The Book said this was an easy Trail. Ya right!

This is an easy trail?

Now you tell me, does this look like an easy trail to you?  Who is this easy for, a trained climber with lots of experience?  Yes, I am sure it is but for this mature lady, my 3 year old grand daughter and the puppy I think not.  The kids were fine with it.  But getting the dog and my grand daughter safely up and down this mountain was a chore all in itself.

We headed out for a leisurely walk knowing that I am recovering from all that blood loss.  We checked the book : 'The Best Fort Collins Hikes'.  The trail we picked is called 'Black Powder Trail'.  I know why it is called that.  The ground is covered in black, loose sand or powdery dirt.  It is slippery and the trail is narrow with steep sides.  A roll down the mountain at certain points would probably mean the end, at the very least one would be all tore up.

The book describes the trail this way (of course my daughter picked the trail and I only read the info when I returned home):

"The expression 'all over the board' springs to mind as efforts are made to assess the difficulty of the Black Powder Trail.  The consensus of a CMC focus group was 'easy' because it is a short distance and 'moderate' because of the elevation gaining switchbacks.  The city's website lists the trail as 'moderate to difficult''.  So, if you've been looking for an 'easy-moderate-difficult' hike, you've arrived.  Lace up you tennies and start chugging along."

The view as I walked or puffed up was beautiful

 

 

 

 

The switchbacks were narrow and stoney.  We all had to keep our wits about ourselves.  It isn't real long, about 1.5 miles up but it was steep.  Being my first hike in Colorado I was a huffin and a puffin.  Definately a good work out.  I am very glad I did it.

After quite a long haul and lots of stops I saw the top - yea

I stepped up over the top, or so I thought and look there is more.

Just when I thought I was done I discovered their was a lot more to do, albeit not as difficult.  If you look close the kids are off in the distance.  I turned around and got this great shot.

Looking back from about half way up the mountain.  What a view.

I headed across the fruited plains (isn't that the words to a song?) and finally climbed the last part of the hill.
We all made it safe and sound, but there was still the trip back down.

The family 

 

Here is a shot of the view at the top on the back side of the mountain:

I have a bit of a height thing and this picture was difficult for me to get as my body was stiffening up and my fear factor was live and screaming.  I can feel it now just looking at the picture.  Whoooo is me, a mountain climber I will never be.  But hills are just fine, as long as I stay away from the edge.  I must have been a sacrifice in a past life.

Refreshments came next - my granddaughter Ceanna age 3

Then the eventual trip back down.  We had some discussion about getting Ceanna and the dog back down safely as the trail is steep, slippery and narrow with cliff like sides.  Over you go and you won't stop for a long way.  We set up a safe way to flow down and off we went, teaching Ceanna about going down slippery hills.  It was a long trip to the bottom but here we are.

Safe and sound at the bottom and Ceanna is all tired out.

We all headed for the river to cool our feet.  I had my first experience of walking down a very steep hill.  My toes kept trying to come right through my shoes.  I kept splaying them to keep them from hurting so much.  Luckily I wore my toe socks and this helped to keep blisters at bay.

AWWWW  Mema this is great come on in.

Nothing like a cold river to revitalize the feet after a tough climb.  I think I will pick the trail next time.

All in all it was a good day and a good work out.  Even with all the things going on I have lost another 5 lbs since I have been here.  I have been out walking around town and in the neighborhood trying to get back all the strength I had before the blood letting.  This week end we are going to bike the Poudre River.  It is a 9 mile long trail, one way, so 18 miles for this Saturday.  I will put the chariot behind my bike.  Ceanna will ride her trike until she gets tired and then she can get into the chariot.  Mom, Dad and Mema will ride along.

One last thing.  I do want to be honest here.  It has been tough and I have lots of aches and pains but it is all worth it.  After, I always feel better and I love the new body I am creating.  We went to a movie this week and I loved how comfortable it was to sit there.  I also love how loose my clothes are getting and the size changes.  So even though it is difficult it is worth it.

Buen Camino
b

My First Hike in Colorado - The Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area

Recovery has been a while but out I am gently allowing my body to regain some of it's strength and endurance.  I can tell you one thing, loosing a lot of blood really affects one.  Muscles don't work so well when you are short on blood.  There was a lot of resting, eating good foods and moving slowly.  I am amazed at how much I lost in my conditioning I have been doing over the last 8 months.  I decided to head out for a short 5 mile prairie walk, thinking it would be fairly flat and fairly easy.  Well, that is not what happened.

