Rain, sun, and more

Roaring waterfall

Last Thursday we saw this lovely waterfall, which is fuller than usual, thanks to all the rain we've been having. That, combined with a few days of sunshine, has made our hikes lately very satisfying. I noticed that I have taken a picture of this waterfall every time I've seen it. You can see why; it's so pretty.

It sure is beginning to feel like spring cannot be far away, with more and more light every day, and little shoots coming out of the ground. Today I noticed that primroses and other early spring flowers are on display outside my local grocery store, adding to the feeling of change in the air. It is almost March, after all. And we will change our clocks here in the US in just a few more weeks, moving to Daylight Saving Time (March 14). We'll "spring ahead."

As I climbed the steps to my apartment this morning, after having gone on the bus to the coffee shop to join John in a cup of coffee (not literally), I have realized it's time to start wearing two masks when on the bus and when shopping in grocery stores that allow too many people inside. Although I lost my recent appointment to get a Covid shot, there are plenty of options beginning to open up here in Bellingham. I think I have an appointment for a shot next week in Ferndale, if they receive their doses, and by mid-March it looks like we will have a mass vaccination place open up just a few blocks away. They are hedging their bets until they learn whether they will receive enough vaccine doses, which seem to be in short supply everywhere right now.

Soon. One way or another this elderly citizen should be getting her first jab. We don't get to choose which vaccine we will receive, but if I had my druthers, I think I'd choose Pfizer, since it seems to gain immunity more quickly. But I'll take whatever I am offered! How about you? Would you choose one over another?

:-)

Sunless Saturday

Whatcom Falls this morning

I know I have taken this picture numerous times, at different times of the year, with major changes in water volume, as well as leaf colors. This morning it was a perfect condition to get a nice photograph, with cloudy skies but no direct sun.

The ladies this morning headed out from the parking lot to go up Galbraith Mountain. I at first joined them, but for whatever reason I could not keep up. Even a slow jog didn't keep me from falling behind. Perhaps part of the reason is the soreness still in my upper legs from Thursday's hike. But after having struggled for a short distance, it was obvious that today I wouldn't be able to keep the fast pace.

So instead, I turned around and went for a short walk at my own pace in Whatcom Falls Park. I had plenty of time to find the best place to take the picture above, and then I walked back to my car and off to find breakfast. Lily wasn't with me today (she isn't a fan of Galbraith Mountain) because she is working 13 days in a row and will miss a couple of Saturdays. She and I went out for pizza and beer yesterday, and this morning the scales confirmed what I been suspecting for awhile now: I've got to stop eating like this! I've gained several pounds this month and have decided it's time to put on the brakes.

This afternoon John and I are going to a wedding of the coffee shop owner and her soon-to-be husband. It's an outdoor wedding, and they lucked out with the weather. We just finished a very cold snap and then rain, but today it's cloudy and mild. I look forward to shedding a few tears; weddings always make me cry.
:-)

Wellness visit and more

Banana slug enjoying a meal

Last Saturday during our wet walk, I saw these oyster mushrooms on a log, but that slimy critter, the banana slug, wasn't there. My friend Cindy took this picture and posted it on Facebook. I know there are at least two different kinds of slugs in our area, and this one is native and prized above the black ones that were brought here from elsewhere. Someone once told me they come from France, but if so, I haven't heard any speaking with an accent. This banana slug is certainly looking well fed and very happy.

This morning I had my wellness checkup with my doctor, and I came out of the exam feeling pretty darn good. She said my numbers are all just fine, and that considering my age, I should be patting myself on the back because of my continuing good health and determination to exercise and stay active.

There are two things I am supposed to do in the near future: a colonoscopy (oh joy) and a bone density test. At least the bone density test is painless. Not so much the other, but what the heck, it should be my last. So I'll just get 'er done. Have you had one recently? I don't have good memories of my last one, but my doctor told me they are better and even the prep is easier these days.

My cholesterol is good, but my HDL (the good stuff) had declined a bit. She just said that the number is still fine, but now my sister's is higher than mine. What, who says I'm competitive?
:-)

Adventures with needles

Needles and electric currents

I just got back from the Prime Sports Institute where I had my first acupuncture treatment for my various aches and pains. This one concentrated on my sore heel as well as my sore knee. I asked Warren, the acupuncturist (whom I like very much) to take some pictures of me while I was needled up. Once he stuck in about a dozen or so needles, he then ran an electric current through some of them, as you can see in this picture.

This was not my first adventure with needles. When I lived in Boulder, Colorado, I went to a Chinese acupuncturist for several sessions to deal with menopausal symptoms. He also managed to fix up some other issues I had. He didn't speak any English and his wife (who was only intermittently available) translated for him. It was an experience that convinced me that this treatment is invaluable for all kinds of physical issues.

