Merry Christmas!

 

Hopefully, no ice storms in Eugene this year!

Happy Birthday to Me

 

Funny how so many of my posts are accompanied by photos of flowers! This is not a particularly good photo but it's the best of several efforts on my part this morning.

Yesterday, probably against many odds, I reached yet another birthday. Number 78, this time. Who'd've thought? Certainly not me! For years, I thought I probably wouldn't live past 50, yet here I am. I don't remember my reasoning or rationale for any of that, if there even was any. Probably because of my crazy lifestyle and my penchant for doing things that had a bit -- or a lot -- of risk involved. Driving fast cars on snaky mountain roads; offshore sailing in heavy winds and an occasional storm; bicycling thousands of miles hugging the shoulder of busy roads (those could also be snaky mountain roads, or flatland roads, or once even on an Interstate when there was no option) or, if there was no shoulder, claiming my bit of the traffic lane. The list goes on, but you get the idea.

These lovely flowers came from my daughter and granddaughters, which made them more special than the ordinary flower, by far. Between them, they changed what is usually a low-key, even depressing, day into a day filled with love and caring. I'm glad I lived to experience this, and hope for many more years to come.

This and that

Hello out there. Is anybody still there? Hello to all that are.

It's been a quiet few months for me on Blogger, probably because I've been distracted with my 'new found' family. So much goodness! All of our health has been good, thankfully.

I donated blood for the first time in my long life a couple of days ago, and have been knocked into a weak puppy as a result. Normal reactions, I'm told. So far this morning, I'm feeling fairly normal. A good, long night of solid sleep probably helped. Today will be quiet, too.

Perhaps the most consequential thing in my personal life this past year, aside from losing my dearest friend and gaining a daughter and granddaughters, is that I have finally managed to defeat the weight gain that started with a vengeance back in early summer of 2009, when I first 'retired' to the sweet southern Oregon town of Brookings. Despite daily walking -- lots of it -- and hikes exploring beach trails, inland trails, redwood trails, and any trail I could find, my waistline began expanding at a shocking rate. No medical reason. Over the intervening years I've tried all kinds of things. Severe calorie cuts (those happened in Brookings, but were ill-advised and didn't last too long) to more reasonable calorie cuts, combined with lots of walking or other exercise, including a local gym. Did that both in Georgia and then continued it here. 1200 calories per day for about a year here in Eugene, while walking the serious hills around the condo I shared for that year. Lost some weight during that, I must admit, but once I left there and was in a few temporary places for a few months before this apartment opened up, much of it came back, and over time all of it came back, despite continuous exercise, always with a local gym membership that I made almost daily use of.

During those years I wanted to try the Keto diet, but quickly realized that doing all the calculations and percentages of that diet was beyond what I would or could do, so it didn't last long. You try to calculate the carbs, fat, and protein of everything you eat in the course of the day, as a percentage of the total calories you eat every day! So about a year ago when I got serious about trying it because nothing else had worked, I knew I was going to have to spend some $$ to get an app. The app was free, but I needed something to run it on, and I didn't have that (or, I thought I didn't. Turns out it works just fine on my computer). So I bought an iPad (I'd been wanting one anyway, but couldn't justify the cost as a mere toy). And I got the app. Started the diet as of Jan 2 (no way I'm going to do that on a day when our Oregon Ducks are playing in a Bowl Game, so the diet had to be postponed!).

Fast forward a year, and I've lost over 30 pounds! The app does all the calculations, and I plan my days food intake every morning, adjusting as needed to meet the requirements. My calorie intake is based on my activity level, which is still fairly high most of the time, so I'm certainly not starving and I can eat anything I want as long as the total meets the requirements. Mostly, I pay attention to the carb maximum and don't go over that, as it's the key point. Occasionally, as at the moment, I raise my settings from 'weight loss' to 'maintenance' so I can eat more of everything for awhile. That's good for the soul, and I've never gained weight during one, usually even lose some. Right now I'm not so active because of weather and having no desire to go to a crowded gym even if it were open, so I may not lose any this time.

I committed for a year, which is not quite up, but I've reached my first goal and could happily stay here, but since it's been so easy I've reset that goal for the next 5 pounds, which shouldn't be all that difficult or take all that long. After that, we'll see. The diet approximates the way I like to eat anyway, so it hasn't been too difficult for me. Although in 'real life' I'd eat more carbs than currently allowed, and my body has never liked carbs. Once I reach a point where I'm willing to stop, I'll go on maintenance for a good long while and eventually, probably onto a less restrictive diet of some kind. The app offers all kinds of them, so I'll never have to do all those calculations again.

I hope this awful year of 2020 has kept all of you safe.

Hiking and .... granddaughters!

 

Hi, all. Yes, I continue to live, have just been lazy. After the fires and smoke cleared, I've begun the local hikes again, and it's good to be back outside.

Photo is from view partway up Mt. Baldy, a smallish mound on the southside of town, with a long stretch of straight uphill walking right from the parking lot. A lovely round trip, and then we crossed the road to hike through a rolling fir forest trail so that we got our 90 minutes in. My hiking buddy took the photo with her camera, which did a pretty good job.

The sun was more red than white, to our human eyes, a result of high smoke from the California wildfires rather than our own. The fog on the lower hills is so lovely, though. 

A couple of weeks ago I unexpectedly ran across a person on a genealogy site who I suspected was my granddaughter, and it turns out, I was right.  I lost touch with my daughter back in 1996 when I moved from Atlanta and ended up here in Oregon. In the process of moving, I lost her unlisted phone number in Sacramento. I had her address, and wrote there a couple of times telling her how to reach me. This was in pre-cellphone days, of course. But, I never heard from her and didn't know if she ever received those letters. I would search for them over the years, but never found them.

