MONDAY, May 6, 2019

Weight: 140.0
Macros: Calories - 1,088, Carbs - 86, Fat - 24, Protein - 115, Fiber - 21
Sleep: 7 hours
Veggie/Fruit Servings: 9
Water glasses: 4
Exercise: 7,000 steps, 1 hour mowing, 1 hour heavy gardening, 15" yoga@home
Meditation: Yes

Boy, what a beautiful day yesterday was! We've had so much rain here this spring that everything's growing like topsy! Every fall I think, "I need to fertilize the fields." And every spring, I think, "OMG, I'm so glad I didn't fertilize the fields!"

Yesterday we got so much work done. My regular landsman who helps me around here brought over his friend who's a tree expert. They worked hard for seven hours--climbing up live trees and trimming dead branches, cutting up and clearing out a huge fallen tree, weed-eating, blowing/raking more leaves, digging up dead shrubs, etc.

In the morning I pulled weeds in driveways (ground is still quite wet), then picked up some HEAVY downed timber in a lovely little "park" in the middle of some woods, and mowed the park, all the trails, roadsides, and around a field I've loaned to my neighbor for an early hay cutting. At noon I made a Del Taco lunch run for the workers, since my refrigerator offers nothing that would interest people who aren't WLS patients trying to lose NOLA regain. After lunch, I passed out in my chair for over an hour's nap--not my intention, but it didn't seem to affect my sleep last night.

Today and tomorrow I've got more mowing to do, because after Wednesday's eye surgery I'll be sidelined from mowing for a while (no heavy cleaning or dusty conditions, I was told after the first eye surgery). Later today I'll go town and get a tire fixed.

To everything there is a season--no high-toned balls or restaurants or dinner parties around here, eh?

Today's theme (DianeS advised this recently): Accept all help offered. :)

Two more days until clear sight for you! And you joined Shirl in getting it all done. Reading your description of the spring growth makes me hope it will be green when we get home in two weeks. Everyone in Massachusetts has been complaining about the rain as well so hopefully it will be finished with that phase and everything will be growing.

SIL had a pretty good weekend, but her feet are quite swollen so it is hard for her to walk. Maybe related to the fluid they had to drain from her heart?

Today I really should start doing some box packing. I plan to ship two boxes of clothing home (mostly mine). DH only needs a few shorts and shirts to be sent as he has plenty of printed tee shirts and Hawaiian shirts at home. I on the other hand have a lot of things that I don't duplicate but want to wear in both places... We only bring one carry-on and Justice on the plane because it is too difficult to manage large suitcases with DH.

Maybe some pool floating in the afternoon as well on this hot humid day (if no showers).

Have a motivated Monday!

Liz, when you ship clothes/stuff back and forth between Florida and Connecticut, what service do you use -- and how much does it cost and how long does it take to arrive?

I've done it twice and used UPS. The first year I had an enormous box which weighed about 70 pounds and it cost $100. This fall I broke it up into 5 much smaller boxes plus one larger one with one-way items and it cost $215! I'm shipping 2 boxes which should equal the first year box in total weight but be more manageable to lift this year so I will let you know the $. I'm guessing more than $100 but hopefully way less than $215. It took 2-3 work days for delivery: The first time I think I shipped on a Tuesday and it arrived on Thursday. The second time I think I shipped on a Thursday and it arrived on a Monday.

ETA: Way cheaper to do a couple of suitcases but I just can't manage.

Thanks, Liz. That's very good, helpful information.

138.2

I shudder to think how many hours it would require to clean up our property. We are more or less the "meadow maintenance yard" type of people. Think primitive landscaping. A conscious choice to retain a regionally accurate yard, or for ecological purposes? That's what, tongue in cheek, I might tell people. The real reason is more likely because tending to yard business is just not high on our list of priorities. I so admire property owners that take pride and joy in grooming and playing in their yards. You go, Ann.

The reason I go to so much trouble maintaining all this is because I'm following in my husband's deep footsteps. He worked very hard to turn ten acres of buckbrush pastures into productive fields and a beautiful yard. The vistas from all the windows, doors, porches, patios and deck are truly lovely.