Today's visit wasn't fun exactly, but I rather enjoyed it nevertheless. I could actually carry on a conversation with my acupuncturist, and I have made appointments for the next six weeks and am looking very much forward to them. Since I won't be hiking on Thursday this week, I will see him then, and once a week thereafter until my appointments run out. I got a deal for signing up ahead of time. I'll keep you posted on my progress!
:-)

Getting better all the t-i-m-e

Three old farts reading the news

Our barista took this picture of us this morning, at my behest. I stayed away from the Saturday morning walk for two reasons: first, my hip is better but not great, and second, I caught a cold that has kept me home for two days. This morning I'm resisting taking any cold medicines so I can be sure that I'm actually on the mend. Who can tell with drugs running through your system?

I have been doing the exercises suggested by the physical therapist on Thursday. I know some of my readers think I should have gone to the doctor for a "real" diagnosis of my hip problem, but last year when my knee went out on me and I followed that route, I learned only one thing: medical doctors are the LAST ones you want to see with an overuse injury. They took x-rays and looked at them and said, "huh." Nothing showed up, and I knew it would be the same with this hip problem. And all by itself it started to get better, even before the physical therapist, but I know what I can do and what I can't. Walking fast is the most difficult movement (that's what the ladies do), and with it being so sore, I didn't want to stress it with a hike all day long on Thursdays. But this coming Thursday, I'm going to join the Senior Trailblazers, if all continues to improve as it is right now.

After the coffee shop, I decided to try a short walk by myself and see how it went. One thing that Dr. Ed said was to listen to what's going on in my body and pay attention, back off if it hurts and push it a little bit otherwise. So I walked along Boulevard Park for a couple miles and then took the bus back to my car. It was a very successful outing, and I then came home and used the foam roller I ordered from Amazon to work out my hip. He told me to be sure to do the same thing on both sides, and when they are equal in sensation, my hip should be the way it was before the incident two weeks ago. (It feels like it was longer ago than that, but it wasn't. Just two weeks.)

On Thursday morning I went to have my blood drawn in anticipation of my annual doctor's appointment coming up this Wednesday. Because of being able to see the results online through the hospital's  medical records, I see that my results are rather exciting: my total cholesterol is now below 200 (198), and my "good" cholesterol is 84. Another amazing thing is that my triglycerides are 39! That's down from 75 last year. Anything under 100 is good. I was really surprised at the drop. So the family problem of high cholesterol seems to be under control, with exercise and statins. It gave me quite a boost and I resisted sending the results right away to my sister. We are a little bit competitive in this regard, but I know she'll read it here. Yay for good numbers and healing hips!
:-)

These doctors just keep getting younger

Dr Patrick Blair

Meet Dr Patrick Blair, my new Primary Care Physician (PCP). It was five years ago now that I wrote about my new doctor at the time, Dr Brent Whitehead and how young he looked. Brent has gone onto to a different clinic, and I was given a new PCP without any input from me. I saw him for the first time yesterday, and I was amazed that he's even YOUNGER than my previous doctor, who looked so young to me. I'll bet he isn't even thirty yet.

But lucky me, Patrick is a gem! We chatted for awhile about various things and I learned that he is just out of residency and this is his first job. He is from South Dakota but his wife grew up in Seattle, so they ended up here. He loves it as much as I do. I realized when I read that earlier post that I had decided to lose ten pounds I had gained and that I've kept it off since then. I patted myself on the back, but so did Patrick! He said that whatever I'm doing, I should keep on doing it. All my lab numbers are good, and he ordered a bone density test since it's been awhile. He cautioned me, however, that the drugs available for osteoporosis are not as effective as weight-bearing exercise.

I told him of my activities and he was suitably impressed and said that hiking and walking are the best things I could be doing for my bones. He told me that it's important to keep flexible and when I told him about my yoga classes, he suggested that I continue with them, so I will consider that my "prescription" when it comes time to sign up for the next semester.

Today when I took the bus to my yoga class, I got off a little early so I could walk in the brilliant sunshine and enjoy the sights of our early spring. I saw daffodils in bloom, and the trees everywhere are sprouting blossoms and tiny new green leaves. We have three days of sunshine and blue skies ahead, with above-normal temperatures, so I suspect that you'll be seeing lots of springtime pictures on my Thursday post.
:-)

Got my flu shot

Picture lifted from WiseQuacks: Doctors without Boredom

I got my annual flu shot yesterday and no, that's not me. I went to Google Search to find a picture for this post, and I laughed when I saw that one. My pharmacist at RiteAid, Tom, gave me my shot, and I think I might have grimaced a little, but I didn't actually make any noise. It didn't hurt much, just a little sting. That picture appealed to me when I went to the website and found it links to a site called WiseQuacks: Doctors Without Boredom. (This link goes to the "About Us" page, giving information about the two Canadian doctors who run the website and host a weekly talk show.)

I also learned from the link under the picture that people who get a flu shot are at lower risk for stroke, too. It's been quite a long time since I've had the flu, but I well remember the last time. I was home from work for at least a week, and I was a lot younger then. I'll do what I can to avoid the flu, including washing my hands often and getting that annual shot.

Because of my age, the pharmacist wanted to give me the double dose that people over 65 are eligible for, but I declined it. He said it's because as we age our immune systems get weaker, so they give a larger dose to the elderly. Frankly, that seems a little strange to me, since everything else gets weaker, too, and forcing our body to mount a response to the shot might affect other systems negatively. Anyway, I got the regular dose and wonder if I did the right thing. Smart Guy got the high dose shot.

