Wait. What? Its the year 25?

I went to bed at 9PM. Woke up at 10PM and stared out the window until much later, then wrestled the covers a while. Rearranged pillows. Got up, walked downstairs. Looked out the window.

The New Year didn't look any different at 2AM than it did the day before. But at least there wasn't fog.

I went back and beat my pillows up a bit and pushed around the blankets much to Charlie's disdain and sighs. He sleeps on a corner of the bed in his own little nest.

Welcome 2025 your start sucked.

By 4AM I made decafe coffee and decided to go through my files for December and back up other photo files.

Delete 
Keep
Hmm
Delete...and so forth.

By 5AM I got up and started stretching. Either a pressure system was moving through or suddenly I aged a gazillion years over night. Everything hurt from head to toe.

Maybe I'd just skip 2025 all together. 

Charlie watched me sleepily and went to his nest on the couch. Big help he was!

I thought I'd check into my mileage for the year of 2024. I was surprised. I did reach a pretty cool milestone. 1,070 miles hiked since January 1st 2024. I had no intention of reaching any goal other than just having fun keeping track.

Maybe I'd better get my oil checked for this year.

After another morning walk and some other Mobility work, my body felt much better.

So I guess 2025 may not be so bad after all.

I think I'll go do some Loopy Yarn work today and perhaps a nap.

Happy New Year Day.

A shot from last year. 

Stuffs....

Do you remember how little Sven was???

He and Charlie were not that different in size!

Now 10 months later....

Wow!

Sven had an ear infection...I think. Lots of ear gunk for a while. Now he walks with his head tilted and his balance isn't as good as it could be. However his vitals are just fine and he seems normal.
His mom was sickly and his father had the same issues after he was a year old.
I wonder.

I guess I don't care because Sven is such a doll who has NO idea that he is a goat!

Here my hiking cohorts are when I took out the treats. Sven loves dog biscuits. Charlie prefers the bacon flavored ones. Go figure, I rattle the plastic bag and I am both of these guys' best-est pal!

Rich and his psychiatrist have 'new' rules for me. I am not to hover and watch over Rich reminding him to take his meds. I am to let go a bit of my 'mothering'. Rich feels well enough to express that and I have decided to stop being the major worry wort. His mood is much better and his health is tenuous still. But he is holding his own.

So there it is. I signed up for a Master Naturalist Class which starts in March on Monday nights. I am going hiking with my ex neighbor and two of her friends tonight for a candle light hike at Wildcat Mountain State Park. I have a 'date' to go trail running with a CrossFit pal next Tuesday afternoon.

This year feels different for me. New and exciting things are happening quickly.

I donated an Infrared Photo to OneEarthStudios for ArtShare Dare in Ohio. ONEarth Studios is run by my [ex] sister in law and her amazing family.
I had two folks from CrossFit  actually purchase some photos of mine!

Okay, I do not plan on becoming a pro. Phew. Nope, not me.

I've been asked to volunteer instruct kids for cross country skiing too! Smack my forehead! How fun could that be?

Kristi from CrossFit asked it I'd consider doing a trail race/run with her. Um. I am going to be 64 and she is 41. But she sure can be convincing.

I've always loved 'running' or jogging. Trail running? Well, if I had a pal to do it with...mayyybeee!
I looked at the map for the Tromp and Chomp and realized that I know the trails very well.

So watch out. I have 4 months to 'train'.

Yesterday, Charlie...Mr. Short Legs, ran through the hay fields and across country with me. I don't like road running anymore and besides, it was ice.
We did 3/4 of a mile before Charlie pooped out. I was not going to try and make his 3 inch legs go any longer than that so we walked the rest of our 'run'.

A mini doxxie is not really a distance runner. But, the important part is that we had so much fun!

I have not run any races or seriously done distances since I was 30. But yesterday I didn't feel tired, I felt like a kid running for joy.
I'm going to give a huge nod to my CrossFit workouts for the past year for this feeling.
I felt so alive and so free.

I haven't felt that in such a long time.