Turns out, they'd had a little girl in the late summer of 1996, born with a heart defect, who eventually died a couple of months later. Understandably, it was a difficult time for them and in the process, she lost my contact information. Now we are all in touch and happy to be back together and I have two beautiful granddaughters in their early 20s. 

 Life really turns in a moment, doesn't it?

Clear skies --- and soy sauce

This photo, posted this morning by a local TV station [KVAL] on Twitter, says it all. Pretty sure this is Spencers Butte, which I climbed last spring. Overnight rains have brought relief! It took awhile -- last night when I opened a window to test it out, the air merely reeked of wet ashes, which is not pleasant. In the middle of the night, it was better, and I left the windows open for awhile but could still feel the irritation. By morning, AQI was down around 100 or less and the windows have stayed open since then.  And it feels great! Supposed to keep raining today and tomorrow, too. Over an inch so far at the airport, or so I heard. 

We had quite the lightning show all night, too. I could clearly see the flashes and hear the thunder. Many of the large storm cells bypassed us altogether, staying to one side or another. But we got plenty. I haven't heard yet about any relief from the fires, but I sure hope it helped those, as well, and didn't start any new ones.

As you might have gathered, I had another sleepless night, for the most part. More nightmares, plus I was a little tense/wired in the evening, and that carries over to the night. One dream I remember parts of involved a cat, a neighbor in this building who I don't see very often, and something about food that turned out to be empty containers. All with their own bit of angst involved. Weird. They are always weird.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this here before or not, but it bears repeating. A couple of years ago my son told me that soy sauce was good for burns. I was skeptical, but next time I got a minor kitchen burn I tried it, and it worked. No pain. Just splash it on. I've tried it numerous times, and it has always worked. Yesterday, I splashed a little hot oil onto my left wrist and could tell it was less minor than most of mine are. Sensitive skin, and all that. When I got a chance, I splashed the soy sauce over it and the pain immediately went away. I rinsed it off fairly quickly because I didn't like the smell of it. Then, for the most part, forgot about it. This morning I have two blisters where the oil hit skin, but there is still no pain. I don't know how or why this works, but it does. I think I looked it up once and saw some reasons, but of course I don't remember them.

Another storm cell coming through -- mostly wind at this point, but feels as if some wet stuff will be involved. Nice.

Last of the carnitas

 Since I've been randomly talking about cooking carnitas of late, I thought I'd take a couple more photos today of the finished product, since that step had not been shown.

The finished product, ready to eat in a taco, burrito, or however you like. This one cooked 3 hours in some orange and lime juice, red onion, garlic and one small orange wedge. It shredded easily with two forks while still in the pan. I mixed it up good with the liquid left from cooking, since it absorbs rapidly back into the meat and keeps it juicy. Then, put it under the broiler for 5 minutes and this is how it came out. I'm still not convinced that the broiling step adds anything to the end taste. It's pretty good right out of the oven.  This batch had a good bit more heat than the past batches had. I don't measure the spices before grinding them up, so I probably had a bit more red chili flakes this time. Not too hot -- I like heat.

When I make tacos I generally cook some sliced jalapenos, and sometimes red bell peppers, to go on top. Today I used red onion, 'cause I had it. Ended up using only half these peppers, since the meat was already hot and spicy and these peppers can sometimes carry heat, too. These didn't as it turns out, but the rest can be included in the leftover meat for tomorrow. Yum. My belly is full and happy.

Now is when I'd really like to go out for a walk -- even a short one -- to help digest some of this food. But alas, air quality is still hazardous outside. Airlines even canceled all flights in/out of Eugene today because of 'worsening' smoke. Looks about the same to me, but then again, I'm not a pilot.

Forecast is for this to be partly gone by tomorrow, though winds are non-existent so I'm not quite sure how that's going to happen. Rain, real rain, is due on Monday, however, so I'm hoping against hope that it'll be enough to clear the air, the pavement, and put a damper on the fires.

In a world we're not living in right now, today would be a big day in Eugene. Our Ducks were scheduled to host Ohio State today, right here at Autzen Stadium, and we've been looking forward to that for many a long month. Both teams' conferences opted not to play because of the virus, and of course, there would be no football played in Eugene today anyway, with the horrible air quality.  

Be well. Take care.  Stay safe.

Pork carnitas on the horizon

 Still here! Situation hasn't changed over the last day or so, which is good news. Fires are still raging further north and other places in the state. 'Ours' is still raging, but winds are no longer blowing it in this direction, or any direction as best I can tell from the fire maps. The firefighters are doing a great job in holding it, with a little help from the weather gods.

Temps cooling off, what little wind there is has switched to blowing from the Pacific, and will eventually push all this smoke back east. There's a nice little storm due in on Monday, which with any luck will not only wash most of this smoke away, but help douse the flames. Monday seems a long way off.

On the positive side -- ground another bunch of spices in the mocajete this morning, and this time tried something different. This thing is fairly new to me, so I've been trying to figure out the best way to use it. As you might imagine, putting it on the counter and pounding to break up seeds makes far too much noise when one has neighbors and thin walls. I've tried holding it while I pound, but it's heavy and that got old, fast. Today I sat in a comfy chair and put it on my lap, and that worked great. I could pound away and make basically no noise. Then I could take my time and grind it into a powder, for the most part. And then -- put it on a couple pieces of carnitas-labeled pork shoulder to marinate until tomorrow morning. I can't wait! Saturday seems to have morphed into a day when I don't worry about calories or anything else, just be sure I don't eat too many carbs. And this stuff fits right in with such a day because I can't stop eating it.