I know some people never get flu shots and don't seem to get sick, but I've got very strong memories of the last time I got it, and I really don't want it again. What do you think?
:-)

Entertaining selfies

Not easy taking this selfie

I tried to get a picture of my poor index finger, but it wasn't easy to focus on it while holding the camera, and trying to find the button on the camera that would actually take the picture. See that red around my nail? That's the final stages of what I learned is called paronychia. Last Wednesday, almost a week ago, it started: it felt like a hangnail had gotten inflamed, but by that evening I wasn't able to sleep without taking some ibuprofen for the pain. I also hoped that the inflammation would be reduced by it as well, and it did help, I think. When I woke in the morning there was a small pustule on the right side of my nail. For the next three days, I was in pretty much constant discomfort, but after researching the problem, I found that unless it begins to get worse, it should clear up by itself, and it's definitely better.

I think I caused this by incessant hand washing after I got that cold and didn't want to give it to Smart Guy. It might have been caused by something else, I have no idea what, but now it's no longer painful except right where it is reddest, and there is no more swelling or throbbing. I think by tomorrow or the next day it should be completely gone. I'd never had this before, but if you look at the link, you'll find it is a very common infection of the hand.

My new glasses

Yesterday I picked up my new glasses. I'm getting more and more nearsighted in my left eye, mostly because of a hefty cataract in there, and a much smaller one in the other eye. By this time next year, I'll be getting cataract surgery, I suspect, but for right now my vision can be corrected to nearly 20/20 with glasses. The lens on the left is much stronger, as you can see from the refraction on the outside of my left lens. It looks like my head is caved it, but it's an illusion, I promise.

I was surprised when I put on the new glasses at how much older I look: I can see ALL my wrinkles now in chilling detail. I thought about touching up the picture before I published it, but heck, by the time you are 71, you are entitled to these marks of distinction, right? That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
:-)

Well enough to go walking this morning

Squalicum Harbor at Zuanich Point Park

When I woke this morning, I decided I was well enough to go out and walk with the Fairhaven walkers, even though I still have a sore throat. My sneezing has stopped, so I quickly went online to see whether it would be a good idea to exercise or not. I discovered that, according to WebMD, one should do the "neck check" to decide whether to exercise or not. In other words,

If your symptoms are above the neck, including a sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing, and tearing eyes, then it's OK to exercise. If your symptoms are below the neck, such as coughing, body aches, fever, and fatigue, then it's time to hang up the running shoes until these symptoms subside.

We walked five miles or so at a fast clip, and I felt just fine, except for that pesky sore throat. I was careful not to hug anyone or spread my germs in any way as we walked to Zuanich Point Park from downtown. You can see in the above picture that it wasn't raining, but there was also no chance of having any sunshine.

The walking group

 We even had a man join us this morning, where we usually have a large group of women only. Most men get a bit intimidated that there are no other men around, I guess. They don't often return for a second trip. Afterwards, several of us went for coffee, and I got a chance to see Rita's new cast.

Rita and her lime-green cast

She was tap dancing when she slipped and broke her wrist. She had a brace for awhile, but when she went to the orthopedic surgeon, he felt that a cast was a better idea and asked her what color she'd like. She decided to match it to her iPhone case! I guess she won't be hiking for awhile, since she can't very well use her trekking poles or put her backpack on easily. She was given some pain medications but needed to ask her next-door neighbor to open the childproof package.

I do feel better after exercising, but it sure does feel good to be home and cozy in my own warm home. I guess now I can feel okay about binge-watching the second series of House of Cards on Netflix!
:-)

Finding my balance

Snagged from Jacinta-Yoga

Today I learned something rather startling: I seem to have mislaid my sense of balance. I was reading my monthly Berkeley Wellness Letter (I've been a subscriber for more than twenty years now), a special winter issue on fitness. I learned that there are four main elements of fitness: aerobic capacity, muscle strength, flexibility, and balance.

As most of my readers know, I consider myself to be pretty fit. I exercise almost daily, taking a day off now and then, but mostly I indulge in aerobic exercise and enjoy it a great deal. One of my regular classes is called "strength and tone" and we use weights to gain muscle strength. I can still do quite a few pushups, so my muscles are well toned. Years ago, I took yoga classes and got pretty good at some of the balance exercises and gained flexibility.

But just as you can't store aerobic fitness, you can't store those other aspects of fitness, either. The letter contains a sidebar entitled, "Steps to better balance." It suggests testing your balance by seeing how long you can stand on one foot with your eyes closed. It says, "Most people over 40 can't go past 15 seconds." Well, guess what?  I discovered I can't do it AT ALL any more. Even with my eyes open, I'm wobbly but I can do it. When I close my eyes, I'm unable to find my balance.

Well! Who knew? How often do you ever think of balance as an element of fitness? Older people, it goes on to say, often have poor balance due to loss of muscle strength (not my problem), as well as reduced vision and reaction time (hmmm, maybe). The risk of inner ear dysfunction increases with age. I wonder...