First let me tell you a bit about this place I picked for my first walk.  Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area, known as a jewel of the high plains, is an excellent and rare example of how the Colorado Front Range looked before it was settled. The rolling terrain, wetlands, and grasslands support a variety of plants and animals. The shortgrass prairie landscape, consisting of prairie dog colonies that attract a healthy raptor population – golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, rough-legged hawks, red-tailed hawks, and Swainson's hawks – also supports a variety of other wildlife. Horned lizards, ground-nesting songbirds, butterflies, rabbits, coyotes and rattlesnakes can also commonly be seen.

As I entered the park their were many warning signs and directions on safe travel through the prairie.  The signs primarily focused on rattlesnakes.  Now, I don't know about you but for me rattlesnakes mean run, run as fast as you can in any direction they are not facing and don't stop until you are in the next county.  As I contemplated the intelligence of walking among rattlesnakes I saw the second sign.  "If your are bit please follow these directions. 1. Lay down, don't move.  2. call 911."  I stopped right there.  My mind shouted, 'If I am bit please lay down!  Not on your life, that dude may want to finish me off if I just lay there and hand myself over to him.'  Anxiety grew about the intelligence of this decision to walk in a prairie full of rattlesnakes after losing so much blood.

I calmed myself by reading about the prairie and it's history.  It was telling me that this land had not been plowed or changed in anyway since before the area was settled.  It has been preserved.  The thought of walking on ancient land that had not been altered by man since the beginning of time excited me.  I don't know what I thought I would see but the feel of the ancient land sounded beautiful to me.  I imagined the swaying grasslands, an occasional flower, made all the more special by it's scarcity, sun beating on me as it did when the settlers walked west and the mountains, The Rockies.  They reached for the sky leaving me as a dot in the middle of this big open grassland.  The pull of being in the midst of such untouched beauty dragged me onto the trail.  I settled for the middle of the trail hoping for more room to jump if I saw a rattlesnake.  The kind thing the city did for all of us hikers, and I want to inform you here that most of the other people were on bikes - maybe they knew something I didn't, was to pave the trail and mow, very short, the grass on the sides.  It helped.

I cautiously walked out into the fields, eyes surveying every inch, at the ready.  Soon the majesty of the area took over and I no longer paid any attention to the possibility of snakes.  The trail wove up, down and around and the sun grew hotter and hotter.   Turning back towards a settlement the trail wove up.

 Then back toward the valley with the mountains framing the future.

The trail is only about 5 miles but with such an extreme blood loss I found my legs having a hard time and my body was affected in new ways by the heat.  Tired, I decided to head back, after only about 2 miles, and conker the full trail another day.  It is almost as if I am starting all over again.  ugh.  I imagine after my operation I will have to do this even again.  But for now we will continue building this body and maybe, just maybe it won't be so bad later.

Thanks for staying around and sharing my life experiences and my prep for this great 500 mile walk next year.

Buen Camino
b

I have arrived in Colorado and will meet Martin Sheen tonight

I have so many words for this move to Colorado.  It was the biggest challenge in my life.  I found myself in many unusual situations.  The stress factor was through the roof as I was constantly having to make decisions about things I did not know anything about.  Kind of like Russian roulette.  Each time I pulled the trigger I hit an empty chamber, thank God. 

I arrived Tuesday morning at 11am.  Started unpacking, preparing to leave again on Friday to visit friends in Santa Fe, NM.  But I guess the Universe had other ideas.  Ended up in the hospital emergency room Wednesday evening bleeding uncontrollably.  Released and at the Drs office today for tests. 

In the between time I discovered I had an invitation to the private showing of "The Way".  The movie Martin Sheen and Emilo Estevez did of the Camino.  So tonight I am going to meet Martin and Emilo and who knows who else.  Life never seems to stop surprising me.

Next week we find out the results of the tests but for now I am going to enjoy this wonderful gift of the private showing and meeting famous people. 

I hope to be climbing in the mountains next week. 

Buen Camino
b

PS:  I started learning Spanish on my way across the country.  I have  down several words after the first 2 lessons.  Soon I will be bilingual, finally.  Only took 63 years.  Smile!  Better late than never.

I'm on the Road to Colorado this Friday

Today I go off line for a while.  We are cleaning the house and tomorrow I load the trailer and the car.  Friday I head west.  Colorado here I come.