Something to look forward to.

Fires

If you're out of state, you probably aren't aware of the extent of the fires here in Oregon -- as well as California and Washington. There's a line of them up and down the state and a shortage of firefighters who are stretched far too thin. Some have been out of state helping our neighbors and are presumably on their way back home now. No air support that I can find on Flightradar24. They are stretched thin, as well. If you're interested, here's a good link for info on current status of fires in the state.

Two small towns on the I-5 corridor in southern Oregon have been flattened, more or less, as has a small town east of here, on the McKenzie River. I think of the southern Oregon towns as pass-bys on the route to and from California. Phoenix, to me, is merely the first good place to gas-up once I'm back in Oregon where the gas is cheaper than California. But people live there, work there, have lost their homes there.

The fire to the east of here has my full attention, however.  For one thing, it's a beautiful area with beautiful hiking trails. The river is also where water for the city of Eugene comes from. Pure and clear. Our maintenance man here at the home lives up in or near the town that is mostly gone. Hoping that somehow, his home was spared. Beyond that, the fire has been creeping westward and branching off, so that now it is right on the eastern edge of the city of Springfield, across I-5 from us, causing Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation orders. The upper branch is edging closer to here, also with multi-level evac orders.

There are fires in literally every direction, even on the coast, so where would we go to evacuate? Only so many can fit into whatever evacuation center might be established. They've already had to move the first such center in Springfield.

The latest warning finally got my attention. No, it's not near me yet -- maybe 15 miles or so with a lot of city in between -- but to see the evac zones encroaching upon Springfield was an eye-opener. And I think of the cities of Santa Rosa and Paradise in California, and how quickly those fires flattened whole neighborhoods in the city and in the case of Paradise, practically the entire city. I no longer think 'it can't happen here'. It can.

Last night I'd gathered a few important papers and put them on my desk. This afternoon, I put those, plus photos and other 'important' things into a bag and put them into the trunk of my car where they will stay until this is all over.  Air quality out there back in the 500s, off-the-charts hazardous. I feel it in my nose and lungs still, though I was probably not out there for more than 5 minutes.

That's Debbie Downer's report for now.

Smoky skies and pesto in the works

 

The view from my window this morning, about 8am. The eerieness of smoke-filled skies. I just came in from a quick trip to the trash and garden, and the air is filled with particles of all sizes, from tiny to good-sized flakes, all swirling around. All over my garden plants, cars, every other surface. I don't plan to go out again today.  And thank goodness for AC, which I dislike intensely, but which comes in  handy when you need to breathe.

This stuff is mostly coming from old fires in Oregon and Washington. We just  had a major wind shift late yesterday afternoon that brought it to us, rather than away from us. Not supposed to last long, thank goodness.

On the good side, I picked a bunch of basil -- probably enough for a double recipe of pesto. This is a good thing! There's probably this much more left out there, too. Shook the ashes off before coming inside, then washed them. Should make for lovely pesto for the freezer.

Nightmares and pork tacos

Last night was filled with nightmares. I don't remember any of them now, but when I woke from the first one, groggy, and started to doze back off, it picked up more or less where it had left off. After a couple of times of that, I was afraid to try to sleep again for awhile. Later, a new set of bad dreams took over.

This is not a usual thing for me, though I've noticed lately that it's happening more and more. I guess it's a sign of the times, which are pretty nightmarish in real life.

But let's change the subject. One of my latest obsessions is using various cuts of pork shoulder, roasted until falling-apart-tenderness, shredded and used for tacos.  I started with what are called boneless pork spareribs, only to learn that they are not ribs at all, but a cut from a pork shoulder. Around here, stores market meat for carnitas, which is also a cut from a pork shoulder. Both are fatty and stringy and utterly delicious.

I've even taken to grinding my own spices in my authentic Mexican mocajete. This thing is much larger than it looks -- about 8" diameter -- really, too large for my needs, but it works. Here is coriander seed, cumin seed, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. I don't try to make a powder from it -- just grind it a bit.

A couple of pieces of 'ribs' after dry-marinating for 24 hours in the fridge. Ready to cook.  After 2-3 hours cooking at 300F in my wonderful convection toaster-oven, they are pure, fall-apart goodness. Shredded, then re-hydrated with some of the juices from the pot, it makes a pile of goodness. I've never managed to remember to take a picture at that point. But I gotta tell you, my kitchen smells mouth-wateringly good after the first half hour or so of cooking! I had the leftovers from this batch for lunch today. Yum.

I used the technique from this recipe, though not the entire recipe. I tried using orange/lime juices and rinds the first time and found an underlying bitterness that I didn't care for, so did not do that the second time. Sticking it under the broiler did indeed brown it and crisp it up somewhat, but I was happy without that step, too.

Happy Labor Day, y'all.

Oddities of carrying weight

I've had an interesting eye-opener the last couple of days.

Not sure I've talked about it much here, but since the first of the year I've been on a Keto diet, and have lost about 22 pounds, to date, with more left to go.  A couple of days ago I was reading some research saying that wearing weight on your body if you do a lot of sitting can help lose weight, because sitting seems somehow to tell the body that it's lightweight, or something like that.

Even when I get good exercise in the mornings, I tend to sit a lot the rest of the day -- either at this computer, mostly doing genealogy, or plopped in a comfy chair reading or watching TV. Even without the new research, I know this isn't good for the body overall, or for weight loss. But if wearing weights can actually help lose weight? I'm all for it.

Yesterday I put my two hand-weights (5# and 4#, don't ask) into a fanny pack and wore it all day, walking around the building about once an hour most of the day. Thing felt heavy as hell, and it's less than HALF the weight of the fat I used to carry around on the body every day! I was shocked.

