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August 14, 2024: Intimations of Fall

Sunny today but brisk. Hally at Kid’s Kupboard remarked that it felt a little cold to her. Bill Schmidtkunz said the same thing. I thought it was just right, this was because I was on the move and movement generates body heat.

Dr. Joe, my chiropractor, said that movement is good, good, good. I was glad to hear this. I didn’t want to hear movement is bad, bad, bad. So with this in mind, I rode Raudi this morning and Tyra this evening. Then I took the dogs for a walk around the loop.


Alys at Oregon coast after crosscountry trip


I often seem to go off route on Tin Can – this happened again tonight – we came to a fairly large log and Tyra jumped it. The far side was downhill – I ended up on her neck and was looking over her head at the ground. I thought, I wish I could take jumping lessons on her. She’d really enjoy this.

I am going to see what the answer machine (x-ray machine) reveals about my hip, then start to integrate more exercise into my routine. I don’t know exactly when or how I fell off the bandwagon, but I am lying beside and on the bandwagon, some individual is playing a mournful tune on a saxophone. A bit melodramatic if you ask me, but you most likely won’t ask me.

Yes, I will start running by working out on the treadmill at the Palmer Senior Center, and also start swimming. I did attempt to purchase a bathing suit today at Fred Meyer’s grocery store. The last one’s on hand, the end of the summer sale, were like nightgowns - -they didn’t have the underpart attached.

I am also going to start riding my mountain bike. Pete said that he’d get it operational again. I often go short distances in town. I’d like to resume getting around by bicycle.

I also want to do more hikes up to the bench.

When winter comes, I can go on the white highway on my skis and fat tired bicycle.

It will be good, finding others to do my job so that I have more time to exercise. I am confident that this is going to happen. In the meantime, I will exercise in between shlepping books around.

I am at the tipping point. If I don’t get going on this now, I am never again going to be able to be physically fit. Mt. Marathon here I come. I do not want to be the first person to complete the course in a wheelchair.

Bow hunting season ends on the 19th. The fun will really begin when regular hunting season begins on the 25th.

I have been reading a book by Haines resident Heather Lende – last night I got to the part where she writes about bear baiting, which is exactly as the term indicates. You put out food for bears and kill them.

Reading this chapter I lost all my respect for Lende. She maintains that they have to eat wild game in Haines because it is what’s available. Hunting is one thing – putting out food and killing animals is quite another. I can only hope that others were equally as outraged.

Next: 222. 8/15/24: Mid-August

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