I know it's been a while...

..since I posted anything. I've been very busy and I haven't done much hiking or exploring unfortunately. Last weekend, however, I did go on a new bike route. I rode a 21 mile loop Sunday in the country and It was great weather, and great scenery (for around here, anyway) No photos as i no longer have a working camera. maybe I'll get a new one next month.

New Hiking Partners!, Tuning Up the Bike, And Shin Splints

59*, 30.11 in and steady barometer, 36% humidity, VAR 5 mph wind, fair

This weekend has been busy for me. We not only cleaned house from top to bottom and put up new curtains, but I took the dog and a neighbors kid on their first hike with my husband (who normally doesn't join me on these types of outdoor excursions). We had a good time (even though I have a shin splint from exercising so much more lately) and I learned some new wildflowers:
Cutleaf Toothwort, Spring Beauty, and Rue Anemone, alone with seeing plenty of wildflowers I already knew like trillium and jack-in-the-pulpit. What a great place the dunes are for spring wildflowers!
Here the Kid is studying poison ivy, something he didn't know how it looked.
Enjoying a healthy trail snack.
Contemplating...
It was a short hike as I wanted to make it fun for all 3 of my companions so that they wouldn't be discouraged from coming again. The kid is very excited to go on his next hike and I am glad to be able to share my love of nature with a youngster who hasn't had much experience with the outdoors.

Today, Sunday, after dreaming about buying a touring bike in my sleep, I just had to get my bike out. I tuned it up, oiled and tested it and even pimped my ride a bit with a basket so that I can go to the farm when I want and carry my produce home easily and comfortably. I've never tuned up a bike before...I'm mighty proud of myself for doing it myself. And if you want to feel freedom.....the first ride feels fantastic and it didn't aggravate my shin splint at all as I use different muscles to peddle then to jog, hike or walk the dog. The high I felt after the short ride was fantastic to say the least...I was floating on a cloud.

I spent the rest of the sunny day weeding the garden, cleaning house, and icing my shin splint down. What a good weekend :)

Changing!

I feel like changing. For the past few weeks I've been mulling it over in my head and my new fitness buddy, Brandi, has convinced me that I can feel more energetic and fit more fitness into my life. I have to walk her 3 times a day to keep her happy and its an energetic walk with her. Not meandering along slowly with this pooch. I look a little better in the mirror to me, perhaps that's in my head, perhaps it's not but its kind of jump started something. I find myself less willing to consume gads of junk food and soda pop at work or at home. That stuff is becoming less important, especially as I get closer to that 30 mark. I see people all around me with diabetes and all kinds of health issues. It's scary really!

So I am going to make it a point to try VERY hard not to put bad things in my body. I'm doing pretty good so far this week. After all, I am hoping to increase my trail conditioning this year and to achieve better timing when backpacking and hiking--to stretch myself and become the best me ever. :)

Hike your own hike and good night!

Share the sence of wonder.

There are those who live in families who are not very in-tune with nature. They are raised half blind, not seeing the wildness and wonder around them because they have been taught that such things are insignificant. Raised like that, you just don't know how to look and observe. When the closest they get to nature is a round up sprayed back patio its like a life half lived and incomplete.
My neighors 10 year old son reminds me a lot of my little brother (now in the NAVY) and with his mother's permission I am taking him hiking and showing him what I know and have learned as a forester and from my own studies and observations of the woods, fields, marshes, and streams. Nathan is 10 and he's excited about his first hike, next weekend. He's seen pictures in my house of the trails Mr. Hyper and I hike. I've taught him about the 10 essentials and told him to bring a note book and pen so that he can keep a journal of what he learns. I've showed him the beaver dam in his own back yard and a robin's nest with 3 pretty eggs within that was in easy view of his back patio he'd not noticed. There is a spark there. I can see it. The boy is realizing there is more to life then he ever dreamed about. He's begging me to take him backpacking. I told him latter, after we do some day hiking and it's warmer--His mom, a good friend of ours, is OK with it all--
I'd like to give a kid an opportunity I never had growing up. I never even KNEW backpacking existed until I was 17 or 18! But when I realized there was such a thing I knew that's what I wanted to do. The older boy doesn't show much interest at all, he likes golf and school and that's about all. And the girl is far too young for hiking (not yet 2 years old) so Nathan will go hiking with us. I challenge everyone out there to take a kid hiking :) Just don't forget the ten essentials!

A walk into history.