Today, I switched to only 5#, because somehow 9# was too much. Walked an hour this morning, drove to the nearby location where I buy food and where there's also a WalMart, with some distance between them. I needed to go to both, so as usual parked at the food store and walked to/from WalMart. Amazingly, even with only 5#, it still feels heavy. Is it any wonder I walk with a lighter step these days (when I'm not wearing the weights)?

I plan to keep doing it. All in all, the body will get stronger if nothing else, and maybe it'll accelerate the weight loss. I can stay on the diet -- hasn't been a big problem for me because I've lived low-carb for much of my life. But, Keto is low, low, low carb -- I'm getting max 15 grams per day right now, and it doesn't take much to reach that. Thankfully, I can still have some Keto chocolate chip cookies that I make, and 5oz of wine if I want it. Mostly, I prefer to use those wine carbs on other things, though.

Another new toy -- but oh, so useful

Hey, y'all,

Still alive and well enough here, hope you are the same. Weather warming up -- into the 90s yesterday, a little cooler today and for a few more. Hasn't been a problem for me, though. I like warm weather. That day back in Cedartown when it reached 113 in the shade of my back porch was a bit much, but this, I can handle.

A few weeks ago I bit the bullet and bought another new toy -- a really nice Cuisinart convection/rotisserie/toaster oven. Did a lot of research before deciding that this was the one, but I've loved it from the first time I used it, and I use it at least once a day, often several times a day.

Today, I finally got up the nerve to try doing a whole chicken on the rotisserie, which is really why I wanted it in the first place. It took me this long because I was a little afraid of it initially, when it comes to cooking meats. I wasn't sure how much smoke would be produced from the inevitable spatter, or if it would set off my sensitive smoke alarm.  Turns out, there's very little smoke, and if it didn't happen today with fat spattering and dripping at 450-500 degree temps, I think it's not going to happen.

Previous attempts with meat have been great, though a couple of them were foil-covered. As I said, I had to work up to using the rotisserie, but now I'm really glad I did. For one thing, it's just a small space that needs wiping out afterward, instead of a big oven. Secondly, that little chicken was juicy and tender just like commercial rotisserie chickens and very unlike oven-roasted chickens. I gobbled up a large portion of it, felt like I could eat the entire thing!

Still on the spit, too hot to remove just yet. Clearly, I still have a lot to learn about how to hog-tie one of these things properly (aka trussing), but this got the job done, even though it wouldn't pass any professional judgment. Those damned birds are slippery as hell, even dried off beforehand. The oven comes with a doohicky that lifts the spit out of its mechanism. It feels a bit perilous, but so far, it's worked fine. This is one time when it would be nice to have another person around -- one to hold a plate, and the other to use both hands to lift the spit out. But, I made it without much dripping on the floor.

So that's my story for today. Kinda lazy, aside from doing this. See you next time. Stay safe and well.

Early morning hike up Spencer Butte

So, this morning my cohort and I set out very early, around 6am, to hike the biggest thing in these parts: Spencer Butte. I lived near it for over a year and never got the nerve to try it. She's done it, but from a different trailhead which she said seemed easier. With all the hiking and cycling we've been doing, we figured we could make it.  Elevation: 2054. Elevation gain from the trailhead: 1094. Distance (per the map) 2.1 miles.  My Fitbit says it was longer, but I'm not going to argue. It's steep and felt like forever. Our legs were shaky by the time we reached the top and it's been a long time since I've been so happy to see my car in the parking lot! My Fitbit says it was over 14,000 steps and it took us 2.7 hours. Her device said it was over 3 hours. I expect hers was more accurate, as it's a better device.

However, as promised the 360 views are superb, and it was a sunny morning with mild temps. Don't think I'll be doing it again any time soon, but I'm glad to have done it once. Heavily traveled -- lots of people by the time we headed back down the hillside.

Not the best composition, but with the glare on the screen of the iPad it's hard to see what I'm actually getting. Nice view, regardless.

Love the hovering clouds as we got closer to the top. Still a long hike from here, unfortunately. But beautiful.

Looking down to the north, with the UO campus beyond some residential areas in the 'foreground' and the Coburg Mountains in the distance, not far from where I live. If you look under the highpoint of that distant peak, then straight down, you'll see a couple of shiny objects just above the tops of the trees. The one to the left is the newly completed Hayward Field, now one of the finest T&F facilities in the world. The T&F Olympic trials were due to christen it this summer, but of course, won't. Next summer it's scheduled for some major International T&F event, which hopefully will happen. Along with the rescheduled Olympic Trials and lots of other events.  Just to the right of Hayward Field is the shiny dome of Matthew Knight Arena, where the BB teams play in a mini-NBA style arena.

One of many flights of stone steps that I mostly walked up monkey-style, on all fours. My legs were too tired to merely walk up them. These were just installed in 2015, and while I'm sure they make things easier for most people, compared to whatever was there before, they made it harder for me. Still, a lovely morning and, whining notwithstanding, a good hike.

Long bike rides and the world's best cheese

So -- after a week of relative inactivity [wet weather, and general laziness], went off with my neighbor on a really nice, long bike ride this morning. My favorite bike path [same one I took a few weeks back that really kicked my butt and took me up the dreaded Roosevelt Hill], but this time my body had more energy, was stronger overall, plus she knows the way home that takes us around that damned hill.  Longest ride yet -- a little over 20 miles, 2 hours and 33 minutes. And I feel great afterwards. Plus, all those calories burned lets me eat a bit more than usual, while still keeping my diet app happy.  Speaking of diet.... there's this:

My local market keeps a little basket in their cheese shop where they put small 'leftover' bits of cheeses at tiny prices, for tiny pieces. I scour it every time I'm there, because often there are bits of favorite cheeses, or cheeses I've never tried, from around the world. All of them are cheeses I could never afford in even the smallest wedge they have pre-wrapped in the counter -- $40-50/lb. kinds of cheeses.

