Evening Walk

Tonight I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this late evening walk. My neighbor "LB" has gone a few times with another nearby neighbor. This other neighbor has a new baby and she cannot get too far away from the house in case she is summoned to be with the baby. She was trying to get the baby down and so LB and I walked to the end of the road and then came back and went up her drive to see if she could join us. We visited with her a short time and soon saw that she would not be joining us tonight. We walked down the long driveway and then back again to the end of the paved road and then back home. Our total distance was a little over 4 miles. We left at 8:30 and got home a little after 10:00. Of course we were sweating with the heat and humidity, but it was really nice to be out. We had headlights clipped onto our caps and the sky was so clear we could see a multitude of stars. The temperature was probably in the upper 80's, but there was a cool breeze blowing. I am usually not a late day exerciser, but this proved to be most enjoyable!

Biking Not Spinning

Well, I have made the decision to keep biking, but no more spinning. I have enjoyed the spinning class, and I do believe it has helped me get in good shape to bike. However, I do not like getting there at 6:00 a.m. especially on a day I do not work. Eliminating spinning will free me up on Tuesday and Thursday. I can either bike here at home or go and swim. I enjoy biking outside so much more than spinning in a closed up room. Tuesday, my DH and I decided to go to the lake. I did not make it to exercise that day. We ended up coming home instead of spending the night because we had some problems with the AC. I made it to my FF class on Wednesday morning. This morning I took off around 7:00 a.m. and rode for about 17 miles. I went half the distance and had breakfast at a local restaurant and then rode back home. The temperature was in the 80's, the sun was not beating down on me, nor was the pavement hot and steamy, and there was alot of shade. Therefore, I now know that until the weather turns cooler, I do much better and enjoy it so much more if I go for my bike ride early in the morning. I will wait until late in the evening if I decide to go for a jog/walk. The temperature here in east Texas continues to go over 100 degrees. The forecast is calling for rain. We certainly do need it. I had my weigh in on Monday, and I had lost another pound. Yea!!! That makes ten! Keeping on track is a constant goal that I must work toward. I do understand why thin people are thin. I realize there are some people blessed with great DNA, and they can eat whatever they want. But I see now that the majority of thin people constantly monitor what they eat. Duh!!! You would have thought I would have known that, but I guess I really never took note of what other people ate before. I have been observing people's eating habits more lately since I have changed mine. It's about time!!

100 Degrees

The temperature today is at least 100 degrees and probably higher. I skipped my FF class this morning and stayed home to tend to some things around the house. I had planned to go outside to do some needed yardwork, but I kept putting it off. Then it was so hot, I figured there was no way I could handle the heat doing yardwork. However, I did consent to go with "L" on a bike ride. It is now almost 9:00 p.m. I got home around 8:00, and I am still not cooled down. We left at 5:30. It was hot, sunny, and a hard ride. On part of the ride there were hills and a big headwind. We went about 26 miles. We did not make good time, but I was just sooooo hot! Also, my tires did not have enough air, and "L" said that slowed me down. I was really holding him up. He could have gone much faster without me. I was disappointed in myself. I thought I was in better shape and more conditioned. I am hoping that it was mainly the heat that got to me. I also see that one bottle of water was not enough. I needed more. But I will keep at it! I am not giving up! I have lbs to lose and goals to reach! You all keep going too!

The Real Adventure Woman

This is a photo of a real adventure woman and an adventure woman "wannabe". I don't think that I have to designate who is who. Gwen is 72 years old and she rides her bicycle to church. She takes a change of clothes along with her Bible in her backpack. I am not sure of the distance, but it takes her 50 minutes to get there. It is up and down big hills in Colorado. Gwen began riding her bike when she was in her early 50's. She lived in Albuquerque and was a nurse practitioner. She rode her bike 20 miles one way to work. One day she was hit by a motorist. From the police report, they feel like the motorists hit Gwen on purpose. She suffered broken bones, a concussion, and other injuries. But that did not stop her. As soon as she recuperated she was back on the saddle. She was a little sore after our hike to Agnes Vaille, and I had to laugh when she said that she saw she needed to add hiking to her regiment. She and her husband take note each day of their weight, bp, oxygen level, and fat percentage. She is strict with her diet because the least amount of weight gain will slow her down when she competes in the senior bike rides that she attends about 10 times a year. She is amazing! Now you see why I am a "wannabe."