It suggests that one way to increase one's ability to balance is to stand on one foot for 10 to 15 seconds; switch legs and repeat 10 times. Then do it again with your eyes shut. Since I've got TWO bloggers I follow who have recently taken a fall, I am quite motivated to find my balance again. The letter also suggests taking up tai chi, which has been shown to improve balance and decrease falls. I can see I've got my work cut out for myself. What about you? Can you do it?
:-)

Spooky but sunny

A home near my apartment

Today, finally, the sun has returned after days of heavy fog. Although it hasn't been sunny here, I learned that the temperature inversion and lack of any breeze to move the air caused our gloomy days. All I needed to do was get in the car and drive a few miles up the Mt. Baker Highway to see the sun and experience warmth. But of course I was busy doing other things. This Thursday, however, looks good for another day playing in the High Country. I am so happy about that!

I got my flu shot this afternoon, and when I walked out the door of the pharmacy, the sunshine greeted me and immediately lifted my spirits. Speaking of spirits, this home caught my eye with its spooky ghosts fluttering in the sunshine. I dragged my feet through heavy piles of fallen leaves, too, loving the shush-shush sound. It's a very melancholy time of the year, and some people take every opportunity to enjoy it to the fullest.

The eyes have it

Little Leo walked into the coffee shop this morning with a portion of his Halloween costume on his head. He has eyeballs at the end of every point of the hat, and when I asked him what he's going to be, he said, "an eyeball!" as if I should have been able to guess. I asked him what else he's going to wear, and he told me that he would be covered in more eyeballs. (Of course!)

I'm looking forward to spending time with my blogging buddies this weekend. It's funny, it doesn't seem like it's been a year since we first met, but it has. Oh, by the way: I got an email from Alaska Airlines about the fiasco I experienced getting to southern California recently. They gave me a $300 discount on my next trip, good for a full year! That sure made me happy, and I guess it means I'll be taking another trip, perhaps in the middle of winter, to a sunny climate. But for now, the sun is shining and life is good!
:-)

Listening to my body

Diane, Doug and Mary on the summit of Hannegan Peak

I'm not absolutely sure, but I think last Thursday's hike to the summit of Hannegan Peak was the beginning of my decline of the last few days. I know when I reached the summit, I felt weak, a little nauseated, and chilled, even though it was very hot. These are the beginning symptoms of heat exhaustion. I've experienced it a couple of times before, but I thought that by the time we reached the cars after the hike I was totally recovered, no longer thirsty and was able to finally eat my lunch as we drove back down to town.

But the next morning, Friday, I noticed a little scratchiness in the back of my throat, nothing obvious. I took some extra Vitamin C and headed off to the Y for my usual workout. I usually attend the class, even after a hard hike, because it helps to loosen up my well-used leg muscles, and I usually feel like a million bucks after a shower. It was no different on Friday.

Friday evening, however, the scratchy throat was more prominent. When I woke on Saturday morning, I was able to pretend it wasn't anything and went off for a brisk walk with the Fairhaven walkers. By that evening, it was obvious I was coming down with a cold. I took some cold medication and went to bed early, even early for me. I was planning to go skydiving Sunday with my friends, and I was just not willing to admit I was sick.

When I woke on Sunday, however, I was sneezing and sniffling, so I called my friend Linny and begged off for the day, although I REALLY wanted to go. And then yesterday, Monday, the scheduled "extra" hike to Hidden Lake Peaks was going to have to be bypassed, too. In the old days, when I was in my sixties, I would have gone. But instead, I stayed home, took it easy, and now it's Tuesday and the sneezing has stopped and I'm almost over it. At least I hope so.

I am notorious for plowing through illness and injury and pushing myself to the limit. It's getting harder and harder to do that as I age, and I am actually rather proud of myself for listening to my body and taking it easy. Today I will also get a massage, and a smile is formulating just thinking about that treat. Yes, I am hoping that I will be back to normal by Thursday when I can go out with my hiking buddies again. But I will pay attention and listen carefully to what my body is telling me.
:-)

Anniversaries and new beginnings

Gene is lifting up his beard so we can read the t-shirt

This picture was taken yesterday morning when Gene came to the coffee shop before heading to the airport. Every June and July he fishes for salmon with his crew in Alaska. His shirt is from a saloon called the Salty Dawg in Homer Spit, Alaska. We all gave him hugs and lots of wishes for a good season and a safe return. We will all miss him until he comes home, especially Paula, since they have spent the last year or so together, either at his place or hers. This means we won't see her until he comes back, since she's not an early riser on her own.

Leo and his dad on the bus

Last week on my way to get a massage, I saw these two get on the bus, and the seat in front of me had just been vacated, so guess who came to mug my camera? Leo said they were on their way to a different coffee shop than the one we frequent, so he could have a biscotti. And his dad Robert could have an espresso, I suspect. I had a wonderful massage and then caught the bus home.