There's one in particular I always look for in that basket, but until Friday have never found. But there, like two radiant jewels, were two bits of Rogue Creameries Rogue River Blue, from Southern Oregon! I grabbed them fast, checking with the counter attendant first to be sure they were what I thought they were. Some months ago this cheese was named the best cheese in the world at some prestigious event, and of course at $50/lb. it's way beyond my budget. Plus they were sold out of it for awhile, but they told me a couple of months ago that they'd gotten some more, same batch. And this, my friends, is it. I have to say, it lives up to its reputation.

I've had other of the Rogue Creamery blues [from the basket] in recent months, all utterly delicious, and without tasting side-by-side can't say that this one is that much better, but at least now I've tasted it, two wee pieces with my evening wine, two nights in a row. Creamy, a bit salty, tons of flavor I don't have words to describe, all of them good. I'm a happy camper.

The day after.....

After two 20-mile rides within the span of six days, I think that overall I'm going to be better off not pushing that distance on my next ride. I feel fine, but was jazzed from the ride, didn't sleep well, and have been very tired and lazy all day today. Wiped out! Same thing happened after the previous ride. I should have turned around in Coburg, not gone for the extra 4 miles. That would have been sensible, and age-appropriate. But when have I been either?

Of course, this ride was much easier than the first, big hill notwithstanding. I'm just building my conditioning and strength and it may be that after these first two, I could easily do more. But I think I'm going to try an easier/shorter ride next time. Even two hours would probably be easier, as the first two were about 2 hrs 20 minutes each.

Whatever. I hate the term and need to be 'age appropriate'. It galls me, but reality bites, and needs to be faced. The good news is that aside from being tired, my body is strong, joints don't hurt, muscles feel fine. I've always had the need to push myself this way. Not just to push myself, but more a matter of impatience, wanting to get to the good part and skip the boring part.

This is all moot, in a way, since we're not forecast for another clear day until next Friday. I can get some good morning walks in here and there, probably, but no likely bike rides.

Be well, everybody. Stay safe. Personally, I'm walking around everywhere with a mask on and have some hand sanitizer in my car for use after being inside any kind of retail store. And I stay well away from people I encounter on the sidewalks when I walk.

Biking between rainy days

Another clear and sunny day today, so off I went on the bike again. New helmet and all. Really wanted the open road, so I headed north to the little town of Coburg, where I lived for a couple of months before moving in here.

Google said it was 8 miles, and they [and my bike computer] were spot on. I felt fine, so opted to ride on through town to a nice loop I used to ride that goes through farmlands, orchards, some modest rural residential and a couple of newer, modern 'spreads' with fancy iron gates. Just under a 3 mile stretch that added about 4 miles total to my ride.

Hardest part of the ride was the part getting to/from Coburg Road from here. Too many city streets and stop lights. But then I was free and clear and able to move the bike fast [fast for me, which is not fast for most folks]. But I love those sprints, those times where I just pedal as fast as I can until I slow down naturally. Always have.

I was a bit pooped when I got home, 20 miles, 2 hours 23 minutes later, but ----- NO JELLY LEGS! Of course, no Roosevelt Hills, either, but a couple of highway overpasses and some other grades along the way.  Plus a headwind that was a bit unfriendly here and there, especially coming home. And a lot better average speed.  8.4 compared to 7.7 on Sunday.

Of course, I've done nothing substantial since I got home -- eating and chilling. Oh, and I ordered a thick sheepskin cover for the bike seat, because after those 2 hours my behind was sore, and I need to put an end to that problem. Not sure it'll fit the bike, but if it doesn't I can return it. And order a custom cover for about 4 times the cost of this one. Photo from 1983 in Colorado, but note the sheepskin seat cover. The trip up Loveland Pass that day was a day trip, so most of my gear was back at the campground and not nearly as impressive as say, this one. Fully loaded, but can't see the seat.

Cheers, all. Stay healthy.

Jelly-legs

Whew! I'm still alive and -- other than my legs feeling like jelly at the moment -- well.

Decided to take the bike out for a long ride today, one I've done many times but not since maybe 2006.  I wasted about 20 minutes trying to find the right trail off the main riverfront bike path, and then on through the western edge of town to another bike path that goes west. By this time, I was already feeling a bit tired, but I knew I could do it so I kept on and finally arrived at the best part of the trail which goes through meadows and wetlands and is generally quite peaceful. These photos are from a walk along part of the trial that Adam and I took a couple of years ago.

The trail also goes alongside this creek for a good part of the way. This is Amazon Creek, which has its start in the south hills near where I used to live. It's more of a slough, really, as it goes through town. But out here along the path (Fern Ridge Path) it's more wild. Usually lots of herons and other wildlife along here. And often, wildflowers.

I'd intended to return the way I came, as I've done in the past, but by the time I reached an optional trail that takes a right turn and heads back toward home, I decided that might be the best way to go because yes, my legs were still tired and would not put a lot of effort into the whole adventure. I'd never taken this route before, but my neighbor that I hike -- and sometimes bike -- with takes it all the time. I didn't remember just how she gets home once that trail ends and then it's necessary to ride on rather busy roads. But I knew I was going the right direction and could find my way home.