The Balcony in Colorado

This is the view that I had every morning while I was in Colorado. My how I did enjoy those cool mornings in Colorado. I am back home in the Texas heat. The temperature will probably be 100 tomorrow. I did not work out on Thursday because my daughter was here, and I decided to lay off and visit with her. But Friday morning, I left home to work out and returned as she was arising. I went and swam for about an hour. The master swimmers were meeting, but I just kinda did my own thing. I really need to make the extra effort and get there on time and try to do what they are doing. However, I think that I am just wayyyyyyyyyy behind them. After swimming I went to my FF class. At first I was the only one there, and Clint asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to work chest and core. Soon there were two others that joined us, but he went with my recommendations. We did 12 exercises in our circuit. Whew!! He surely did work chest and core! My muscles are still twitching from that workout. It was great, and I just simply could not do it all. Oh well, I will keep plugging along and try to do more every day!

Slacking

Okay, I feel like I am slacking. I am letting my loss of energy and my schedule dictate my workouts instead of staying on track. Monday I had so much to do at home after being gone that I skipped my FF. Tuesday, I did go to my spinning class, and I had a most difficult time. I had to sit on the bike the last third of the class. Getting off the saddle was just getting my heart rate up too high, and since I had to go to work afterward, I needed my energy. Yesterday I did make it to FF. This morning my daughter is here from out of town. I could have gone to my class and been back home before she ever got out of bed, but did I do that? No!!!!!!!!!
So... yes... I am definitely being a slacker. And what did I do yesterday? ..... I ate out 3 times yesterday. And you know what that meant. High fat, high salt, too many calories. So today, it is back on track for me. This lifestyle of healthy eating is definitely not automatic. It is a focused life of keeping your eye on the goal. And what is the goal? Well, of course always to lose weight. But most important... keeping the bad stuff out and supplying your body with nourishment, not just good taste. My friend had me take Dr. Oz's age test that was talked about on Oprah. I thought that I would score well. When I finished, it told me that I had health issues. What? You gotta be kidding? It did not give me an exact score, but it said I was between a 70 and a 79. Who wants a "C" or to be barely passing? Ugh! I won't let this discourage me. It is just another reality check. Today is a brand new day. And a day to begin it right!

Just One Excuse

While on this trip Patty and I both agreed that using "I'm on vacation" is just one of the excuses that people use to eat poorly. Of course there are many more that I just don't have time to name this morning. I won't say that I followed the same diet I have been following for the last month, but I did stick pretty close to it. I mean... losing a pound and then having to lose that same pound again and again and again. Who wants to do that? I had probably a total of three Dr. Peppers in nine days. Now it is back to being off Dr. Peppers again. And I did eat some cake one day, and I ate bread one day. I am not going to quit eating Mexican food which I ate once while I was gone. Since I was unable to easily access the Internet, I did not enter my daily food intake on Spark people. I just felt it was no use to write it down and enter it later. While I was in CO, I would weigh each day, and I had lost 4 lbs. I figured this was just water loss because I stayed dehydrated from the dry climate. I kept drinking water, but my eyes, nose, and mouth just stayed dry. But today is my weigh-in. I weigh on Mondays, and this makes two weeks since my last weigh-in. I lost 3 lbs. !! Yea, alright, yippee, hooray!!!! Yesterday was my first day to begin recording my food intake and keeping up and continuing those good eating habits. If I do this long enough, I hope that it will become second nature to me. When you have to record everything you eat, it will definitely make you more conscious of each bite. You will realize that you have been doing some mindless eating. So... if you are struggling with this eating problem, I encourage you to go to www.sparkpeople.com Build yourself a page with your nutrition and fitness goals, along with your personal goals for losing weight. Losing weight is definitely not just about looking good. It is about being fit, feeling good, and knowing that you are truly taking care of your temple.