Roses outside the public library

Yesterday as I was returning a very interesting book to the library, I saw these pretty roses and after sniffing and appreciating them, I snapped their portrait. The book is Pandora's Lunchbox: How Processed Foods Took Over the American Meal. I saw the author, Melanie Warner, interviewed on some talk show not long ago and mentioned the book to Norma Jean. She of course got on the list at her library and read it when it became available, and I forgot to. She was reading it during our last video chat and I immediately snagged it from my library. The link above will take you to an interview on Grist with Melanie, where she is asked some questions about what she discovered during her 18 months researching the fast food industry.

I was not learning much that I didn't already know, until I discovered where my vitamins are processed, and how. Did you know that Vitamin D3, essential for those of us who live so far north, is processed in China from Australian wool? Yes! The lanolin is shipped there and irradiated to create the vitamin. I checked my own brand of D3, and it says it is processed from wool oil. Eeewww! But once I got over the initial shock, I also learned that very few of the vitamins I consume are processed in this country, because of the environmental damage to land and air. China doesn't have those same regulations, so there you are. How revolting.

I also learned about GRAS (generally recognized as safe). From that article linked above, here's a quote from Melanie:

In a glaring regulatory loophole that dates back to 1958, the GRAS system also happens to be voluntary. It’s perfectly legal for companies to keep the FDA in the dark about new additives, and consequently there are some 1,000 ingredients the FDA has no knowledge of whatsoever, according to an estimate done by the Pew Research Center.

 The closer one can get to eating food that has not become processed Frankenfood, the better. I think I've eaten my last bit of brand-name foods that I thought, once upon a time, were GRAS. And reading labels has become my thing. Not that I didn't read them before, but I wonder when I ate my last French fry? They will never pass my lips again.

I wondered why today's date kept nagging at me. Not only is it my grand-niece's birthday (she's three), it's the thirteenth anniversary of my terrible skydiving accident. And I'm still doing it (skydiving, that is). Sunday I made four wonderful skydives with my friends, and we were gifted with a fantastic day where everything worked just as it should. I had even forgotten the upcoming anniversary, until today's post needed to be written and I pondered the date.

We have a few days of rain in our forecast, and unfortunately one of them looks like Thursday, so the next post is likely to be soggy. Until then, however, I'll be enjoying the afterglow of Sunday and obsessively reading food labels.
:-)

Got your flu shot yet?

I got my flu shot back in October, I think. It might have been in early November, I'm just not sure. But I am very glad I got it! The epidemic is increasing all over the country. I went to the doctor's office today, in spite of the fact that I have caught a cold and hope I didn't spread it to anybody today. Even went so far as to wipe down the pen I used to fill in the paperwork. The doctor assured me that the flu shot should protect many of us in the area, and the strain he's seeing is covered by the vaccine.

It was nice to see my doctor for my annual physical and to be given a pat on the back for how well I seem to be doing. My cholesterol numbers are the best they have been in the four years I've been coming here, and all my other numbers made my doctor quite pleased. Walking out of the clinic, I was gratified to see the sunshine and glad I was able to head home, not wanting to expose anybody else to this cold.

It's only a cold, I'm sure, since all I've got in a stuffy head and a scratchy throat. My temperature was normal, and my weight was even cause for celebration! Two years ago when I went to see Dr. Whitehead for the first time, I realized I had gained ten pounds during the previous year, and now I am not only where I want to be, but maybe I can actually start eating a little bit more every day. It's interesting that I don't seem to have all that much difficulty losing weight once I get on the bandwagon, but you can't stay in a losing mode all the time. Two years ago I started using an app to help me keep track of what I was eating, and during the recent holidays my sister Norma Jean introduced me to HER app, and now I am using it every day. It's called "Lose It" at the app store, and it's even better than my previous one. My iPhone allows me to scan the barcode and it goes into my food diary. Is that cool or what?

Maintenance is my goal during the coming year. If I can enter December 2013 weighing the same as I do right now, I will be thrilled. But it's been a battle: when I stop counting calories and just eat, I begin to gain weight. When I'm tracking every bite, I think about what I'm doing when I put food in my mouth, and it's not as big of a deal to keep under a certain caloric number every day.

Smart Guy and I drove to Snohomish last Sunday, not to make a skydive or anything, but to pick up my repacked parachute harness and container system, which had been languishing at the Drop Zone for months, since there was little to no chance of making a jump. Sunday was sunny and beautiful, the roads were great, but when we got to Harvey Field, the frost had only recently retreated, and all the trees were covered with frost! That did not deter the youngest among us from going up into those blue skies, but I wasn't interested, not at all.

Cessna and jumpmaster (student inside plane practicing exit)

The white on the ground is from the frosty fog that had not yet been burned off from the sun, which had only recently made its appearance. After I paid my bill and made a hasty exit, I'm sure that many more skydives were made that day. I didn't realize at the time I was coming down with a cold, but it didn't matter: I was not tempted.