33*, feels like 27*, 70% humidity, SW 7 mph wind, cloudy, WINTER STORM WATCH , FLOOD WARNING

The day promised to be beautiful so I could not stand to remain at home, I had to go out and do at least a little bit of exploration! I did not know exactly where I was going to go today, just that I was going to go along hwy 12, through the dunes area and pick a spot that was open for walking as some places are closed in the winter. I stopped at the first place not 20 minutes from my house yet I had never really stopped to explore it before because I know the trail is not long enough to tide me over. Still, with my recovered injuries, I think a small hike is what I needed, though the soul was willing for much more! I took the Bailly Homestead/ Chelberg Farm loop with the little spur trail to the historic Bailly Cemetery, about 3.4 miles all together.
I was surprised at the amount of snow here, it would of been possible still to do some snow showing, at least in the beginning of the hike before the air started softening the snow. Even so, the hiking was not hard as the path had been trampled by others passing. As I came to the Bailly homestead site, I startled some deer who had been grazing in the grassy area. They had cleared spots of grass from under the snow. I watched them bound off then set about exploring the historical buildings. There were some cabins in which Bailly used for his fur trading business. Bailly was the first non-native settler to this area.
This was his house (or at least a replica of it)
The trail then led me through a mixed age forest. There were gigantic oaks, dying off and lots of younger trees. Mostly deciduous with a lot of sugar maples, and a few coniferous evergreens scattered here and there.
I came to the spur off shoot trail with a sign that said "Historical Cemetery" but to my surprise, it was unlike any cemetery I've come across in the woods of Indiana, or anywhere for that matter. This is the Bailly cemetery, the resting place of the first settler here.

The place reminded me of some kind of odd fortress and it sent my imagination reeling.
I could only wonder what kind of person would be so great, so loved, to have such an edifice built for him. Or perhaps he was just rich and eccentric? I'm going to have to satiate my curiosity come summer, when the ranger station is open and perhaps buy a book about the local history here and find out the in depth story to this.
I back tracked along the spur back to the trail, and followed the loop over bridges, up and down stairs, through thicker but soft snow in classic dunes terrain that I've come to know and love.

After a while, I started seeing signs of fencing and farming. And I started seeing these sap collection buckets. I peeked inside, and the sap doesn't seem to be flowing today, though I would think that with today's warm up it would have been.

I came to the Chelberg farm, Swedish immigrants. This place is home to some working farm animals and I was greeted first by this overly friendly barn cat. He's obviously a well loved (and fed) fellow and insisted on making sure he got petted.
Not far from the Mr. Stripes, I saw some work horses. Big dark horses, but friendly.

The trail leads you right though the little barn.
The Chelburg farm. I think it is a neat place indeed!

I did wish the trail was much longer, but for all that I did not get bored. It was very neat seeing these past relics and on such a pretty day too. My leg, thanks me for not going further. though it does not hurt so much, it aches now. But I'm sure with time it will go away.

Icy Walk

I was wanting to get out and hike one of my secret trails, a forgotten and very over grown trail that no one else seems to know about, but the trail to that trail had been flooded during the winter, then iced over. I could not get to this trail without risking falling through some pretty serious ice and so I had to turn back and do the easy little loop instead today. My ankle, the one that had been injured from the fall on ice earlier in the year held up OK but I did feel it so I know I am going to have to really work on it before I tackle any major backpacking this year. I took a few pictures of the ice along deep river. You can see how the water levels have changed by the different levels of the ice shelves. The river is still higher then normal as it is right now. The building is the back side of the Deep River Sugar Shack where they make maple syrup.

Cat Hair

1*, feels like -19*, W 20 mph wind, partly cloudy, BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY, WIND CHILL ADVISORY, WINTER STORM WATCH

Remember, if you are out and about walking this morning, that cat hair is an essential part of staying warm. Make sure you have some on your balaclava---

Extreme Weather Swings

10*, feels like -12*, 91% humidity, W 36 mph wind, snow/fog/wind, WINTER STORM WARNING

I took a walk earlier, when it was warm out. Near 50*. Two hours ago it was 51* for the high. Look at the temps now! Blizzard like too.

Good time to look at old photos and journals for fun!

Walking Down The LIne

Walking Home Today

Walk Away

These Boots Are Made For Walking

Thanks, Charlie.

31*, feels like 22*, 78% humidity, S 10 mph wind, fair

I met a new friend this morning, early. His name is Charlie. Charlie Horse. I'm sure someone out there must know him. He came over unannounced and uninvited but made himself known real fast. I had to shout and jump out of bed to handle the surprise visitor. But that's OK, because I'm not usually up before that magical time right before sunrise that I enjoy so much but just can't seem to wake up for anymore.

Yes, I really am a morning person. Morning is my favorite time of day but since I get home latish from work, I tend to sleep in or I wouldn't get near enough hours of sleep every night. So, having been rudely awakened, I couldn't get back to sleep, I decided to go for a walk instead to enjoy the morning.

The first thing I noticed when I headed out was that the air temperature was notably more mild then it has been for a while. And had there been no wind, I wouldn't of needed hat and gloves to keep comfortable. The snow was soft, not crunchy and hard.

