something hard

Every time I think I have a handle on life, I am wrong.

I went to my Dad's mid August.  That was good.  I was there for about ten days with Koda Bear.  We did not do anything exceptional.

We hung out with my Dad.  We whacked weeds on the mountain.  My Dad and the Bear cut a fallen tree away.  Which for a 91 year old and an 8 year old was interesting to watch.  We walked.

Koda Bear and I walked a lot on the Centennial Trail out of Snohomish.  It is a rails to trails walk so it is fairly flat and straight.  Koda Bear used the razor a lot.

Then there was the day I said "Why don't we try the walk that was snowed in last time?"  That was a hard walk.  It took about two hours longer then advertised but Koda Bear was tired on the way down.  The knee I twisted in June was not feeling very good either.  We were just trying to not fall down on the way back.

On the way up to Excelsior Pass, it was up the whole way.  When we were almost at the top there were beautiful fields of flowers and the views were spectacular.  But about five hundred feet from the top, I had to stop.  I needed to rest, drink, and eat.  Which we did.  We made the pass.

Absolutely gorgeous views.  

We kept telling each other when we do something hard, crazy is not that much harder.  This was classified as a difficult hike.  It was really not a hard hike in terms of being technical.  It was just up the whole way.

I was not really ready to come back.  Koda Bear went both ways.  And since I have been back, the Tall Short Person and Koda Bear have both started school.  Koda Bear is being home schooled because the school district did not come out with a good plan and he had pneumonia last year.  I have expanded my role with Serenity Knives to more farmer's markets, more sharpening, and learning how to make resin scales for handles.  I am still making face masks.

I have started spinning again.  Trying to find some time to crochet.  Not much sewing other then face masks because face masks.  I am watching the plums to see when they ripen so I can make jam from them.  Watching figs too.  Observing plants for ideas of what to use for printing.  I signed up for an online course about eucalyptus as dye and I have no idea when I will get to play.  I work a lot of part days. 

Life seems busier then it was before.  Out of control even.  Then last week we were wondering if Laura was coming our way.  I still react to helicopters after Harvey so I was not looking forward to that.  It has been an interesting year.  I do not really need a routine but I would like some calm and slowing of the season.  Oh well.  That is not going to happen!  Though this space does feel like a sanctuary for the first time.  I do not guarantee I will be here more but I will continue to come back to it.

walking

We went to my Dad's last week.  It was good.  He really would like to see us every month and we are going to try.  But we live at one of the hot spots of COVID-19 right now.  We will see.  I have chosen not to coach because it is not worth my health.  I keep making face masks.  And I few other requests.  I am going to spend a lot of time at my sewing machine.  I am going to be making the same things all the time but that will be where I will be.  I will need to walk.  It helps with the anxiety.

Walking is what I like to do.  When we were at Dad's, we went for a couple walks.  The first was to Goat's Lake.  It is gorgeous.  It made me think that I was in shape.  We ended up with this view.

A couple days later we did the Excelsior Pass Trail.  It is one of those trails that I swear the National Parks, National Forests, and National Wilderness people put in place with if you can get through the first fifteen minutes you should be okay.  This was steep.  I did not feel in shape on the way up.  Gorgeous but we hit snow.  We did not get all the way.  I may want to try it in August or September.  

The biggest problem with the snow is that I am pretty sure I twisted my left knee.  I walked without moving it for a couple days and I am having to baby it now.  I should put my knee brace on but I am being stubborn.  And I do not want to be asked about it.  But it does hurt badly to walk across the house.  

I just love walking so both of these were more about going for a walk.  I never care if we get to the destination or not.  Koda Bear loves running down the trails.  Blue wants to be able to keep up but he is just not big enough.  But if I walked at his pace I would think I was in shape!  It is hard to walk in the heat of Houston after being up there.  I think I will slowly walk all the paths in the Mount Baker Wilderness.

Now, I get to figure out how to make a couple more requests.  Welder caps.  Scrub caps with room for pony tails.  Learning how to sharpen clipper blades is on my list for this month.  It could be very busy.