Today I am sitting in my chair writing this post, while paroxysms of sneezes capture me and I give thanks that I am in a warm, dry place with a partner who is busy making my dinner for me while I write this post. Not to mention that I got a "well done" from my doctor! Life is good.
:-)

Feeling better today

October roses

Well, I feel almost back to normal today. I went outside looking for something to take a picture of to decorate my blog post, and I saw that there are still some lovely roses blooming in our apartment yard. These are so pretty that it almost makes up for the fact that our daylight is diminishing by more than three minutes per day, every day, as we move inexorably toward the winter solstice.

I spent a pretty uncomfortable Saturday and Sunday, but when I woke yesterday I felt good enough to get back into my routine, but I still didn't feel quite up to snuff. Today, however, I woke feeling much better, so this afternoon my friend Judy and I will go out to see a movie and maybe even have dinner together. I'm pretty sure it was a simple cold, since I never had a fever, but I sure felt awful for awhile. It didn't seem possible to me that I could be so much better so quickly.

At the grocery store today, I mentioned at the checkout stand that I spent the weekend in bed with a cold, and the checker told me she had the same cold: sick for two nights and then waking up feeling pretty good. So it's going around, welcoming us to the fall season. I hope I've been able to keep anybody else from getting it from me.

Sunday night the phone rang about 8:30pm (I was already asleep), and it was Linny telling me what a GREAT time they had at the Drop Zone, making five excellent skydives together, and everything worked so well! She said everybody wondered where I was, and she told them I was sick. Hmmpff! If there had been any way at all I could have joined them, I would have. The least they could have done is not had such a great time without me! (not really)

Our weather has been spectacular for two months now, no rain and lots of sunshine. In fact, we have just had two record-setting dry months here in Bellingham, according to this article in the Bellingham Herald. And next weekend I am heading off to Vashon Island to have an exciting retreat with five other bloggers. I'm really looking forward to it, and of course you will know all about it, too. We're going to be staying at the Lavender Hill Farm on the island. (The link will take you to a photo gallery of this fantastic farmhouse that we're renting for the weekend.) The weather should continue to be good throughout. I've already started to pack. Six women bloggers who don't know each other: this sounds like a formula for a great adventure to me!
:-)

Fall food choices

Buy from Amazon here

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote on my other blog about a book that was recommended by my friend TechnoBabe, called Wheat Belly, written by a cardiologist who felt compelled to expose what he calls the reason for the massive increases in obesity and overweight in Americans over the past few decades. Nobody who pays attention to these kinds of things could fail to notice the growing numbers of really really fat people. I sure see it here in Bellingham, whereas in Boulder I rarely saw people on the street as fat as those I see around here. Of course, part of the reason for that might be linked to the winters in the Pacific Northwest: long stretches of rainy days with little to no sun.

Whatever the true reason for the increase in our waistlines, I decided to buy the book. I actually downloaded it onto my iPad2 so that I could support our local independent bookstore. (This was my first and possibly last electronic book; I really like to peruse and flip through pages that I've read without a lot of bother. Plus this book had notes in each chapter and I could not easily look them up.) I read it avidly and agreed with many things he had to say about wheat. Basically, the idea that wheat has become ubiquitous in our diets, in so many different products, is indisputable. His real premise, with which I agree, is that the wheat we ingest does not bear much resemblance to the "amber waves of grain" that we think of as wheat. It's been genetically modified in order to make it produce more at a lower cost, and all without any research on whether it is harmful to those of us who eat it. Here's a quote from p. 6, called "Wheat, the Unhealthy Whole Grain":

Of all the grains in the human diet, why only pick on wheat? Because wheat, by a considerable margin, is the dominant source of gluten protein in the human diet. Unless they're Euell Gibbons, most people don't eat much rye, barley, spelt, triticale, bulgur, kamut, or other less common gluten sources; wheat consumption overshadows consumption of other gluten-containing grains by more than a hundred to one. ... I focus on wheat because, in the vast majority of American diets, gluten exposure can be used interchangeably with wheat exposure. For that reason, I often use wheat to signify all gluten-containing grains.

Dr. Davis makes a great case for stopping the consumption of wheat. I tend to go along with what he says about it, as well as the observations he has made about all kinds of fructose sources (often hidden with esoteric sounding names) and their terrible consequences on the body when consumed in even small doses. And here I had started eating agave nectar, thinking I was doing good things for myself (not!).

Anyway, I did some research on other gluten-containing grains, such as rye, and I found out some very interesting information. For one thing, since rye has a much lower gluten content than wheat it is usually combined with wheat when used for making bread. I looked for straight rye breads and found that my local health food store does indeed carry some, but there's not much. It needs a sourdough starter if it doesn't contain any added sugars. A variety of pumpernickel is imported from Bavaria, although there is actually a 100% rye bread made locally that is hard as a rock. It's good, though, and I'm using rye as a replacement for the spelt bread I have grown so fond of at the Great Harvest Bread Company. Their spelt has lots of honey to make it rise, and I noticed that I would often crave the bread for its sweet content. One place that has lots of interesting facts about rye is Grindstone Bakery. I will continue to keep rye and brown rice in my diet, since I have no gluten issues. I asked the owner of the GHBC if they make spelt without added sugar, and he said they experimented with it, but it wasn't successful. It needs a fair amount of honey.

