It’s a pleasure to be in one place for a while, long enough for a second springtime here in Las Cruces. The flowers here always surprise me in their vibrance and ability to bloom in this high, dry desert. Here are some pics from this weekend’s hike behind the house: Continue reading “Spring Walk in the Desert”
Hard to believe we live in a new suburb on the edge of the city. I was in a hurry to squeeze in a walk after a day filled with conference calls and so immersed on figuring out the best route to take that I almost forgot to look up.
Lucky I did. There was gold light everywhere, a combination of a shimmering sunset and a newly risen moon. I could almost feel the air crackling with energy.
It’s always good to be on the trail.
Simple – it makes me feel good. Always has, ever since I was a kid. My three sisters and I couldn’t be more different when it comes to exercising. I’ve jogged, stretched, skated, biked, kettle belled, race walked, and chased myself around the world. All the while, they’ve reclined with a book, supine, and patted me on the head as I ran by, even though I’m sure they thought I was insane…
It’s been 40 years since I started got started in fitness. I’m a 50s-something female who played at sports in an era when there was virtually no recognition or career path for women athletes, but I did it anyway because I love it. I’ve been a competitive team athlete, a weekend warrior, a race walker, a runner, a weightlifter, a calisthenics devotee — all of those things in the quest for fitness. Continue reading “Why Make Time to Exercise?”
In November of last year: Having a great time hiking with the Alamogordo Trails Hiking Group from Meetup.com. This trip was up to Indian Wells – a primitive campsite featuring ancient rock hollows probably used by early Native Americans for water storage, grinding, etc.
Great weather, great people, great scenery, great hike.
Fast forward to November 2016: One pair of resoled hiking boots and midway through the treads on another. I’ve been back up on this trail several times as well as several other Alamogordo canyoneering trails just on the edge of the town and up in the mountains. Still hiking with my buds and looking forward to showing these trails to other friends. It’s fabulous to have found a great group of people to hike with whenever time permits.
More posts to come!
We were in search of full-blown rugged living when we moved from a city to an old logging town high up in the Sacramento Mountains at the edge of the Lincoln National Forest. We were surrounded by miles of pinyon and juniper forest in mountains that look down over White Sands National Park.
This area has some the best terrain for hiking I’ve ever seen. I spend most of my outdoor time hiking on dirt roads and old railroad trails, rarely seeing anyone except the occasional coyote. People tell me there are mountain lions and bob cats out here, along with desert rattlesnakes, but I have yet to see any. Continue reading “Living in a Glass House”
When I was a kid, I thought the phrase “Do Not Spit on Sidewalk” was an admonishment to practice good ma
nners, especially in public. I didn’t realize the dark history that lay behind it until I read The Remedy: Robert Koch, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Quest to Cure Tuberculosis
You know that cactus you’d see in cowboy cartoons when we were kids? You know, the ones with arms that were usually talking or slapping some dopey cowboy in the head? I pictured them as part humorous creature, part plant. That’s what went into my kid brain, and it hadn’t changed much since.
That is until I saw the real McCoy’s in Tucson AZ this past winter near Saguaro National Park, home to the Saguaro cactus. Continue reading “Riding in the Saguaros on the Arizona Trail”
The good news is you can learn to ride your bike in new ways, no matter how old you are. That’s what I learned during one our first stays in West Texas after a life of living in snow country for the winter. I’ve been riding a bike since I was a little kid. I remember the first two-wheeler I rode and exactly where I wiped out, Continue reading “Bike Riding for Grownups”
Lately, I’ve found a way to sit still (which is hard), challenge myself, keep my brain tuned up, relax AND waste time all at once – Scrabble on the iPhone. I just uploaded it on my iPhone and have to say it’s come a long way since the first versions of a few years ago. This Scrabble app, which cost under ten dollars, is designed for players of all levels, beginner to expert. It works pretty much like the actual board game, so you can be playing in no time. You can also choose to play against other online players or against the computer.
The great thing about this app is that you can release your inner Scrabble geek Continue reading “Book Review: Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis – Scrabble Binging at its Best”
Richer Living 