It has been a long 6 weeks of sorting, giving away, selling, packing and saying good byes.  Finally I am ready to head out.

After the labor day week end I will get my computer set up again and will begin hiking and sharing.  I must say that all this packing has increased my muscles, endurance and abilities physically.  Although it has been a very hard time, today I am exhausted, it has been very good for me.

Thank you for waiting out this time and staying with me.  It is quite an event getting ready to walk the Camino when you must loose substantial weight and rebuild the body before you can go on it.  It might be said that this desire to walk the Camino is saving my life.

Buen Camino everyone, until we meet again on these pages.
b

Over 30,000 people completed the Camino in July 2011

The Cathedral at Santiago de Compostella

I received the following information and found it very interesting.  I began thinking about what it would be like to have over 30,000 people on the trail at the same time as me.  I have read continuously that one can walk alone or join others as they walk and thinking about 30,000 others out there I was wondering how I would walk alone.

Maybe that is why I am planning on walking either May/June or Sept/Oct.  It won't be quit as busy.  Sometimes I wonder what I would do if the refugos were all full.  Would I be able to make it to the next town?  Would I sleep out in the open?  I hear that no pilgrim goes without a bed, even if you have to sleep under the tables in the local bar after it closes.  Chuckle  Chuckle  I can hear it now,  Hi kids, it's mom.  I spent last night on the floor of the local bar!!!!   What an adventure this is going to be.

I hope you enjoy the stats.  This walk is getting to be even more popular.  So many are seeking this experience.  As for the people over 60 traveling, they tend to go when it is a lot cooler.  July and August are the peak heat times.

Buen Camino
b

This information has been released. 

During the month of july 2011, 30.836 pilgrims were received at the Pilgrim's Office. The number of pilgrims in the past Holy Year, 2004, during the same period was 31.896. Of those pilgrims, 13.594 (44,08%) were women and 17.242 (55,92%) men. 26.104 (84,65%) pilgrims arrived on foot, 4.653 (15,09%) by bicicle, 73 (0,24%) on horseback, and 6 (0,02%) pilgrims on wheel-chair.

Pilgrims by sex

	Men (55,92%)
	Women (44,08%)

Pilgrims by medium

	Foot (84,65%)
	Bicicle (15,09%)
	Horseback (0,24%)
	Wheel-chair (0,02%)

Pilgrims' Age:
12.142 pilgrims were younger than 30 years old (39,38%), 16.071 were between 30 and 60 years old (52,12%), and 2.623 were aged above 60 years old (8,51%).
Pilgrims' Motivation:
Religious: 13.131 (42,58%)
Religious and Cultural: 15.666 (50,80%)
Cultural: 2.039 (6,61%)

Pilgrims by age

	30 - 60 (52,12%)
	< 30 (39,38%)
	> 60 (8,51%)

Pilgrims by motivation

	Cultural (6,61%)
	Religious (42,58%)
	Religious and Cultural (50,80%)

Pilgrims' Nationality:
Spanish: 20.271 (65,74%); Most of the pilgrims came from Andalucía: 3.740 (18,45%); Madrid: 3.550 (17,51%); Cataluña: 2.389 (11,79%); Comunidad Valenciana: 2.236 (11,03%); Castilla León: 1.444 (7,12%); Pais Vasco: 1.349 (6,65%); Castilla la Mancha: 1.063 (5,24%); Galicia: 893 (4,41%); etc.
Foreigners: 10.565 (34,26%); Most of the pilgrims come from the following countries: Italia: 1.713 (16,21%); Alemania: 1.645 (15,57%); Francia: 1.034 (9,79%); Estados Unidos: 700 (6,63%); Portugal: 677 (6,41%); Polonia: 423 (4,00%); Irlanda: 366 (3,46%); Holanda: 309 (2,92%); etc.