The reason for my endeavor into a wheat-free diet is to find out if cutting out wheat and all added sugars (other than from fresh fruit) will improve my cholesterol numbers. I was so convinced that I would be looking at great numbers after losing fifteen pounds and eating lots of healthy foods. I ate my spelt bread and sourdough wheat breads, occasional excursions into pizza when eating out with my friends, but otherwise not much wheat. I don't eat processed foods very often, but I am now thinking that I need to make an effort to keep my glycemic load to a minimum. I now check on this website (Diet and Fitness Today) to find the glycemic index and glycemic load of the various foods that I eat. In January I will again have my blood drawn to see if the numbers have improved. Oh yes, one more thing that I added: I started taking fish oil daily at my doctor's suggestion. Although I'm not going to be able to tell what might have changed my numbers, I'll know I'm on the right track if they go down. (My total cholesterol was 259, up 15 points from January of this year.)

Whew! This post got a lot longer than I wanted, but I'll stop here and release my readers to other endeavors. I do hope to hear from you about any ideas you might have about these steps I've taken.
:-)

Flu shots and a question

Yesterday I got my annual flu shot at Rite-Aid, using my Medicare Advantage card. Didn't cost me anything, except for one thing: I've had many flu shots and rarely remember any discomfort at the injection site, maybe a little soreness for a day or two in the general vicinity. But yesterday, it stung and itched for several minutes after the shot, as well as swelling up like I had a grape sitting under the skin. The pharmacist who injected me was obviously not happy, either. He wouldn't let me leave for fifteen minutes and got on the phone and called somebody, I don't know who. He was explaining my reaction to someone on the phone. I suspect he was wondering if I would suddenly fall on the floor with anaphylactic shock or something. But within those few minutes, the injection site returned to something resembling normal, and today all I have is a pretty spectacular bruise but normal discomfort.

Today in the swim class, we spent the entire time doing drills that we learned last week, and before the hour was over, my legs felt weak and truly spent, so I quit and have noticed how tired they seem now. Could it have been the flu shot? Or the fact that I usually swim and don't do an hour's worth of drills, or a combination of the two? Do you get a flu shot?

But that's not my question. I realized with a bit of a start the other day that my blog has become an EXERCISE and HIKING blog without me noticing. I remember asking my brother awhile back if he had read a certain post, and he gently told me he just "skims" the hiking posts. This got me to thinking about the stuff I used to write about, and what has become more prevalent.

Blogger gives me the opportunity to see what posts are the most visited in and where the visitor arrived from. This is a very interesting exercise, and I discovered that my all-time most viewed post was a movie review about Toy Story 3. This surprised me, but I learned that NONE of my hiking posts are visited much after the hike itself. They probably show up in the reader's sidebar or Google Reader if they use it, they look at the pictures and move on.

But you know, that is just what I do with most posts that are about an event in the blogger's life: I look at the pictures, read the story, and move on. I don't go back to visit that particular post again. Why would I, unless I was maybe thinking about hiking (or visiting) there myself and wanting to learn what to expect. I might think about getting some tips on Kay's 13-day-long Alaska cruise if I were going to take it myself.

This leave me with a question (the one I've been leading up to). What posts are most interesting to my readers? I find I have several posts about hiking (duh!), some about my new home town, a few contemplative ones (but I usually do that on my Eye on the Edge post on Sunday mornings), and a few movie or book reviews. Anybody willing to give me some direction? Or are you happy with the way things are?
:-)

What a difference a day makes

From Al's Flickr site

Al took this picture last Tuesday of Mike and me amongst the flowers and brilliant blue skies of Yellow Aster Butte. I like it because it typifies to me the day we had and the reason I love to go hiking with the Senior Trailblazers. But alas, I didn't go with them today after all.

For the last month or so, I've had a persistent cough that hasn't gotten better but seems to have gotten worse as the weeks have gone by. Finally, when talking with my sister on iChat yesterday, I had to stop and cough, hack and wheeze for quite awhile. She looked at me and asked why I hadn't gone to a doctor about it, and I hemmed and hawed and said I was sure it would get better by itself. But it hasn't, and she reminded me how long I've had it. I got on the phone and made an appointment to see the doctor, but the earliest possible appointment was next Monday, and that was to see a nurse practitioner, not the doctor. Good enough.

Then it occurred to me that Monday is the hike up Mount Higgins, a new adventure for all of us, so I got on the phone, called the clinic back and said I would take ANY opening they had. (I had turned down one for today, thinking I wouldn't be available.) So guess where I went today? To see the doctor, and it is what I thought: I have bronchitis. The doctor told me that it MIGHT eventually resolve by itself, but to try this inhaler (I've never used one) and take an antibiotic. The inhaler delivers albuterol (known internationally as salbutamol), which I discovered has been misused as a performance enhancing drug. I have to say, I LOVE the Magic Box (the Internet) to learn what I am actually putting into my body. Nowhere on the insert did I learn this information. I know what side effects to watch for, but it is essentially a bronchodilator that allows the bronchial passages to relax and take in more air. Wow! Does this mean I'll be able to hike up hills with less effort? Given the expense of the drug, I don't think I'll be trying it for that. I just want to stop coughing.