Sunday

My house is a wreck. I did get my laundry done. It was good to be back in church after being gone last week. I do so enjoy my pastor's preaching. He stays with the Word, makes his point, makes it applicable, and it is short and to the point. This afternoon I went with one of my riding partners for a nice bike ride. We went on a new route for me. I am still trying to get used to these clips. The bottom of my foot burned. I don't think that I am spinning on the pedals correctly or maybe it is just something that I need to get used to. It was hot and I was sweating. We were gone about 2 hours and covered 22 miles. I needed to do something physical after missing 4 days. Okay... it is time for me to do one of the other parts of promoting health- getting some good sleep. GOOD NIGHT!!!

God's Presence

I am still doing my Bible study from the book of Daniel. Daniel was 80 years old when he was thrown into the lion's den, and God miraculously closed the lion's mouth. As I was reading the commentary from Beth Moore and reading God's word about how Daniel truly knew the presence of God, I thought about Moses. When God called Moses and told him to leave Egypt and go to the land He had promised his fathers and indicated to Moses that the Israelites were a stiff necked people, Moses became alarmed that God would send him alone. Moses said, " Lord, I don't want to go if you don't go with me." (Maybe not his exact words). But I so thought of these words while I was gone away from my familiar land. I said to myself, " Lord, I am so glad that You are with me. How would I ever do anything without your presence?" And how thankful I am that God blessed me with enough energy to do these physical activities. How thankful I am that such nice people showed such warm hospitality to me. How thankful I am that I had my friends thinking of me and praying for me. How thankful I am that I had the finances to make this trip. How thankful I am that I got to see the beautiful country of NM and CO. And how thankful I am that God delivered me home safe and sound. I do serve an awesome God. I am blessed to know Him and I am amazed by His presence.

Day 9- July 18- Headed Home

We got up early, loaded the bikes along with our bags, ate our continental breakfast and were on the road a few minutes past 7:00 a. m MST. We had a great time, but thinking of being home was a wonderful thought for me. I love my family and my home, and my familiar surroundings. We traveled through Hobbs, on toward Sweetwater, Abilene, Ft. Worth, Dallas and then toward east Texas. We made few stops except for Dr. Pepper, bathroom breaks and gasoline. However, we did stop at the outlet mall in Corsicana and ate at their Chilis for dinner. We pulled into the parking lot of Patty's apartment a little after 8:00 p.m. CST. My husband was soon there to pick me up along with his favorite girl (Roxie-his dog). My adventure trip was over for this season. It was beautiful touring NM and CO and seeing the mountains and being refreshed with the cool temperatures. I returned to the piney woods and 90 degree temperatures- yes.... home sweet home!

Day 8- July 17- Carlsbad Caverns

We left Albuquerque early Thursday morning. We stopped in Riudoso to have lunch. What a charming little town. Of course all along the way was beautiful country. We arrived in Carlsbad too late to walk down into the cavern. We had to go by elevator. What I saw was so spectacular. I just had to not think that I was 750 feet under a mass of rock. Otherwise my claustrophobia would have gotten the best of me. It was so cool see the formations- the stalagmites, the stalactites, the columns, and the draperies. I am so glad that I was finally able to see this for myself after hearing about it for so many years. We toured the cavern for about an hour or so and then we headed to wait for the bats to come out. However, a storm was brewing, there was lightening, and we were told we would have to leave. Ugh... I was disappointed, but that was just the way it was. One funny thing- I ran into a couple there in the cavern from my hometown!

