for me to lift and set on Sunshine. Wait.

Now that I think about it. I almost never used that saddle since my first of two shoulder surgeries and elbow surgery. Rich always had to help me with it. 

Huh. Did the saddle get lighter, or did I get stronger?

Nearly a year ago I was told I had Severe Osteoporosis in my lower back and right hip. The back was a huge concern. 

It made me want to stop and question every movement I made. How could I feed my equine? How could I carry water? I was suddenly terrified of doing almost anything at all!

My doctor wanted me to only hike with another person for my own safety or take walks only within cell phone range. 

My goodness. Suddenly I doubted everything I was able to do. Suddenly I was acting like a crippled person and second guessing everything.

I was miserable, so I decided to see what going back to the gym would do for me.

The Mobility Class was offered at the gym and I thought that was a great place to start. Then I signed up with a coach for one on one specific training.

What were my goals? 
My goals were simple. Increase my core strength with workouts. Keep my mobility and balance.

I am accomplishing a my goals with Coach Angie. She gives me what I can handle and kept me moving correctly with weight bearing exercises which are exactly what is suggested for Osteoporosis. She challenges me in an awesome way and I don't have to try to figure out what I should be doing. She is constantly evaluating my progress.

What were my Bright Spots for the week?

Doing Mobility with others and seeing individual improvement in others and myself.

Feeling awesome after one-on-one training.

Riding again ~

Exploring on my own again ~

I am proud to say that my CrossFit box makes a difference in my life directly. The coaches and fellow gym members are like family. I can't help but feel positive after interacting with them.

Feeling ME again ~

The Hug that saved the Week

What a week.

I really enjoyed my Mobility Classes this week. Our teacher/coach for this class has 10 children. You read that right. 10.

I have her as my weekly and sometimes twice a week coach for work outs to challenge my 'bones' with recommended workouts for people with severe osteoporosis. 

One of her daughters stayed with us at the gym to do Mobility on Thursday evening. Her name is Gracie. Her mom said she could do the movements with us but had to be in a separate part of the gym as the class was for adults.

I'm a sucker for cute kids that are well behaved. Gracie and I ended up near enough to each other to chat while her mom was busy helping some of the other adults.

I made faces when the stretches were hard and Gracie giggled. Hah! Captive Audience.

At the end of the class, the adults gathered to put on their street shoes and get ready to leave and talk. Gracie sat on the couch next to me. I talked to her while I put on my shoes. She jumped up to show me how she could bend over backwards and walk. 

Ahhh, to be 9 again and as flexible as she was!

I stood up and we were all getting ready to leave while the coach's older son ran around and tidied up the gym and got things ready to close up.

Gracie ran across the small entrance area and wrapped her arms around me in a huge hug. It was a true hug. You know, the kind that takes you by surprise and spreads warmth through your heart and soul.

Friday was a whirlwind day. Hubby had his PT class and hadn't been feeling well for his last one. I told him that he had to go with me either to do his class or to see a doctor. His choice was to just quit and go back to bed for the day. I wouldn't hear of it.

Dyspnea means short of breath-difficulty breathing-air hunger-feeling of suffocation. He described it as feeling not quite right, he figured it was the change in meds doses that did it and insisted that he just stop taking a bunch of medications. 

In short, the PT people decided that he was in enough crisis to warrant putting him in a wheelchair and taking him to the ER. 
After a few hours of testing and treatment for dyspnea caused by a COPD Exacerbation, he was released.

I had to explain to him what the doctor had told him a few times. I think he understood when I was a bit more blunt than the doctor. 

He refuses to do his nebulizer because the meds make him a bit jittery. However two sessions of Nebs in the ER brought him right out of his crisis.

I reminded him that when he chose not to do the Neb, and he had an episode of not getting his breath, that he was killing his heart off in chunks. I demonstrated that by making a stabbing motion and an ugly face.

I didn't explain the lab reports that were concerning but expected with his stage of COPD. My job is to make the rest of his life as comfortable as it can be for him. 

Gracie's hug saved the week. The memory of it still makes me smile and feel good inside.

What next??

I know I have harped on my Severe Osteoporosis diagnosis since last September. It struck me very hard and I was stunned to find out that my stupid body had failed me. I did all sorts of tests and a full work up. Heart, lungs, BP, eyes, and blood work came back pretty darned good for an old fart.

