Sunny Mountain Day

Th

at's Mt. Shuksan in the background and that's David--I didn't realize he was so tall. We are looking at Mt. Baker, just finishing up a hike along Ptarmigan Ridge. You know the Ptarmigan is brown grouse-like and turns white this time of year. A camo for the winter months. We didn't see any, unfortuately.

We hiked about four miles, which is very short for David, for me--well, I'm getting used to longer hikes. I'm finding with any of these traveling hardships: sore muscles, bad weather, heavy pack, wet socks, you have to grin and bear it. Dad always said that to me as a kid, but I thought it was wrong. I've felt for some time we need to feel all our feelings. Of course, that's true when doing healing work from years of abuse, but in general, I think I've needed more of an attitude shift than anything. Yes, just not thinking about the suffering makes for less suffering. If this is true with all suffering, perhaps the goal of not thinking is what makes Buddhism work. Just meditate and keep going.

Well, just blabbing here as usual; I'm doing Pilates twice a week, probably mentioned that before, but strengthening the shoulder girdle has helped me to carry a pack and when I fell on the trail--my feet went out from under me on a slippery gravely place, I ended up in bridge pose, catching myself with one hand. I was impressed, not a sore muscle resulted from this fall. Strong core, strong shoulders, strong back--well worth the days I'd come home and flop on the couch, exhausted.

Hard work is tiring--perhaps I was just allergic to the hard work. Maybe my mama, from the south you see, taught me to be prime and proper and prissy. She would hardly venture outdoors, let alone walk in the woods where flies and mosquitoes might bite. Me, I'm an adventure girl now and I've got an adventure boy, and he doesn't stop--so either I keep up or I'm going to sit home and whine about my flabby condition. Voting for staying in shape here at 58. How about you?

We had another adventure after this one. Out in the San Juan Islands. More about that later.

Peace,

Traveling Nan

09-09-09

Hi Everyone,
I thought this would be a special day, and it is in someways. My sister is coming to visit from Spokane, which has only happened once before. We'll have a little dinner out with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild. My family gets together about once a year. I used to think this was terrible and would complain about it. Now I think it is what it is. I love them all, that is the most important thing.

And it is a special day in that I'm cooking tomatoes from my garden into soup. Nice homemade tomato soup. Also, I will have a good Italian dinner tonight. That is special.

I've been thinking today that it is important for me to get back to my art. There is a place in me that hurts because I don't do my art now. I talked to an artist friend yesterday and he was encouraging that I do art and throw it away. This feels right, so there isn't the thing about making something that someone wants, just making something. Friday I will do art. I promise.

So David is on the ship outside of Greenland. He just stopped in, in his thoughts, which I love to see. There are deep fjords there and the possibility of spotting whales, although I don't think they have. (This is me in my Icelandic scarf--fast forward photo taken after David returns.)

Here is the latest wildlife report:

"Sun is still shining in our Hearts and outside here too. Cruising through the icebergs (mongo, even by Antarctic standards...), brash ice, and red rock hilltop with Peregrine Falcon, eyrie! Male sitting on the scrape as the sun rose and a juvenile male food soliciting perched up the red cliff face above the icebergs, sea and some of our zodiac cruisers. We hiked up top and spotted ten predated Pink-footed Goose eggs, Ravens (2) flying about chased by Grines, and lovely red birch leaves low, almost vine-like on the ground along with orangey/yellow Willow leaves. Zodiac cruised afterwards among the white giants. Dimpled like golf balls, blue ice veins, oxygen escape route grooves, etc, etc. Massive caves, seracs, underwater shelves, etc.."

I can imagine this landscape, and in fact looked it up on Google Earth. Fantastic. Now to plan some travel for me. I'd like to see some unusual and awesome landscape. In the mean time, I'm looking hard at what is around me. The leaves are turning, the sunsets are purple and orange, the rain is soft, the sunflowers are bent over. It's splendid, really.

So 09-09-09 is special because my life has fallen into place.
Peace,
Traveling Nan