Day 7- July 16- Headed to Albuquerque

Wednesday morning involved getting up and heading to Albuquerque. When I woke up my eyes were really bothering me. I have been plaqued in the past with corneal ulcers. There is nothing more painful in the whole wide world (even giving birth). So I wore my glasses and did not go for the early morning walk with Patty. We made few stops on our way to Al. This was not to be a tourist spot, but a means to get to Carlsbad. We stayed with Patty's Aunt Karin and Uncle Burl. What a treat to see some of the talents of Karin. She and Burl lived in the Middle East, and while she was there she bought beads, some that were over 500 years old. She made the most beautiful necklaces with them. Some weighed about 5 lbs. And Karin did this wonderful creative stitchery. I have never seen anything like it. Also, Karin collected rugs- they were on the floor, the table, the bed and the walls. Her eclectic decorating was candy to my eyes. She also prepared a wonderful meal for us, and we had champayne, special red wine, and candlelight. Her sons were there with their wife and gf. We had wonderful conversation and the hospitality was so appreciated.

Clarification

Okay, here is some clarification on my writing and also on my trip. I am writing day1-6 all today on July 15. The reason is because I have been unable to get Internet service until last night. I found it quite by accident. We assume that I am getting this from the neighbor- whoops, sorry neighbor, but I will be gone tomorrow. Now, let me explain a little about what is going on. I met Patty because she goes to my church. She also works at the college where my youngest son goes to school. I became more familiar with her over seeing her at the ballgames and seeing her in church. We have shared common interests- she does lots of walking and bike riding. She mentioned to me that maybe I could go with her when she went to her Aunt Gwen's and her aunt's husband Steve's house in Colorado. Each year Patty, along with her father and mother, another aunt and uncle, and cousins all meet for an annual corporation meeting regarding property they own. So, it all worked out with me regarding my work and family for me to make this trip. I thought this would not be much of an adventure trip, but it is proving to be more adventure than I ever dreamed up. I will have comments later about what I am learning from this experience. My plan is to be back in town on Friday, July 18th. So here goes.....

Day 1- July 10- The Adventure Begins

Glen drove me to Patty's apartment and we loaded our bikes along with all our bags. We stopped frequently to take a bathroom break as we traveled. We snacked at lunch. We stayed the first night at La Quinta. We had dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. The play called "Texas" did not start until 8:30 p.m. The costumes, the singing, the dancing, the acting was good, but I must make special comment about the magnificent setting of the play. This was performed right down in the bottom of the canyon. While the actors were on the stage area we would occasionally see a rider on horseback dart from one side to the other. And I don't mean that he trotted or sauntered. This was a full gallop in darkness except for a spotlight shining on them. At one time one of the riders on horseback went by with an American flag waving in the wind. Talk about giving you chills up your spine!! Truly breathtaking. They also had a staged fire out from the stage- that was really neat. We were really entertained and enjoyed this presentation very much. If you go to Amarillo, be sure and make plans to go to Palo Duro Canyon and see the play called "Texas".

Day 2- July 11- Traveling

We left our motel fairly early after having a continental breakfast. We headed out to Palo Duro Canyon and had a short hike to a cave that Patty had been to before. It was really cool, and I got some good photos. The pictures are just going to have to come later. We could have kicked ourselves when we found out that there were vacant cabins we could have stayed at right in the canyon. This would have saved us from driving back to Amarillo after the play last night. We were not in the canyon long, and were soon on our way. We had lunch at an old restaurant called the Eklund Hotel in Clayton, NM. We stopped at more than one Walmart on our day's journey. I laughed because Patty knew of every Walmart between here and her aunt's house in Colorado. We stopped at a winery in Canon City right before they closed. And we made it to the last run of the narrow gauge railroad at the Royal Gorge. We were able to go up and see the gorge and we saw the suspension bridge over the gorge. What a view! Spectacular! I got a photo of it to be posted later. We were coming through Salida and we just happened to see Patty's father in the parking lot of his motel. So, we went up to their room, and I met both of her parents. We did not make it to Nathrop until about 9:30 and Gwen and Steve were already in bed, but awake and waiting for us. I later learned that they go to bed early because they get up about 4:30. We had a busy day and we were tired and ready for bed too.