But my basic construction was falling apart. 
I started to worry about hikes, about the normal things I'd been doing all along. Suddenly they felt like huge issues.

It has messed with my mind to say the least. My osteoporosis score in the low lumbar region was 2/10ths of a percent under a 99 year old frail person. I was nearly off the charts in a bad way.

The consensus was to start taking bone building medications. The first line was a generic form of Fosomax. After three months, the meds and I didn't get along. Fast forward to the second medication, which I didn't do well on.

In the mean time, I went back to the CrossFit gym for some Mobility Classes. I needed the exercise and gentle stretching. The class is geared to any aged person and improves strength and balance. Well, that is, if you stick with it.

Here is a photo from one of the classes. See? CrossFit isn't a bunch of burly dudes running around throwing weights and beating their chests. It can be so much more. I'm on the left and a good friend of mine is on the right. The Mobility Class has teens to elderly adults in it. 

Yesterday, I had a phone visit with the Endocrinologist. We discussed medications and the pros and cons of the medication called Prolia. It is an injection once every 6 months. The downside of the medication is that at the end of 10 years of this medication, you have to take another medication to prevent relapse.

It is complicated. Prolia builds the bone and keeps the cells from breaking down. It is a monoclonal antibody.

We discussed the fact that so far, I've had no fractures anywhere in my body. She attributes that to my activity level. 

I asked if I could take a reprieve from medications and try a different route for a while:
hiking - low impact - free weights - balance and mobility exercises. Good diet with milk for calcium and foods with vitamins in them.

I explained that the medications worked backwards on me. I had a hard time staying physically active.

She thought this was a good idea and she said she was very open to it. 

Note: This doctor listened to me and explained the benefits of the medications along with saying that new meds are being found all of the time that may help. She didn't speak down to me. She didn't get that air of being far superior.
She even said that it was my body and this felt like a good short term plan to see if I could improve things a bit on my own.

So here are a few things to consider. I signed up to go back to the gym for Mobility Classes and some personal training to tailor exercises for my specific needs.

I was asked why would I spend that money like that? 

Easy.
The cost of the exercises at the gym are far less than medications cost and far less than physical therapy costs.

The benefits for me are multi faceted. I live with a shut-in who doesn't socialize. I get exercise and social interaction at the same time. Plus I suck at doing exercises at home on my own.

Bonus points: It helps my mental and physical well being.

CrossFit Return

 

It has been 400+ days since I stepped into a gym with other people.

So how did it go?

I pulled up outside the 'new' building where the gym was and immediately saw someone I knew. 

I was a bit nervous but this set me at ease right away. Was I going to make a fool out of myself in front of everyone else? Was I going to be able to do the day's workout [WOD]? 
Josh pulled up and opened the doors. 

"Welcome back!" 

I stopped worrying as I changed my shoes and explored the new area of the gym. New to me but not the others.

As others walked in, they introduced themselves to me. I didn't feel like odd one out at all. I didn't have to explain my absence. Everyone was welcoming and full of encouragement and smiles.

As we started to warm up and Josh walked around our gym, things started to fall back into place for me.

Viroqua CrossFit. 

I needed some help finding things but everyone assisted. 

I wasn't lost, I wasn't judged for my long absence. No one asked me to explain.

I was encouraged and cheered as I PR'd with a dead lift. It wasn't an impressive lift by any means, but it was a new high for me.

I worked on my form, I felt good. I smiled a LOT. I felt like I got my MOJO back.

I'm no fitness freak. I am well onto 'that' age which probably marks me as elderly, but I know in my heart that as a CareGiver, this is the most important thing I can do for myself. 

Social workouts. After over a year of Isolation, it is incredible to be able to work out with other folks again. It gives me a sense of belonging and comradery. 

I cannot say enough about our coach, Josh Brown. He is the ultimate coach, best ever.

When I got home, my husband asked how it went. He wasn't keen on having me go back to the gym, but I'd told him this was a must for my physical and mental health as a CareGiver.

I smiled at hubby.

"It went well. Better than well. It went fantastic."

For the first time in forever, I felt calm and chilled out. 

Welcome Back Me to CrossFit. 

Back to ... the new normal

I'm not even quite sure what a new normal is. Maybe it is just silence, no schedule, and farm life. The difference is I have no schedule like I had before. 5 days a week I planned things around going to the gym and the store and Rich's VA appointments which included PT. 