Before I take the antibiotic, however, the doctor has given me the go-ahead to try the inhaler and this herbal drug called Lung Defend I got at the health food store. I think the two of them should help me beat this thing before I have to put antibiotics into my system that may or may not help. She told me that most bronchitis is caused by viral agents, not bacteria, which means I could take the antibiotic for no good reason. This mixture of herbs was recommended by the practitioner as having had good responses from several of her clients. Dr. Andert told me I can give it a couple of days but, in her words, if it doesn't begin to turn around by then, start the antibiotics. That sounds good to me!

I haven't felt sick at all, but the cough has become problematic, and I sure didn't want to end up getting REALLY sick just because of my stubbornness. Now I feel quite secure in letting the albuterol and Lung Defend do their work. Till next time!
:-)

Our first 2011 summit

Here you see two of my favorite sights: Mt. Baker and new friend and hiker Diane on the summit of Excelsior Pass! We tried this hike in mid-June only to get part of the way up to this view, because of the SNOW. We have been turned back time and time again because of the snow becoming impassable, or because of weather. Today ten Senior Trailblazers forged our way to the pass, although we had to climb through around a mile or so on snow.

The first four miles of this hike from the Mt. Baker Highway is uphill but in the trees, shaded and very lush and green. We were climbing about a thousand feet of elevation for every mile, so we didn't go very fast. At somewhere around 4,800 feet we ran into snow most of the rest of the way to the pass. There were a few bare spots, but not too many. It's always a bit harder to walk in the snow, because it often seems you take one step forward and a half step backwards. And it was very sunny!

Once we reached the ridge, we had a spectacular view of Mt. Baker. It was simply stunning in its beauty, and although the temperature had reached the high 70s, the light breeze blowing across the snow helped to keep us cool. We even sat on the snow (with our cool little inflatable pillows) and chose the shade, since it was pretty intense in the sun. The summit is at 5,350 feet and we started at 1,800 feet, so this tells you that we climbed around 3,500 feet from the parking lot to this place.

The glacier lilies that you see in the foreground are only around for a few short weeks after the snow recedes. Although it is early August, we usually have a clear shot by this time of the year to our lunch spot. But not this year. As we chatted about the day, the view, and how glad we were to finally get above 5,000 feet elevation, we realized how fortunate we are to have each other, the place we live, and the chance to do it again and again for the rest of the season, before the snow flies once again. Now that the snow is beginning to recede, we are getting to have our own summer, just now beginning while the rest of the country has been suffering with the heat.

Once we finished our lunch (and yes, that is snow), we headed back down to the cars. It was a very long day, covering almost nine miles up and down during those 3,500 feet of climbing up and down. My back had no problem with the uphill hiking, although I did lean rather heavily on my trekking poles, but on the way back down, I realized that my sacroiliac joint was taking a pounding. Now that I am home, happy and content with a day well spent, I am realizing that a couple of ibuprofen will probably be necessary when I go to bed. Tomorrow I get a massage from my regular therapist, and I'll be incredibly happy to turn over this battered body to her ministrations tomorrow. Life is good.
:-)

Success!

I took this picture of what I think is a Canadian goose mated pair, but I can't tell any difference in the markings between them. However, they hung out together for quite awhile and the one in front lowered his head, charged and heckled other nearby geese, as if to say that this is his girl, leave her alone! They mate for life, and I'd guess they are wearing wedding rings. (smile)

First of all, the heading of this post is regarding my chiropractor visit and the SUCCESS of the treatment. Smart Guy just made a remark that he is glad that the treatment has been so successful, not just for me, but also for his comfort. I suspect that I am really not much fun to be around when I'm in pain. I wouldn't know, though, since the only thing I'm aware of at that time is trying to avoid more discomfort. Other people's difficulties are secondary to my own. I hate to admit it, but there it is.

Although I had a great night's sleep last night and walking to the bus stop this morning was almost pain free, I worried about taking my aerobics class and whether it would make things better or worse. Everything I've read on the Internet, however, says that exercise is good for lower back pain. By the way, it is the sacroiliac joint that is causing the pain. Remember when we were kids and we would hear some old fart talking about her sacroiliac causing her trouble? Well, that's now ME! I remember hearing her talking about "throwing my back out," which is exactly what I have wished I could do for several days now.

But today I noticed that I have been able to walk around, get up and down from chairs, tie my shoes, and actually do these things and not feel constant pain. I am now a believer in chiropractic care, and next time I won't wait so long. Now that I've got a great guy who actually gave me a big teddy bear to hold while he adjusted me (really!), I am feeling like I've just gained a resource that was missing in my health care regimen.

And I also feel confident that I will indeed be able to go on tomorrow's hike with the Senior Trailblazers after all! I had almost convinced myself I needed to stay home, but now I'm thinking I should pack some extra ibuprofen, just in case. And the best part is that I notice I am actually smiling while thinking about taking on a hard hike with a less-than-perfect sacroiliac joint. It's not easy, but somebody's gotta do it!
:-)