Day 3- July 12- Family Meeting

Our day began with an early morning walk. We walked in the cool Colorado temperatures for about an hour. This was the day that all of Patty's family was coming in for their annual family meeting. They own property in West Texas, and this is the time and place they all meet to make decisions regarding their interest. I made myself scarce by reading and doing my Bible study. Later I had time to visit with the aunts, uncles, and cousins. In fact, on our return trip, we are staying in Albuquerque with Aunt Karin and Uncle Burl. Later that evening the corporation treated us all to dinner in Salida. This day was not a busy day, but I did get a chance to rest up after our traveling.

Day 4- July 13- Mt. Princeton

Today started with an early morning walk. I love these early morning temperatures in Colorado- in the upper 40's today. Patty and I walked for about an hour. Would you believe that Gwen and Steve rode their bikes to Sunday school? It takes them almost an hour to get there by bike. Gwen is 72!!! And she has also been injured years ago by a vehicle that hit her while she was commuting to work 20 miles away. This woman is my idol!! Patty and I met them at church (by car). They had a guest singer named Sandra Dee who is a country western Christian singer along with her husband Charlie. After a quick salad lunch, we headed up to Mount Princeton 4-wheeling it. This does not mean on a four wheeler as we know it, but in a vehicle with four wheel drive. Gwen has a Toyota FJ Cruiser, and she is an expert driver. I could not look as we were climbing this mountain. There were some places where there was no guard rail. Gwen said she would never climb that mountain again without thinking of me. Young Life's Frontier Camp is on this mountain. At several thousand feet is a little cabin called the Chalet. This little building is used for whomever needs it. The sign on the door said to leave something that could be useful- a canned good, matches, etc. We traveled very far up this mountain, and only hiked it a short distance. We were at 11, 400 feet. When I was in the mountains last fall, I was told that drinking lots of water and taking a baby aspirin to thin my blood would help with the altitude. I have been doing both. The altitude of course gets me out of breath, but I have had no ill effects like dizzyness, nausea, etc. Coming down the mountain was just about as scarry as going up it. I would look out occasionally, but I had to do it in minute amounts. What a view I got! I am certainly seeing some beautiful scenery, and Gwen is the perfect guide!

Day 5-July 14-Hanging Lake

Fitness fusion? Spinning? Walking? Riding my bike? Do you think this really prepared me for what I did today?!?! Oh my gosh.... I must say that I was totally exhausted by the end of the day. I was not prepared for the arduous task that I endured. We traveled by car to get to the destination of our daily adventure. We parked the car at Dotsera which is between Avon and Glenwood Springs on I 70. We bicycled for almost 6 miles to where we parked our bikes for our hike. The bike trail is like having your own bike highway. There was no other type of vehicle on this trail. It went along with river and the interstate. In this very narrow canyon of I70 there is a bike path, a railroad track, a river, and a four lane divided highway. So cool!!! After parking our bikes, we changed into our hiking boots and proceeded to climb for almost an hour to the Hanging Lake. This climb was a 10 % grade. We were stepping over big boulders and climbing and sweating and panting. I have never done anything so difficult. I really wanted to quit but here was Steve and Gwen in their 70's moving on and Patty was encouraging me, so I pressed onward. When we got near the top, the grade was much more than 10%. This top was amazing. There was a beautiful clear blue lake with fish swimming in it and the water feeding this lake was coming from a waterfall out of a hole in the rock. This lake is appropriately named the Hanging Lake. Making it down this trail was not taxing to my cardio vascular system, but was certainly work to my joints and muscles. I was very careful to step slowly and deliberately. It took probably about 50 minutes to make it down. Then, it was change back to the tennis shoes to bicycle back the 6 miles to the car. Whew!! Can you say exhausted? The day ended with meeting Steve's daughter, grandson, granddaughter for dinner in Buena Vista before returning home.