She was talking about this path the other day, mentioning some turns that she took that avoided the 'Roosevelt hill', but of course I didn't remember all those details so I ended up having to ride up that dreaded hill, which is rather a doozy. I've avoided hills of any kind since I've had this bike, because I wasn't sure of 1) my legs, and 2) just how low the lowest gear of this bike is. I made it up, slowly and a bit wobbly. Then had to take a left turn and ride another busy road that I prefer to avoid (actually, it wasn't all that bad) while looking for the road that would take me back to the river trail. I saw signs to a couple of them, but wanted a specific one. And then I saw a sign for the last bike bridge that crosses the river and knew I'd gone too far. I live near that bridge, so it was fine, but it's another place I've avoided because of the grade on both sides to get to the top of it. Made that one, too, even with jelly-legs. Turns out, the road I was looking for doesn't connect with this specific stretch of the busy road I was on. Now, I know.

Legs are still jelly, but at least I'm no longer fearful of some of these moderate hills around here that I've been avoiding.  My sweet new bike computer says that total time was 2 hours, 33 minutes, 19.69 miles. Average speed was only 7.7 mph, which is embarrassing, but that includes plenty of city streets and a few stops to turn around, etc. Really, I need to get that up!

All in all -- jelly-legs not withstanding -- it was a good morning. And knowing that I can do some hills has opened up all kinds of new places to go that I've been avoiding.

Early morning hike

Explored a little new territory today. Near where I used to live on the south side of town, but a trail to the top of Mt. Baldy that I'd never tried before. Not a big mountain, by any stretch, but it's a solid uphill hike to the top, and the views along the way are superb. After that, we crossed the road and continued on the trail for awhile before returning to the car. Only an hour and 15 minutes, but a good hike.

The trail across the road, through beautiful spring green trees dappled with sun and shade. We are so lucky to live in a place that has this much (and more!) outdoor space for walking right in town. This is a city park, and there are miles of trails.

Busy day....

Not as good a photo as I thought it was when I snapped it, but sadly it's all gone now, so I can't get a do-over.

Today's lunch, something new for me: stuffed portabella mushroom. Mexican flavors, hot sauce dripping onto the plate. And lots of fresh asparagus, which I eat every spring until they no longer appeal to me. Haven't reached that point yet, this year.

I guess that's my day's excitement, though not really. I took a very early morning walk for about 48 minutes, and another, shorter, walk after lunch.

I'm in the middle of my first Zoom meeting, which is an ongoing Buddhist retreat taught by my dearest monastic friend.  I'll enjoy the teaching, and hopefully learn something, but the best part may be seeing her, and hearing her voice. All very soothing for me. Two sessions already today, one more session this evening, then do it again tomorrow.

I'm pretty tired. Have had a week of heavy-duty walking/hiking/cycling and right now, all I want is a nap! Hope I manage to sleep well tonight so I'll be fresh for tomorrow's sessions. And maybe I won't walk so much tomorrow.

The bounty of the garden

Remember this from a couple of weeks ago? I've had a few meals from that chard since then, but with the nice weather, it's been going a bit crazy, so today I went out and harvested all of the large leaves. Six point four ounces of it!

You probably don't love chard as much as I do, but I enjoyed every bite of this. I chop the stems into maybe half inch pieces, slit the greens in half then crosscut them into manageable sizes. These things magically become much, much smaller as they cook. Like spinach.

I saute them in olive oil, add a couple of whole garlic cloves to the oil, add the stems and let them soften a bit, then add the greens and toss them until they are wilted. Salted, of course. Doesn't take long, is filled with nutrition (especially straight out of the garden!), and to my old taste buds, delicious.

Yeah, I had more for lunch, but none of it came from the garden. Since there's also lettuce out there that needs to be used (tomorrow), I'm glad that the chard plants are down to a small quantity for now. They'll be bounteous again soon enough. The gift that keeps on giving.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

This isn't a recent photo -- probably a couple of years ago. But as I scrolled through the various folders looking for inspiration, something that stood out and moved me tonight, the folder of lighthouses caught my eye. Because we can all use a beacon of light in the darkness that's taking over our world, and this is one of the most spectacular places I've ever seen. I remember my first glimpse, back in 1996 when I first drove up this coastline. Mindboggling, in person. Beautiful always.

There's a woman living in this building whose husband of 62 (I think it was) years died about 5 months ago. I've come to know her a little bit over those months, and have heard bits and pieces of their life together. They were lightkeepers at this lighthouse once upon a time, for about 17 years, as I recall. The house is now a B&B, but they had it all to themselves for a long, wonderful time. I didn't know him well, but the one occasion I had to hear him speak, he was quite interesting, as is she.

I'm still here, if anyone's wondering, and as far as I know, healthy. I didn't sleep much last night, so it hasn't been a fun day (lots of dozing, a couple of movies, random food).

I'm grateful to a few people in the building who are happy with a little email correspondence. It helps the odd and wildly swinging emotions that we all seem to be feeling with all this isolation. And we are people who are good at isolation, as a rule. Loners all. Hermits at heart. I'm happy to have this blog as an outlet, though as always it's like talking into a vacuum -- or the universe -- and there is never an answer. But it's good to get things out even if no one listens.

Hope all is well out there.

This 'Christmas' cactus has it's calendar mixed up

I'm starting to get the hang of the camera on the iPad, finally. No expert, certainly, but at least I've learned how to zoom and focus. My Christmas cactus is starting to bloom again, and tonight the light was hitting the first bloom nicely. A little beauty for a stressed world.

Hope all are still well. So far, so good, here. Stay well.

