The Years To Remember

 Sunday - The last warm day (50's!) before more normal temps appeared, so I texted a friend about her trip to Costa Rica and we made a plan to walk so I could hear all about it. Cost Rica sounds so nice - Covid cancelled a trip there in April 2020 and I just never made a plan to go. I did manage nine miles walking  today and started logging my distances - I do love data.  The water power plant at the end of the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve on the Mohawk River. Monday - I made a tough financial decision this morning which will cost me dearly, but almost immediately I felt my stress and anxiety start to abate. Sometimes peace of mind is much more valuable than money.  Then I looked at my eye and noticed it looking worse after 3 days of antibiotics. A trip to the Opthamologist - a new one as mine retired last year. He gave me a few tips but said all was fine with my eyes and did my annual eye tests so I guess that is one more thing off the To Do List. I'm pleasantly su...

 Thursday - Rather than drive 58 miles to hike 3 miles, I elected to drive 10 miles over to the Pine Bush Preserve and hike 4 miles. The only downside was doing it solo as no one else was free. The temperature was a balmy 48 so I took my jacket off early on and snapped a few photos. It was a lovely little walk in the woods. The Pine Bush is an old formation of sand dunes formed about 15,000 years ago. It makes a great place to hike when everywhere else is wet and muddy. The sand dries within minutes of getting wet. The Pine Bush is a unique ecosystem with pine trees and scrub oak. Prescribed burns keep the vegetation low around the pines. These show burn marks from past fires. Approaching the highest point in the dunes. The endangered Karner Blue which calls the Pine Bush home. I'll be back in the spring to see them emerge. They are very pretty, but about the size of my thumb nail. My family appears to be imploding over my Mom's estate. Lots of stress and sadness; I know this w...

 You know that dream when you're trying to run but it feels like you're walking through quicksand; you are pushing hard, but getting nowhere? That is how my days feel. Medical appts, hair appt, taxes, and the rest of daily life, but I don't feel like I'm making any progress. I especially don't want to socialize much. I've just cancelled another hike because I just don't want to go. No other reason.  The lake is finally frozen thick enough to make ice fishing possible, but those ice holes in the foreground make me wonder how safe that is. My face is a bit of a mess after the dermatologist visit. Three biopsies, three liquid Nitrogen freezes, and I look like I've been in an accident. And a random eye infection which I'll have to deal with soon if it doesn't clear up. My visit to the dentist to get my crown ended badly. The crown was not made properly, so the temp had to be re-cemented and another appointment to get the permanent one. The ENT visit ...