Day 6-July 15- Whitewater Rafting

Today started with an early morning bike ride. We cycled for about an hour. Patty, Gwen, and I took off about 7:00 and we had a great ride. After the ride we returned and changed into our hiking boots and hiked to Agnes Vaille Falls. This trail was not near as difficult as yesterday, although there were some places that were tough. The falling water was beautiful along with the great weather with a temperature in the 60's. After we returned and ate a quick lunch we made it to where we would whitewater raft. I was so excited about this and it proved to be as fun as I thought it would be. Our guide, Te asked for a volunteer who would be the leader at the front. All the passengers (female) unanimously chose Patty for this job. It was her job to begin the rowing that Te commanded and the rest of us fell into paddling with her. We traveled down the Arkansas River for about 2 hours and in some places were in Class IV rapids. I was on the other side of Patty right in front. Of course we all got wet and cold. It was a great experience. We just returned from dinner with Steve and Patty. Tomorrow is the road trip to Albuquerque.

Internet Problems

I am presently having internet problems. I don't even know how I am getting the internet right now because Patty's aunt only has dial-up. Somehow I am picking it up from a neighbor. So I must make this short and sweet. I am having so much fun, but I am working so hard to keep up with these active people. Tomorrow will be my last night in Colorado and then it is on to Albuquerque. I will post my "adventure trip" in its entirety at another time. Just know that I am well and having a great time.

Monday

Today is Monday, and that not only means FF, but weigh-in day. If you want to know my progress you will just have to view my spark page. My spark name is txgirl54. You go get started and add me to your spark page. I have gotten a few people on board. Let me just say that the spark people are keeping me accountable. I am keeping track of what I am eating, and I have greater confidence in my self-control. Thursday I leave for my new adventure trip. I will be posting my activities here on my blog.

Over the Weekend- Part 3

When I left the riverbank and started back to the cabin, I was able to see a deer run ahead of me and into the forest to hide itself. That afternoon I picked up my mother. We headed back to our hunting cabin with great anticipation of the fish fry we would have. My husband is the very best fish fryer in the whole wide world. Now I usually don't play games, but I got my mother to bring her Mexican-train dominoes, and we played and played and played. She had such a good time, and we shared a wonderful memory together. I have been praying for me to seize the day and enjoy each day with my mother because I don't know how many days we have left. So I took my mother home and spent the night at my house. That next day I had my agenda planned. Do you make out your list and have your day all mapped out with a plan? The plan was to maybe go for a swim at a friend's house, go to Academy, and go to Walmart and Sams. As I was driving into town, I thought of one of my friends because I was coming up to where I could look down her street from the loop. I was thinking about her and wondering when we would get together again. As I passed by where her street is, I could see firetrucks. I came up to the intersection where I needed to turn left. I proceeded to stop at the light still in the left lane slowly processing what my eyes had just seen. Then I said to myself that I needed to check this out. I pulled over in a parking lot and I could walk to her backyard. As I parked, I could plainly see that yes, it was her house, there were busted out windows with charred brick. I rushed to the front of the yard until I found my friend. This was my first experience to be with someone right after a fire. I have to describe it as being with someone right after a death. The people involved cannot really get a grasp over what has just happened and cannot speak or think with any clarity. I was able to borrow a phone ( I left mine at home) and call some more of our friends. We spent the day with my friend and helped where we could. During the course of the day she became much more calm and decisive and more clear headed. And she had tears of joy and was thanking God because she and her son and her faithful four-legged companion made it out of the burning house. How life can change so quickly. And in this time you see what is most important and what is lasting. How God continues to teach me to store up my treasures above and not here on earth. Another spiritual lesson for me over the weekend.... and I haven't even made it to church yet. Sunday was a great day to be in the house of the Lord. This is the daythat the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad therein!!!!!

Over the Weekend- Part 2

And then I got to the riverbank. I walked down to the boatramp and sat down. There was such a solitude that I really cannot describe. Every once in awhile I heard a splash- either from a fish or a turtle. I kept my eyes open for alligators and snakes. But I watched the slow moving river and then I just did what the scriptures say, "Be still and know that I am God." I just sat there as God began to speak to my heart. My heart just overflowed with all the abundance that God has done not just for me, but for all of us who have been blessed to be born in this country. I was just reminded of all the freedoms that we have living here on this American soil. I began to think about all the lives that have been sacrificed on my behalf so that I might be living here in 2008 and enjoying a beautiful day on a bicycle. I couldn't stop praising Him for all that He has done for me. And most especially the supreme sacrifice of the Lord giving His own Son to die instead of me for all my sin. And I began to pray for so many - the saved, the people so dear to me and then some that I just know who have personal needs and the unsaved- those I know who still have not made that decision to trust in the One and Only true God. Yes, some of them are reading this now, and yes.... I do pray for you. I don't know how long I spent on that riverbank, but I know that when I left, I had tears on my face, but joy in my heart. I thought my July 4th might be a lonely one without a big crowd of people to share it with... quite the contrary.. I had a glorious time with me and a party of One.