Spanish Pilgrims

	Andalucía (18,45%)
	Madrid (17,51%)
	Cataluña (11,79%)
	Comunidad Valenciana (11,03%)
	Castilla León (7,12%)
	Pais Vasco (6,65%)
	Castilla la Mancha (5,24%)
	Other regions

Foreigner Pilgrims

	Italia (16,21%)
	Alemania (15,57%)
	Francia (9,79%)
	Estados Unidos (6,63%)
	Portugal (6,41%)
	Polonia (4,00%)
	Irlanda (3,46%)
	Other countries

Pilgrims' Profession:
Regarding the professional fields, the majority of pilgrims are Estudiantes: 9.110 (29,54%); Empleados: 5.659 (18,35%); Profesores: 3.844 (12,47%); Tecnicos: 3.480 (11,29%); Liberales: 2.518 (8,17%); Jubilados: 2.053 (6,66%); Funcionarios: 1.526 (4,95%); Obreros: 730 (2,37%); etc.
Starting Points:
Most of the pilgrims received in this period started their Way to Santiago in: Sarria: 6.916 (22,43%); S. Jean P. Port: 2.536 (8,22%); Cebreiro: 1.848 (5,99%); León: 1.657 (5,37%); Roncesvalles: 1.573 (5,10%); Ponferrada: 1.562 (5,07%); Astorga: 1.441 (4,67%); Tui: 1.337 (4,34%); etc.
The Chosen Routes:
Most of the pilgrims chose Frances-Camino de: 22.447 (72,79%); Portugues-Camino: 3.004 (9,74%); Norte-Camino de: 2.767 (8,97%); Via de la Plata: 1.081 (3,51%); Primitivo-Camino: 941 (3,05%); etc.

Wishing I was out walking in the Mountains

A depiction of a pilgrim on a wall in Lograno

After so long working at packing and throwing things out and selling things and..and..  Well you get the picture - MOVING.  I wish it was over with and I was already in the mountains of Colorado.  I leave 2 weeks from yesterday.  I will be taking my time as the trailer can only go 55mph.  I could go 70mph with mine, but alas it was stolen when I arrived here in Charlotte.  I will make sure my balance is correct when I pack and I am hoping I can set the cruise control on 60mph.  This will be a slow tripppppppppppppp.

I will travel the smallest number of miles a day I have ever traveled.  I have planned  380 the first day, 370 the second day, 446 the third day and 445 the fourth day.  I will spend my last night in Cheyenne, WY and drive in the next morning (only 46 miles).  After sleeping in and a leisurely breakfast I should arrive around noon.  Then it will be unpacking and returning the trailer.  Two days rest then off to Santa Fe, NM to meet friends and camp for the Labor day holiday.  Kids have in laws coming in for the holiday and it would be a bit crowded so I will play with friends while they visit. 

Finally!  The first week in September I will be settled in Colorado and that first week end I will be in the mountains.  This is going to be quite a change for me.  I will have come from 5 months in the 90s and 100s for temps and suddenly I will be in the 70s, with 50s and 60s in the mountains.  I think I will have to make sure I take something to keep my immune system strong while my body makes all the changes.  It will be strange to be cold.  I haven't been cold in years.  I am so looking forward to it.  I am thinking  walking every cold day we have to build my system.  My hypothalmus won't have had to work this hard to keep me warm for many years. Yea, can't wait.

I am wondering if I will have slipped back a bit with all this packing instead of walking.  Rebuilding a bit will definitely be part of my regime.

I wish all my readers well and thank you for sticking with me.

Buen Camino
b

And What is Compeed Anyway?

I am now focusing on packing my home and doing all the things that need to be done to rent one's home, put your belongings in storage, decide what few things I will take in a cargo trailer and prepare all the docs that will be needed to rent and continue with my home ie: insurance changes etc.  It is a nightmare of work that has my mind reeling at times.  I am now on B complex as this "do it all yourself" thing at my age is a bit overwhelming.  Since this is the situation I am in I am trusting I will finish by the time I have set and I rest when ever I need.  Slow going folks.  This was much easier 5 years ago.

One of the reasons for this walk is to get back into shape.  My reasoning is if I walk steadily for 5 or 6 weeks the change in my health will be enormous.  I had planned to be further ahead by now but the intense heat here has drastically slowed me down, no not slowed me down but halted me.  I was out in the heat walking and just going with it till one day.  I arrived home so completely exhausted and wrung out it took 2 days to recover.  It was then that I realized I was not ready to walk in such intense heat with code orange air quality.  Not that I can't do it but that I need more work at a lesser level of stress to build my body further before I can do it in this weather.