Now I plan less trips into the public and it feels like I have no place to be...and that I belong no...where.

We do have an appointment at the VA next week which will be a long drive. Labs, ENT, and Oncology. 

I am also going to pop up to Mental Health and ask why Rich hasn't had a new doctor assigned to him since Dr. Schiffman had retired. I hate getting a 'new' doctor but I think 6 months is an awful long time without having a mental health checkup for Rich. Maybe I am poking the bear, but we are getting into that time of the year when things get tough for Rich.

--------------------------------------

That said, I am still doing CrossFit at home. It is the one regular challenge per day that I can look forward to on my own. Yesterday's work out was actually pretty fun for me. It was Box Jumps and modified Handstand Pushups. Since I cannot do a Handstand Push up, I do a much lower one. 

When I started CrossFit I could barely do a push-up at all because my shoulders and arms were so weak. Box Jumps were a bit beyond me. I went with a small box and did mostly step ups. 
It will be two years in October. All this movement has helped my arthritis significantly as well as blood pressure and mental well being. 
Staying mobile is a big deal for me. I'll be 65 next year and I want to continue to stay mobile as long as nothing strikes me down. 
Anyway, that is my goal.

Every once in a while my coach asks for a photo of what I am doing or using for a specific movement. So I usually set a camera on a timer and put together a small collage.

Box Jumps and Elevated Push ups

Burpees with Charlie

Sumo Lift

and Wall Balls

Modified Pull ups with a rope

Front Squat 

Back Squat

with car axle

My daily routine this month has circled all around canning tomatoes, freezing sauces and finishing up the garden goodies.

September has rushed right on in along with very cold weather! It is 42 degrees out there this morning. We may have to turn the heat on today. I'm hoping arrange things so I can take a few longer hikes this month as the colors begin to change in the leaves.

The hay is ordered and will be delivered, the garden is just about done, and I am figuring out how to winter the pony and goat together as they are now best friends, except when Little Richard has enough of Sven's shenanigans.

Fall prep for the long winter.

It seems we are always preparing for something doesn't it?

In that sense, the new Normal is the Old Normal.

Regarding Covid-19, the numbers in our county are jumping quickly more people are hospitalized. Schools are open with in person classes, but as more positives come from the schools, I imagine it won't stay that way?

Carry on. 

Be well.

Time Out

 

After hours of freezing, drying, and cooking, I thought a day 'off' would be in order.

Charlie and I headed to KVR to check out how long it would take me to get to the ponds if I parked at Star Valley or Willow Camp.

Star Valley used to be a road that joined Old 131. It is a maintenance road now and allows the KVR people to access different areas with equipment needed to mow and clear trails.

I had an idea that this next month or so that I am going to hike down to the ponds to take some photographs of a sunrise over the water.

I took the following shots with my little Infrared pocket camera.

The walk through the trees was wonderful for the light and shadows.

However, once we got on the main trail. IT was hot! 

I stopped more than once in some scarce shade to give Charlie a break from the sun and some water too.

We made it to the ponds after I had a brain fart and turned left instead of right. Well, it pays to do these things in the daylight if you plan to do the hike at predawn I suppose.

We made the ponds and I took shots with my little pocket camera in Infrared of course.

These were taken with a pocket camera. A Canon ELPH 180 that I ordered from Kolari Vision. I did have my Olympus OMD EM 5 [old and abused camera converted after I had fun with this pocket camera]...but the Oly is having major issues now. I can still get a decent photo out of it, but the LCD is green and dullish.

I take the Canon pocket camera on hikes when I don't feel like dragging along extra weight. I also use the little red pocket camera on hikes. Less equipment = less weight.

I am doing this for fun and creative distractions.

Call it art if you wish.

But it sure takes my mind off from all the world troubles.

So here I am...another photo...a self shot of me having fun with CrossFit later that day. I was following my coach's suggestion of using Charlie as an awkward item to lift.

Note the messy hair!

Here is the funny video I made for my CrossFit coach and friends....

Naughty Charlie was digging in the yard.

He has discovered voles!

Enjoy if you want and laugh aLOT. The mules did!

Last note.

I started getting the photos for the Nonnicorn and Buddysaurus Book of Adventures ready. I even did an outline for the little fun book. 

I needed a project to do while this world is raging with so much angst and upheaval.

Be well, be safe.

Enjoy life as you can.