Hi Neighbor!

This afternoon I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish.  Instead, I took it easy.  I had a nap and puttered a bit after work.  C called from Texas and we had a nice little catch up talk.  Because of the climb on Saturday, my legs are still in a bit of ache-mostly when I am on stairs. 

I finished the book I have been listening to on Hoopla today, The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, by Maxwell King.  Once upon a time I thought I could be like Fred Rogers.  For so many reasons that will not be.  He was a very special person who was raised in a different time and space than I was.  He had a discipline that I lack.  I'll continue to do what I can to be kind, thoughtful and respect everyone.  I'll also wear sneakers whenever I can.  Sometimes, I may even ask myself, what would Mr. Rogers do?   Looking for the helpers is a wonderful thing, I hope that I am sometimes one of the helpers.

My happy things for today:

• There is a new paraprofessional that joined our team today at work.
• Talks with my kids.
• Sneakers.
• Tissues.
• Mr. Rogers.
• Warm clothes.
• SCA comic strip thing.

☮

Mistake Was Made

For almost a week I have been fighting a cold.  Last night I was up in the middle of the night with a runny nose.  This morning I was aching from yesterday's hike.  In an attempt to loosen up my legs, K, Gideon and I went for a walk.  Gideon practiced using his scooter.   For the most part my legs felt better.  Every time I sit for a while the legs need to be worked out again and stairs are a problem though.  These are reasons I should do this hiking thing more, right?

In the afternoon we visited a friend briefly for some goose.  Normally he has a large gathering on Michaelmas but this year he wasn't up to it and just asked a few folks to stop by.  After that, we went to the Deerfield Fair.  I try to go every year, this year I should have missed.  We saw family members and some friends and saw the few things that we wanted to see.  That was good, except that I kept feeling worse as the day went by.  So that is the mistake that was made.  Hopefully I didn't contaminate anyone.  Had I been feeling well I would have gone to weaving circle, instead I over did it at the fair.  It was nice to see the people I did, but I am missing those I couldn't see.

Happy things are the walk, we saw an eagle, seeing some family and friends, and pumpkin fudge.

It was a beautiful day to be outside.

Fun with shadows. 

More fun with shadows. 

I have no idea what this cocoon (?) is. 

The bird is a bald eagle. 

☮

Mt Tecumseh--Picture heavy

Today I climbed a Mountain.  The internet told me that it would be 4003 feet above sea level.  The geographical marker at the top read 3997.  Now that I am home, a brief Google search shows me that this is a recent development.  Had I hiked this at the beginning of the summer, it would have been different.  The wonders of modern technology or erosion, the mountain lost six feet.  I'm going to still call this a win for my goal of hiking a 4000 footer this year.  I'm taller than the three feet needed to be at that elevation.  😎 

One story from the climb up.  On the way up there was an older man (Like well over my 54 years of age) on his way down.  He asked me to look at his map and help to determine if he was on the correct trail.  He was not.  Some other hikers caught up to me and agreed, he had climbed up the opposite side of the mountain and was going to end up far from where his vehicle was.  My first thought was that had it been me, I would have turned around.  He didn't seem to be too far from the top.  After climbing the rest of the way myself, down kind of made sense.  Hours later, after I completed my hike I drove to where his vehicle should have been parked and the lot was empty.  His plan was to walk the six miles (I used the car odometer to check that) back to there.  I'm hoping that he got a ride.

A quick story from the climb down.  Walking down I saw some folks on the way up resting.  One looked familiar and sure enough, he had performed with i Sebastiani before!  We exchanged a brief conversation as I continued past them.  What a place to run into someone I know! The sky was clouding in and I was concerned it might rain.  It did.

The camera in my phone stopped working at the top.  I'm hoping that a hard reboot will fix it, but I have my doubts.  My happy today is getting up and down that mountain safely.  I'd love to say that I didn't fall, but I did trip and slip once and fell.  I'm fine, got right back up again and didn't fall far.  Other thoughts--SO MANY STAIRS; the leaf colors are changing; there were times when I briefly considered turning around; I told one person I saw that I was 'contemplating my life choices' and I meant choosing to hike; I took A LOT of breaks; thankful that the rain was off and on-mostly off; I like to take pictures of weird trees, mossy formations and rocks; at one point I thought some birds were following me; my nose is runny; going up and down the stairs I had to say left and right in my head so that I wouldn't always lead with either the left or right foot;  I forgot my pedometer today but the app has me at 14,283 steps, I am glad I did this today.