Therefore, I am not walking at the moment.  The packing provides a form of exercise but I am finding that I am having emotional issues as I pack.  Most of them have arisen from the fact that I have been unable to sell any furniture.  I have this terrible fear that we will start packing the two storage containers (Pack Rat) and will run out of room before everything gets in them.  This has a lot to do with the stress.  I don't seem to have the knowledge that would allow me to walk around and make a judgement call regarding what will fit in the container.  Then to add more stress, I won't be able to get into the containers without a plane flight back to Charlotte so I am trying to decided what I need most to take with me.  O my!  What a chore that one is for a mind like mine.  I have an analytical mind that can come up with all sorts of reasons why something could be needed and the 5 x 8 cargo trailer can only hold just so much.  I also will need a blow up bed, linens and basic kitchen and a couple of folding chairs so I have something to live with.  I haven't figured out where I will put my computer.  I can take a folding table or buy another one when I get there.  Again that one has to do with, 'is there enough room in the trailer.'

I haven't been just packing.  I have been doing some reading regarding preparations for the Camino.  I found an interesting post regarding one's feet.  I did not know that walking placed such strain on the feet and all the stress causes blisters upon blisters.  When I was a kid, we would get new shoes every so often.  We would have to break in the shoes.  Therefore blisters were common.  I got mine on my heels.  But alas the shoes would soften up and the blisters would heal.  Nothing like what I am reading about blisters growing on top of blisters and whole feet covered with blisters.  WOW!

Therefore I began looking for "how to take care of blisters".  I won't be able to do the things I did as a kid, walk barefoot.  So I found this post.  I want to repost it here.  I am very appreciative of the person who shared so much knowledge but just notice all the work needed to prevent blisters. And then think about all the people over the centuries that have walked across continents and countries in settling and in war and wonder what they did without all this modern gear.!

Re: How to train for the Camino

by falcon269 on 26 Nov 2008, 08:24

Training and blisters are not related (except for finding "hot spots" caused by your boots during training walks). Following is the fool-proof way to avoid blisters:

Work in your boots for several hundred kilometers before heading for a long walk. When buying boots, wear the sock combination detailed below in order to get a proper fit. Do not be surprised if the size you buy is different from your normal shoes, perhaps a 1/2 size larger and a step wider (I wear narrow A or B width shoes, but buy a D boot to accommodate socks and an anti-pronating inner sole).

Use a silicone-type lubricant on clean feet each morning (Sportslick and Hydropel are two brands available in the U.S.; Amazon.com carries Sportslick). It waterproofs your skin. Moisture is the primary cause of blisters.

Wear a polypropylene inner sock to wick away moisture. DO NOT USE COTTON SOCKS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Wear a wool or wool-blend outer sock (Thorlo). I use medium weight socks, but you may like heavy or light weight. Pick the one that does not make your boots too tight. Much of the friction inside your boot will be absorbed between the polypro liner and the wool sock. In effect, the polypro adheres to your foot and its lubricant, and the wool sock adheres to your boot.

Carry some Compeed. Compeed on the shelf of a nearby farmacia will not help you when you really need it! If you detect a "hot spot" on your foot, stop IMMEDIATELY. Do not wait for the mentally-scheduled break on the hour. Do not let walking companions deter you. Their desire to get to that first cafe con leche could end up ruining your five week Camino as you limp along with a growing blister. Eventually your other foot and leg will develop problems as you change your gait to compensate for the blister. While everyone else is having fun doing eating, drinking, and doing laundry, you will be tending your blister. Honestly, your friends are NOT worth it! You can always find new friends, but the blister-to-be is your private-enemy-number-one and needs you now.

Thoroughly clean the hot area with isopropyl alcohol so that the Compeed will adhere. Warm the Compeed in your armpit for a minute, then apply it over the hot spot. Do not remove it until it falls off of its own volition. It will rip a hole in new skin even better than it prevents a blister!

A minor cautionary note: The silicone lubricant can make your bare feet very slippery on some surfaces, so tread carefully to and in the shower.

If you follow ALL the steps, I guarantee that you will never have a blister. Skip one, and all promises are off.

Other things that help promote foot comfort are removing your boots and socks each hour to let them dry a bit (a Japanese fellow pilgrim squeezed lemon juice onto his feet at each stop to dry them!); changing socks midday; and putting on dry socks after the rain stops (though I have hiked for several days in wet/damp socks and been protected by the silicone).

Thanks falcon 269,  I do appreciate your information and will follow and try all you say I was just wondering what the rest of the world has done without all our modern technology for the last few hundred years.  I am not foolish enough to discount what you and many many others are saying about taking care of your feet on the Camino, I just think we have become awfully soft in this current time.