Over the Weekend -Part I

I decided to divide this into parts since this weekend held so much for me. Not just in my exercising, but in the very core of my being. As I stated previously, Thursday was a busy active day beginning with my spinning class, and then two hours of kayaking. I ended the day by taking the two mile bike ride to the river from our hunting cabin. The next morning on the 4th, I again took my bike early when the there was still dew on the ground and a coolness in the air. As I rode my bike where trucks and 4-wheelers have marked the trail, there was such a peacefulness and quietness as I rode along. It was not a difficult ride so I was not hearing the sound of my breathing. It was so amusing to watch a bunny rabbit run ahead of me on the trail. And as I went along I even saw a raccoon trying to scurry up a tree and then fall to the ground in hopes of getting away from this two-wheeled monstrocity. I also heard some rustling in the grass to see an amarillo poking around. My hollering at him did not even phase him. And then I got to the riverbank.........

My Introduction in Kayaking

Well my introduction into kayaking was a positive one. We went to Ratcliff Lake located in the middle of the Davy Crockett National Forest. We arrived fairly soon after the park opened because we did not know if there would be others renting kayaks. We wanted to be assured of getting one since we had driven about 21 miles to get there (gasoline!!). We decided to try each type- one was the sit on top of which I paddled first. The other was the sit inside of which J paddled. After an hour, we swapped out. Initially when I was on the sit on top, I found myself really tightening my core to feel balanced. I just kept feeling like I was going to tump over. After time I was used to it, and could relax a bit. Then when I got in the other kayak, it was much easier to relax. We both agreed that we liked the sit inside of better. Yes, the first one would give us a better workout, but we have to want to do it too. I don't know if J and I will each buy a kayak. Right now they have them on sale at Academy. I know this would not be a quality kayak, but it might be just right for me at this time. I would not be out too much money and then I would know how much time I planned to devote to it. One of our work associates lives almost right in the middle of the DCNF. She called us to come over, and we had a delicious lunch with her. What a great day we had!!

Happy Birthday America

Happy Birthday America!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How totally blessed we are to be living in America. I am so thankful for the freedoms we enjoy. Pray for this nation that we may always be the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Tomorrow

I thought that I wanted a canoe, but now I am thinking that I want a kayak. Tomorrow I am going to Ratcliff Lake to rent a kayak and try it out. I will try the one where you sit on top of the kayak, and one where you sit inside of the kayak. I hope they still have some to rent when "J" and I get there. We are both excited to try it. Tuesday I skipped spinning and went to swim. I also got a lesson from my boss's son on flip-turns, and butterfly stroke and breast stroke. Little Mr. G is only 8, but he knows his swimming. I do so hope I can become a better swimmer. Tuesday afternoon I went with Mr. L on a long bike ride. I took my new bike and we rode for 25 miles. My hands were very sore when I completed my ride. I had forgotten my gloves, so I hope to not make that mistake again. Today was FF and we did a series of core exercises. I am still finding it so difficult to do planks on that darn Swiss ball. I guess my abs are just still too weak. You would think after 6 months that I would be stronger. Ugh!! Oh well, maybe I am stronger than I think. I sure don't plan on giving up though. Tomorrow after our kayak ride, I hope to do a short bike ride from our cabin to the Neches River. Being outdoors in July in the Texas heat can sure get to you sometimes. It is so important to drink water water water!!! Oh yeah.... I forgot that I plan to go to spinning class at 6:00 a.m. Hmmm.... I better get my bath and get in bed! Good night!