However, another fifteen acres of the property are woods, and I don't mess with those because the critters around here and Mother Nature have got that figured out. I also leave the woods alone because I'm surrounded by cattle farmers who like to hunt, and all the cute critters prefer to spend more time with me than them. :)

Of course, in addition to the significant spiritual benefits I receive from living in such a beautiful spot, the property is an important asset I'll have to sell one day when I can no longer keep it up or when a different lifestyle becomes necessary or more attractive.

Life is sure interesting. In my youth I'd never have imagined this would be how I'd want to be living at this age. Of course, in my youth I couldn't imagine anything about being this age.

Hiya!

Ann, your property sounds lovely...and getting lovelier by the day with your hard work. I'm glad you bring in Del Taco fueled muscle men for at least some of the heavy lifting.

DD, wow, so much packed into your life! Congratulations on DH's graduation. Don't you just love watching those kiddos launch themselves into life?

B150, you are certainly in my thoughts, much well wishes flowing your way. To Fergus too....and also to all of you with struggling family. Peps? Looking forward to an update when you have a chance.

Shirl, I always look forward to your morning posts. So much going on at the farm! How far is the commute between your two homes?

DianeS, how is your collection coming for your showcase?

Training and not-getting-other-stuff-done is overwhelming me. My parents are coming in just a few weeks and I have a bunch of stuff to accomplish before then. DD is graduating, soon. Geez Louise!

Couple of pics from hike this weekend. Lovely at the very top, otherwise a slog thru dark, dark woods.

Gitter done!

Shel

Shel, is the big peak in that second photo Rainier?

I gotta admit that your recent conversation with that 77-year-old lady who summited thirty-some-odd years ago after falling into a crevasse sorta freaked me out! So this weekend I did some research about Rainier attempts, summits, and mishaps to learn more about your upcoming adventure.

I learned that, since 1897, 425 deaths on Rainier have been recorded. That sounds like a lot, but it's fewer than 1 in 1,000 or 0.01% of all climbers.

Yeah, it's not as safe as going through a McDonalds' drive-through, but much safer than attempting an Everest summit or driving in the Indy 500 with a driver fatality rate of 0.39% (that's a rate of 40 in 1,000), plus even more fatalities among pit crews and spectators.

Not that fatalities are the only or best stats to focus on.

So how about these stats ... the National Park Service site reports stats that predict you've got a better than 50-50 chance of summiting. From 1950-2018, roughly 440,000 people have attempted to climb the mountain and 236,000 have succeeded--a success rate of 54%. :)

Not that you don't know ALL this stuff already, but I thought this might help us all follow you as you ascend Rainier!

Please remind me again when this is happening?!

Yes, that is Rainier. I travel on 6/22 and that afternoon they go over equipment. I think 6/23 is mountaineering school on the side of the mtn. 6/24 is going up to camp muir. 6/25 is sort of flex day, probably more school but could head up to summit if 6/25 doesn't look good from a weather stand point. 6/25 is planned summit day (which would start about 1am in morning) (ETA, I just realize these dates don't look quite right....I'll fix later tonight)

I deliberately signed up for 5 day to so there were 2 potential summit days.

I love this research! Yes, I have seen much of that but don't mind hearing/seeing it again. By the way, that 77 year old summited after her scare so she was successful. I wish you could have seen the mirth in her eyes that lasted thru our entire encounter. Honestly, if you can't laugh at that story you probably shouldn't be going up. (I am fearful, too....I'm not fearless!)

Among the guided groups, someone once told me that the most common reason not to summit is because the guide determined the person wasn't fit enough to go up. On the first day, you are wearing 40 lbs and trudge up to Camp Muir at 10,000 feet. For the guides, part of that day is accessing fitness.

After that, the most common reason for not summiting is weather.

My guide service (RMI) has a website where you can see which groups got to the top and how many summited. Before I picked a date, I went thru EVERY SINGLE POSTING for the previous year!