A damp bike ride and yummy Keto tacos

I really itched to get out for a ride today, but it was overcast and misty and a 30% chance of rain. But rain wasn't due until around 1pm. So I dressed for the occasion (excepting my rain pants, which I won't forget again) and headed out in the mist, tail light flashing. A short ride on the riverfront bike path took me to a lightly used road that goes through neighborhoods (beautiful neighborhoods, million $$ homes) to another lightly used road which took me to the road to the sweet little town of Coburg, where I lived briefly before moving in here. That road is normally busy, but today it was practically empty. I had better sense than to try to ride to Coburg -- yet! -- so I took the normally-busy road back towards home, then on another normally-busy road back to the bike path, and home. Just over one hour. Wish it had been longer, though the mist turned to light rain for awhile, and it didn't bother me. Still -- a good ride. Any day on the bike is a good day.

Then it was lunch time, so after changing into dry clothes, I hit the kitchen for today's Keto Tacos. I choose my own foods on the app -- nothing is scheduled for me -- and this is one of my favorites.

'Tortillas' are big, sturdy cabbage leaves from my garden. They never fall apart, split, develop holes, etc. as other greens I have tried for this do. Slathered with a mix of mayonnaise and sriracha sauce, gobs of fresh guacamole, a tad over 5 ounces of organic grass-fed ground beef cooked in a patty then divided into 4 thick pieces.  Topped with cabbage and chard leaves from the garden mixed with the last of my home-fermented kimchi (there'll be another batch ready early next week).

Soooooo good. Years ago out in this part of the world there was an ad for a hamburger chain that always featured people biting into a juicy, drippy burger (and they really were good). The tag line was "if it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face". These tacos are indeed messy to eat, but that's part of what makes them good. I don't know what happened to the burger chain over the 4 years I was in Georgia, but they're no longer good. I only tried one since my return, and it was a horrible disappointment.

I've made some really fun and tasty foods while on this diet, and often wish afterward that I'd taken a photo. Happens often on what I call 'clean out the fridge day', wherein I do just that -- using bits and pieces of mostly veggies that are about on their last useful days.

Other than that -- life goes along well. So far!

Rain again.....

Yesterday I dredged up the nerve to take that new bicycle of mine out for a real ride, around 8am when few people were out and about to get in the way or mess up the sounds of nature. Total of about 18 miles, which is basically a loop of the river trail system. I've done that ride often in the very distant past, but haven't done it all the way in recent years/months/weeks. Weather was cool, but sunny. Scenery lovely -- the river running full alongside, greenery,  Autzen Stadium, geese in the pond at Alton Baker Park, the usual.

I started out still feeling a bit shaky on the bike, unaccustomed to the new center of gravity compared to past bikes. But somewhere along the way, seems like it was about halfway, where I crossed a bridge from one side of the river to the other, I suddenly realized that things were feeling natural, that I was becoming one with the bike. Shifting (as in turning the wheel the right way) was becoming automatic. In places I found myself using 5th and even 6th gear, moving rapidly and enjoying every minute of it. Took me 1 hour and 32 minutes, door to door, non-stop. And it was wonderful.

Then yesterday afternoon a neighbor suggested climbing Skinner's Butte near downtown Eugene this morning. And she doesn't just climb it, she knows the network of trails and we go up, and down, and around, and up, and finally down again, so it takes awhile and is a good workout, including some stairs.

Being a glutton for punishment, I thought this would be a good idea. My body and mind resisted this morning, but I knew I'd enjoy it so off we went. Again, we were early and there were few people out, but the hillsides we walked through were peppered with large swaths of beautiful, large, fully-opened white Trillium popping against the greenery. Really a spectacular display, and wonderful to see. My Fitbit called it at 86 minutes and over 8000 footsteps, measured from when we got off the bus a few blocks away to when we returned to another bus stop another few blocks away. We got home just in time -- the wind was picking up and cooling off, and the rain wasn't far behind. So glad we went!

No telling what tomorrow will bring. I'll see how my body reacts to these two days, and then decide.

Sunshine in the Garden

It's another beautiful, sunny spring day here, and it's impossible for most of us to stay inside. Fortunately, there is plenty of room in the garden for people to enjoy the sun or the shade, and not be close together. I went out a bit earlier to read in the sun. My internet (iPad) even works out there, as my apartment faces the garden.

This was my view from the chair I sat in. Not a lot happening here yet, but a few things are blooming and bulbs are rampant, and a few young veggies here and there. It'll be a riot of color soon.

This is my garden box, opened for the day's fresh air and sunshine. The frost-gard 'tent' was there all winter, and provides a great growing environment for various things. Weather was fairly mild this winter, for a change, so mostly it kept the cats and squirrels out. But now, everything in there is taking off like crazy. The Swiss chard (red stems) is ready to harvest again. I've been using the big, darker green cabbage leaves for taco shells. They actually work pretty well for that. They're sturdy and tough, and tend to 'cup' just the right way. The garlic in the center is just to repel bugs, and it does a good job of that. No pests like garlic!  There's also young romaine lettuce, but you can't see it here.

I could remove the 'tent', but then the cats would get in and dig and poop in it. That bit of white netting is only large enough to cover one side. Eventually, I'll get a larger piece to cover the whole frame, then remove the fabric. But there's no rush. They're happy for now.

A little closer look inside. I do love growing as much of my own food as will fit in this small box.

I've been walking a lot lately, around the river paths and such, and have observed that in the early mornings the paths are almost empty. A person or a bike here and there. In the afternoon, more of them. So this morning I went for a hour's walk at 8am, and saw only a few people the entire time. It's chillier then -- I think it was around 37F -- but not bad once the body warms up from exercise, and with the sun. So hopefully tomorrow morning I'll get up the nerve to try it on the bike when it's that cold. I think it'll be OK, and I'm itching to get out there!