I walked through the neighborhood to the bike rail-trail and walked along the county line to Hobart section which heads south and is quite short, I think around a mile tops. I walk through the snow, past the baptist church and the corn field behind it, past a big red barn, lots of those oaks that hold onto brown leaves all winter, and snow covered marshes. I came to a spot that seemed very pretty this morning. there is a creek that runs through a marshy spot which the trail looks down over through the trees. Everything but the moving water was covered in snow with grassy snow island clumps dotting the middle of the stream. There were about a dozen ducks swimming around in circles, quacking and chatting to one another as the golden glow of the sunrise reflected off the water. It was quite a sight, and of course I had decided not to bring my camera along with me this time thinking that there wouldn't be anything worth taking pictures of. So I stood there, leaning against the railing along the trail, absorbing it all in until the golden glow faded off the water. I called it a morning and tuned around, walking back home the way I had come.

Junk food binge--

Oops. I seemed to have enjoyed myself just a bit too much yesterday!



But, that's just one day, and if you think about it, one day of binge is just a drop in the....
... in the overall span of my life. Yeah, it's no big deal.

Tried to go walking this morning, drove to the park but couldn't get in. Almost got stuck in the snow. Should of just walked around the neighborhood instead. I had just wanted a more interesting scene.

Stairs

Hills are rare around here. Flat land walking has nothing on mountainous trail hiking elsewhere. My best option when I can't walk hills are stairways at work. So when ever I have an opportunity to, instead of using the elevator, I use the stairs. Six flights up or down. I find down stairs is tough and I have to take it slower, due to the strain it puts on my knees. I'm fine with the upstairs. Add to the self imposed challenge of getting my stock unpacked and shelved as fast as I can to get my heart rate up for a couple hours at a time, a walk on lunch break outside around the hospital, and that is my normal daily exercise, although I do go for walks at home too. I am trying to sneak in ways to burn more calories and build more strength and muscles.



"Without wilderness, we will eventually lose the capacity to understand America. "
-- Harvey Broome (Co-founder of The Wilderness Society)

Soup's On.

33*, feels like 28*, 78% humidity, SSE 6 mph wind, fair.

The healthy habit calender today says:
"Soups on! A cup of broth soup with veggies before meals can help fill you up with few calories."

I had the same breakfast this morning as I did yesterday. Cereal, milk and a mandarin orange. For lunch though I made up a cup of broth and made sure I ate plenty of veggies before my sandwich. Over all I had quite a few veggies today:

Carrots, green beans, corn, alfalfa sprouts, potato.
I only had one fruit- the mandarin orange.

I still ate some junk-- a apple fritter for desert after dinner and a chocolate bar for a snack today but all things considering, I think this is a lot better then what I was doing a few days ago.

It was a nice day for a walk, near perfect weather. I thought about taking a walk. But I felt tired all over. I just couldn't make myself go, not even for a short one. Having worked 9 days in a row with 3 more left to do, you would feel tired too. I am SO not going to work this much next year.

Expiriment

26*, feels like 16*, 81% humidity, W 10 mph wind, cloudy

The calender today says to experiment! Try something new in my meals. So that is what I did today. In fact, over all I have eaten quite a bit better then I have lately been eating. I added a mandarin orange to my breakfast of corn flakes, and for lunch I added homegrown alfalfa sprouts to my sandwich and drank milk instead of soda with my breakfast and lunch. I had a much better day of eating then I have in a long while. To tell the truth though, I was much too busy today at home and at work to think much about constant snacking (see, I told you I was a boredom eater....) Plus, I have a little less stress today due to the fact I told off a co-worker that was being very rude to me lately and made a stand. I will NOT be treated like white trash by anyone. And just because I am younger, does not give anyone the right to be rude to me. Nope.

I took a walk this morning too, though it wasn't a long or difficult one. It was on a flat paved surface and I was slow because my ankle is still sore and hurts if I over do it. But it was a sweet relief to get out, despite the cold and wind. Yay for exercise!!

Morning walk

The big fishing pond not quite frozen.

Frozen beaver pond.

Abandoned bird nest in the honeysuckle brush.

Cold and windy. Trail flat and paved. 40 minutes.

Critters noted:
Cardinal, Blue Jay, Juncos, Sparrows, grey squirrel, domestic cat, domestic dog (With no owner in sight,I picked up a sturdy thumping stick just in case).

Exercise Hurdles

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. No walks due to a few injuries. From a car accident and now a twisted ankle from slipping on ice. Such is life sometimes!

Morning Walk. Fall in Full Force.

Maple leaves against Eastern Cottonwood bark.
The foot bridge to the maple syrup sugar shack where they make maple syrup in the spring from trees tapped here.

River View from the foot bridge.

Leaves on the footbridge. Colorful Confetti.