Stay tuned. I have a good feeling about this coming year.

Donated photo:

Out with the...old year...

I generally don't get too excited about New Year's Eve or the coming of the New Year. I got over that when I was a kid. My folks let me stay up and watch the programming on TV. 
As I got older the appeal of just watching the event on TV got old and I went out to a party.

That was just as much a bummer. I recall calling my father to tell him my date had too much to drink and so had I. We were only blocks away and dad came and took me home. 
I think that was my last Party like that. 

I think I stayed up a few times with my own kids, and probably a few times just to watch the clock to see if I felt different at all.
I didn't.

Now? It doesn't really matter. Each year has brought some sort of new challenge.
I don't remember the past three years for all the incredible things that happened. But for those years labeled as. 2015, the year of cancer. 2016, remodeling [that was a great year], 2017, the year of the stroke.
2018, the year of The Depression, and the year to learn about Pulmonary Emboli. [Oh and MIL's hospitalization and learning about dementia and elder care]

It wasn't all that horrid. But I could do with my son's idea from years ago. The Suck Box.
So I'm going to write what Sucked about 2018. I'm going to put it in the Suck Box and burn it. I'd do it at midnight, but we are under a weather advisory with sleet/ice/snow. Perhaps the Suck Box will burn today instead.

2019.
Will you be kinder to those around me?

I guess we will wait and see.

2013 in Review...a good year

Near the end of Novemeber 2013, Dixie the pup came into our lives which led to many Dixie-Morris adventures.
She began as a wee pup who was smaller than Morris and in two months was...well, you see.  A pretty big dog!

I spent a lot of time with Opal and neglected Siera who had been put aside for a while ...as I was too 'busy' doing other things [including work].
My attention was quickly drawn to Siera on the day I separated her from her mare buddies.

She threw a temper tantrum and ended up being sick enough to call the vet.
I had let Siera out on pasture all summer and hadn't paid much attention...her biggest issue?
She got very fat.
Naughty me.  Even Naughtier me for not working working with her all summer.

I started her on a hand walking regime daily.

It acutally improved our bonding and we moved her in with Fred and Opal so she'd have company and could see the mares in the distance.
She started her own 'exercise' program of pacing the fence.  However, being smart from the first instance, she did not have a occurrence of the first problem and lost weight quite nicely.

5 yrs of on and off again training finally paid off.  Siera is now a steady solo mount for anywhere.  A huge plus is that she will take Morris along in the saddle when he tires.  [Morris will be 10 in 2014].

In 2013 I took some trips.

There was my son's wedding.  Where I discovered that I really did enjoy photographing the wedding ...not dread like I thought I would.

A trip to Virginia to see my brother with my mom.

There I found and became fascinated with the Hobbit Tree...also know as the Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood.

And let's not forget the many adventures with my grandchildren and the birth of Elena Ruby.

 

Yes, 2013 was interesting and exciting.
In 2014 I thought I'd have something else to look forward to.

I had thought about a trip to Hawaii.  Perhaps even a solo one.
But then I came up with a more interesting idea.

After all, grand children are so much fun.  Kids are soooo much fun.
Why not take a week from work and be a Grandma with Grandpa?

Have all the Grand children at once?
Perfect.

We are going to call it.
Grandma & Grandpa Camp 2014.
We'll see how it works out this year.
But I think it could be a fun tradition.

~~~~~
Let me mention here some of my favorite Blogs of 2013.

The Three Muleteers from across the big water.

The Dancing Donkey from the upper NW of the US.  I hope she can correct me if she'd like.

These are fun entertaining and....and!  And!  Very worthwhile reads.  I've learned quite a bit from both blogs.

I also enjoy browsing some other favorites:
The Skoog Farm Journal there is always something going on at her place!

And for art?  My favorite?
fraktalblog by Jorge Ab
Jorge has encourage me to join a group of crazy wonderful fractal artists and improve and challenge my creative abilities in this field.

So you see.
Not counting the critters I have.
2013 has been busy and fulfilling.

Now on towards 2014!!!