Stay safe, all.

Another new toy......

Life goes on after emotional losses, which is a good thing. Adam will always be a part of my heart,  and there is no one else to fill the empty hole he left behind. But rather than let myself slip into a depression, I used my Buddhist training to let go, to not hold on to the past, or to current emotions. I still miss him -- especially right now when the Ducks have both the men and women in March Madness with the women likely to win the whole shebang. I can't help but think 'Adam would have loved this', and I allow myself that moment, then move on. Such things happen all the time, but are lessening.

Last week, after a bunch of nice days when I wanted to get out on the bike but didn't feel safe on my old one any longer (bike was sound, this old body less sound, and getting on and off it was so difficult that I was in danger of falling during both processes). So I took it to the local bike shop and traded it in on a model I've been wanting since November or December. It had to be ordered, but was ready on Saturday and I took the bus downtown Sunday morning (brrrrrrr, the warm sunny days had hightailed it elsewhere) to pick it up and ride it home. It's quite a lot different from other bikes I've had in my life, so I was a little teetery at times getting used to it, but the streets were quiet and the bike path not too far away. I made it home after a rather nice 40 minute ride along the river, getting used to my new toy.

This is where it lives in my house, so not the best place to get a photo. Nicest thing is that it has smaller wheels (not as small as they look in this photo, only slightly smaller than my old bike) and a forward crank, designed so the rider can easily and safely put their foot on the ground while sitting in the saddle. That takes away one bit of unsteadiness for me, in starting and stopping. The frame is low, so is easy to step through getting on and off, which takes away the rest of the unsteadiness. The forward crank is different, uses slightly different muscle sets. And the handlebars are higher than I've ever had. But again, my body no longer liked the lower handlebars, so this was another reason to choose this bike. The steering feels quite different, probably because of the higher handlebars, maybe because of the smaller wheels. I don't know the dynamics of such things. I like the forward crank because a good push forward on the pedal gets the bike moving nicely from a stop, while I sit comfortably on the seat. Seven gears, all of which are smooth and cover my needs (though I opted not to try to cross any of the bike bridges that require going up a ramp, until I get used to it).

One important factor in choosing the color was that it blend into my living room, since it has to live there. I think that worked out fairly well. I kind of wanted a bright yellow one, but that would not have blended into anything.

Naturally, the weather has turned foggy and chilly in the mornings and by afternoons I haven't had the energy to get out there. So it sits. But there is plenty of good weather coming and I'll be ready when it arrives.

I seem to have been bitten by an insect on my neck/throat sometime before yesterday, which is when I first noticed it. And, on Monday I had zero energy, took three naps during the day and felt like I've felt in the past when some major infection was about to take hold of my body. I connected the two yesterday, rightly or wrongly. I suspect that whatever bit me injected something into my body (it bit right on a little vein, according to a neighbor who's a nurse) and that fatigue was caused by my immune system fighting off this unfamiliar intruder. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I've hardly been out of the house, so not sure where I could have picked up a critter to bite me, unless it was on the bike trip home. Something blown in the breeze. I am feeling better daily, so I suspect that by the time the weather improves I'll feel like riding again.

Be well and safe out there, everybody. Take precautions.

You really don't ever know when the last time you'll speak with a loved one is. Speak well.

I found out this morning that my dearest friend died February 2, and I found out by Googling his name since I hadn't heard from him since Feb. 1 and that's unusual. To say I was shocked to see an obit appear for him in the local paper is an understatement. I'm still shocked, and stunned. I don't know the cause of death, I don't know anything other than a date. We've known one another about exactly 16 years. I remember he called to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day a few days or week after our first 'date' at a coffee shop.

There were people -- his landlords and his sons -- who were supposed to let me know if this happened. Perhaps they will at some point, but not yet. I don't have a way to contact them, other than driving out and speaking to his landlords, which I won't do.

I last spoke to him around 3pm on Saturday the 1st. He'd planned once again to come visit that afternoon, but once again called to cancel because he wasn't feeling well. I'm so used to this that I think I didn't listen closely, though I'm pretty sure it had something to do with his blood pressure. He'd run out of the meds for that and had gotten more that morning and taken them, but he sounded pretty stressed out and they didn't seem to be working. I keep wondering if he said something I should have taken more seriously. I'd like to know what happened. Maybe someday, I will.

In the meantime, my Buddhist training and practice has helped me 'remain equanimous' and understand that death comes to all of us and is inevitable. I think the shock is also responsible for the equanimity. The reality has been hitting me all day as I realized just how often almost any thought would lead me to Adam. I'd think that I'd like to share this with him, or show him this, or talk to him about this, etc. And then I'd realize I couldn't do that any longer. It's a huge, deep, hole in my life that will be impossible to fill.

I offer this chant for Making Merit [good fortune] for the dead, from the Buddha's teachings. At least, according to the senior Buddhist Nun who offered it to me this evening, and she knows her stuff.

For Adam

Verses on the Simile of the Mountains

Like gigantic boulders,
Mountains reaching to the sky 
Moving in from all sides, 
Crushing all in the four directions—

So aging and death come 
Rolling over living beings— 
Noble warriors, priests, merchants, 
Workers, outcasts, and scavengers. 
They spare nothing; 
They crush everything.

Here elephants can hold no ground, 
Nor can chariots or infantry. 
One can’t defeat them by a battle of spells 
Or buy them off by means of wealth.

So a wise person, 
Seeing his own good, 
Secures firm conviction
In the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.

He who practices the Dhamma
In thought, word, and deed, 
Receives praise here on earth 
And after death rejoices in heaven.

Enuf said. GO DUCKS!!!