I will close with another pic of the Camino.  I will be writing a lot less until I reach Colorado so only a few times till September.  I will miss our daily chats but alas packing is my goal at the moment.  

Pilgrims frequently have to share the road with cows, sheep etc.

Daily laundry at the refugio

The architecture is awesome in Spain, imagine walking across a beautiful bridge like this.

Buen Camino

b

Strange Energies going on in the World

I have been hitting the pool for laps.  This year, so far,  we have had about 50 days over 90 degrees with heat factors between 100 and 110 degrees and we are only 1/2 the way through summer.  We are having the hottest year in history and last year was the second hottest in history.  What a year to decide to work out.  To be honest the heat has finally gotten to me so I am doing laps and packing my home.   The market is slow so I am going to rent my home and go ahead and move.  I need to hit the mountains for some climbing to build those muscles.  So Colorado here I come, the end of August.

The pool has been great and I am now doing about 6 different strokes, swimming with goggles and a nose plug.  Not something I have done in the past but it sure speeds up the swimming.  Weight loss has slowed down, maybe because I am not walking as much but I stay within my calorie allotment and trust it will perk up here soon.

I am noticing as I am typing this that I am having a hard time being positive and fighting to stay light.  Hummm!  Must be some interesting energies around. 

I have connected with a few Camino people that will be walking this fall.  I will be watching their blogs to learn more about the blister thing.  Boy it is a big thing in the books I have of people's personal accounts of their walks. They describe feet covered in blisters, nightly rituals of threading thread through them so they can drip out and dry up.  Then they talk of the pilgrim walk, a sort of limp on the side of the foot so they don't step on their sore blisters.  Then I read of those who don't stop and take care of their feet and all the intense pain they have.  I wonder if when we walk long miles do we lose our common sense.   Or maybe it is a time factor, limited time to accomplish before they have to go home.  Maybe they didn't purchase open ended tickets and have a set date.  Not sure but I am going to have an open ended ticket and plan to stop when my feet need a day off.  I am looking for balance not extreme.  I did extreme all those work years and I never want to go back to that horror story again.

So let's take a look at some more pics of the Camino and close this very stressful day on a high note.  I hope congress gets it soon.  And I wish all of you a grand week end.

Buen Camino
b

Some Awesome Revelations

The more I exercise the more I have pain.  Yup, that is true.  So what do I do with this?  I am not going to give up.  So I must find my way through it all.  I thought of going to a chiropractor but at the moment it is not in my budget.  Then I thought of going for a massage and that too is outside my current budget.  So I have been doing more stretches and limbering exercises.  Come see, come saw as for relief.  But! Sunday (it was so hot and muggy here) I went to the mall to walk.  The first time around I didn't even notice this new store front.  I talked myself into going around again.  Shortly after I noticed people standing outside of a small store waiting to go in.  Then simultaneously I noticed a reflexology chart. They always draw me in as I have learned the wholestic nature of the body and the affect on the body when we work our hands or feet or head. 

As I stood studying the chart, one much better than mine and I wanted to own it, I noticed people getting reflexology treatments.  I saw a price sheet.  I was soon in line for my own treatment.  I must tell you, I want to take these people with me and move them to Colorado with me.  This was THE most amazing treatment I have ever had.  They were Chinese and had studied massage and reflexology like none in the USA.  I was in heaven when I left.  I was not even entirely here as I continued walking around the mall.  Dazed and beaming I wandered the halls.

Yesterday I awoke with much less pain.  I had a restful day talking with my friend in Italy for 6 hours.  How in the world does someone talk for 6 hours.  I have no idea.  It just happened.  But after such a long time in a restful state (I wear headphones when I talk on the phone so I don't have any of the pain of holding the phone for a long time) I began to notice that I didn't hurt anymore.  Within 24 hours after being worked on I was feeling great.  Then  again this morning I awoke to a painless body.  Three cheers for the Chinese massage therapists.  They are genuinely a gifted group.

This message was scheduled to be about the pain and for advice from any of you that had any ideas but I am feel so good now.  Of course, if any of you have any input I would appreciate you sharing it.  There is something else that has happened,  I find myself getting up and immediately starting to do stretches and then on the floor for more stretch type of exercises and then I started doing my Qigong, which I hadn't done in some time.  It is as if all I needed to do was to start down this path and at appropriate intervals new thoughts come to me and I start doing what needs to be done at that moment.  The same is happening with my swimming.  I can't say enough about swimming.  I just never realized how much it really strengthens the body. 