I love how the leaves fall and decorate the trees below them. 

Yellow blazes on a white tree are not the best idea. 

The view was along one of the ski trails at Waterville Valley. 

And that view was gorgeous. 

One of many mossy areas. 

I think I can. 

More stairs. 

Almost there, 

There is a bird on this short clip.

From the top. 

Friday!!!

The cold I keep expecting has not yet blossomed.  Still only marginal symptoms.  I have been remembering my allergy pill every morning as well as my other vitamins.  If I am still not feeling too bad tomorrow I am going to find a mountain to climb or something.

My happy for today is that K and I went through a list of people to write in for awards. We've been meaning to do so for a while but were able to carve out the time when I got home from work.  The list is made, the next step, of course is to actually write the people in!  Other happy things include family laughter, friendly people when I went for a walk today, and keeping in touch with friends.

☮

Paws

There are times when my immune system is irritating.  Others who seemingly have the same cold as I do got sick.  Like first day as far as I can tell with full blown cold symptoms.  Me?  I fight it, hard.  I feel it coming on, things just aren't quite right-maybe just a little sore throat that is from post nasal drip; day 2 the same but a few sneezes--I cancel things because I am getting sick; day 3 I've added on a few sneezes and a little bit of stuffiness, running nose--nothing to send me heading to the tissue box all day.  We shall see what tomorrow brings.  Sometimes I'd just like it to happen so it can be over.

This week most of the students have been away at camp, just a few weren't able to go.  Today, as in the last two years, the kids made vomiting jack-o-lanterns and pretzels.  No, not at the same time.  It was a fun way for them to end the week.  Watching them try to get the dish soap, baking soda and vinegar to get as much foaming out of the pumpkins as they can is entertaining.  The pretzel making is yummy though.  This week hasn't been good for my waist line!

My happy things for today are the pumpkins, pretzels and the weaving I did after work.  I'm trying to make dog paw prints and I am getting mixed results.  I can't decide which one I like best or which parts of each I should put together into yet another one.  Pictures at the end; suggestions welcome.

It was a foggy morning.

Until the sun broke through. 

Colors! 

Paws... 

🐾 ☮ 🐾

Wednesday

The cold is winning the war inside my body.  This morning I had a few sniffles and now there are the occasional sneezes that aren't just environment.  My plan is to finish working out the week, but we'll see how this cold progresses. 

My happy thing for today is getting outside to enjoy the weather.  The temperature was around 70 degrees and the class got to go outside and do some team building.  I also went for a short walk before dinner for some fresh air.  I like to think that there are less germs outside than in. 

I ended up on a dirt road and was almost like going back in time.

Dirt road and old houses.

Main St Concord.

☮

Tuesday

Somehow I reached 10,000 steps today without going for a walk for myself.  The vast majority of my steps happened at work and I feel like I walked less with the students than usual.  Most students are away at camp this week so some classes were more fun.  Specifically the one where they all made breakfast and had a sit down meal with each other.  I'm still alive so I think they all truly washed their hands.  😉

My happy things for today include remembering to bring my Chromebook to work, breakfast made by the kids, playing in the gym (trying to remember how to play basketball) during lunch, and laughing during an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.  

☮ 

Happy Autumn!!

It may be the first day of autumn, but the temperatures didn't get the memo.  We had a high of 88 degrees which is not very seasonal for this part of the world.  Tucking in Gideon tonight (only a figurative tucking in because-warm) we had a little discussion about the equinox and solstice.  That is one of my happy things for today.  Since exhaustion is knocking hard on my door right now I think I will proceed with a list of more happy things:

• The sun red this morning rising to greet people driving East on the highway.
• Sounds of thunder.
• Nap after work.
• Finding a place to walk after the nap.
• Shooting archery.
• Talking and texting with friends.
• Gideon hugs.

☮