Back to swimming , suddenly I have started to do more strokes, a variety is now happening.  I began with just one.  This one allowed me to be one with the water and I found it easy to do 40 laps.  It was not a strain as I was totally focused on how it felt to be moving with the water and the laps just flew by.  I began adding another stroke about a week and a half ago.  This was fun and also made new sore points as I was using different muscles.  But, I was enjoying it and continued.  Then suddenly the end of last week I began to add 3 more strokes.  Now I am varying between 5 strokes and getting a much better work out.  Then to add on a new piece, this week end at the mall I bought goggles and nose plug.  this will enable me to do even more strokes.  So off I go tomorrow with my new gear to practice at a new level.

If any of you are in the mind to begin working out.  All I can say is if you start gradually with walking and let it grow on it's own it will really expand over time.  I started in February walking with my gazzele.  Then in April I began walking outside.  This continued until I started swimming in June when the pool opened up for the season.  I am already trying to figure out how I can continue with the swimming in Colorado.  Exercise seems to beget exercise.  It seems to bring about it's own natural flow if you allow it.  I am letting my body guide me.  If it tells me to do something then I do it.  I kinda just get the idea or thought.  It is working out well.



I am packing now.  My belongings are going into storage and I am renting my home.  Unfortunately I am in that middle class situation with my price.  Homes a lot less than mine are selling and homes a lot more than mine are selling but my price range is not selling so I am going to rent.  I will be in Colorado by the end of August, beginning of September.  I would appreciate any good thoughts coming my way as I negotiate with a property manager this week.  This has worried and saddened me much but I am trying to look at this from a bigger picture.  I won't be able to buy a home and will have to rent a one room apartment but I will have income from the house after mortgage and property management fees.  This will help tide me over till I can get a job or jobs in Colorado.   WOW!  what changes are gong on in my life.  It is all amazing and very scary.  this is not where I thought I would be at my age.

There is a bit of the survivor in me and I just know I will survive my only problem is I often get pissed at how I have to survive.  It's that control thing, I want it my way.  Maybe it is an American way, isn't the saying "have it your way" big here.  Don't a lot of businesses use it?  Of Course, we are the king of 'have it your way'.  But for some reason I can't seem to get it my way.  Pisser!  So I have a saying when I get to these places in my life, which I have had many of them, 'With all this horse S..t around there has to be a pony, I just have to dig deeper."  Smile those of you that get it, for others, become a kid again and you will see the humor and joy in that statement.

I want to end today with some pics of July 25 in Spain.  It is the holiday of St James.  It is like our 4th of July but with out the same meaning.  It is the joy of the saint that saved their country from the moors, well I guess it is then just the same, it is about their freedom as well.  I hope you enjoy the pics.

This is the Cathedral of St James in Santiago de Compestella, the end of the walk across Spain, the goal.  I had found some awesome pics I would have liked to show you but they were not allowed to be copied so I am going to put the address below so you can see them.  They are worth the visit.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000775789043

Look for the pics in the middle of the page showing fireworks photos and click to see them all.  If you don't get this till late and more posts have been posted then look for it on 7/26/11 posts.

Buen Camino
b

Can You Help Out?

I would like to share with all of you a website.  They are making a movie of the Camino.  You can watch a trailer of it on the website.  It is a good movie and I would like to se it completed.  The people making it have used up their funds and need help to complete it.

http://www.caminodocumentary.org/

If you are in a place where you can help please use the donation area on the website.  It is always appreciated when anyone is willing to help another.

What People Are Saying

We are very impressed with (Lydia B. Smith's) 23-minute fundraising trailer and her ability to capture the essence and spectacular beauty of the Camino. We urge you to join us in supporting this worthy project.

- Emilio Estevez & Martin Sheen, Actors/Filmmakers

 

This thoughtful film captures the essence of the Camino - the extraordinary camaraderie that builds along the way transcending the barriers erected by society. This film will change hearts and minds and, in the process, help to make the world a better place.

- John Brierley, Author of The Camino Guides, England

You were able to capture the beauty, culture and magic of the Camino in a way that I have never seen before.

- Ana Ramiro, Press & PR Manager, Tourist Office of Spain

An excellent reflection of the spirit of the Camino. The Camino is with you. You deserve to achieve your purpose.

- María Rosa Ventulá, Pilgrim, Spain

 

Thank You