changes

I wasn't sure where I was going to walk today.

My sister asked where I was going. Upon answering I am guaranteed to have a list of errands to do in that area. I gave her two choices, and of course she had requests.

Here's the list I ended up with:
Pharmacy
Supermarket
Walk

Plus I wanted to see the new "Muffler Man" statue on 309. I love a roadside oddity. Once, when I was in Kentucky, I drove to Indiana to see giant Santa Clauses. I'm fairly sure I posted about it, but it must have been in the old blog that went out of business.

I decided to do the Saucon Rail Trail but start in Coopersburg. From the park I could walk to all those places.

I parked in the lot and surveyed the area. I figured it would be about a mile to do the square, so I'd walk less on the trail. I headed to the trail and looked left. The roadblock was gone. I went left. It only went about two more streets over, maybe a half mile, but it is inching it's way to Quakertown.  Although the cement barricades were up, it looked like the trail could easily continue. I'm sure it's right of way issues.

I turned around and headed back, past the entrance trail I came in on and headed east toward Center Valley. About a mile in I turned around and came back.

Then I walked across the field to take photos of Muffler Man. It's at an ice cream shop (I didn't go in!) so he's holding a chocolate cone, and a scooper, and wearing a bakers paper hat. Though he is kind-of angry looking.

From the Inside Scoop I headed north on 309 and went to the Giant. Since the to the Giant had what she wanted from the pharmacy, I didn't need to cross 309 to the other shopping center. Then it was back across the field to the parking lot. My bag was a little heavier than I planned. Of course I bought too much.

On the way home I stopped in Center Valley. I wanted to see if the trail went thru yet. It stops for maybe two blocks and starts again. This is clearly a right of way issue. If it's ever solved, this trail could be used for a Volkssport bike route.

Miles/Steps:          4.25
Weather:               38, overcast
Bathrooms:           Port-o-potty in front of the locked comfort station

time to start anew

The new year begins in three days. I'm ready to kiss 2018 goodbye. What about you?

For me 2018 was a year of failures in pretty much all aspects of my life — housing, eating, exercising, finances, relationships — the list could go on and on.

Bottom line. Things h-a-v-e to change. The events of this week were a neon message from the cosmos written on the wall. To ignore it would be foolish.

I can't control things like housing. Living alone is not an option, and I think the temporary refuge I "offered" my niece and her dog have become permanent. It's been a year. Since I cannot afford to move, I have to make the situation work without killing myself in the process.

My roommates stash.  She's lost 150 pounds eating this way. They are jumping on me!

First and foremost I have to stop eating like a garbage truck. After years of weeding out junk food out of my house, my house again looks and feels like the non-nutritional food section of the grocery store. There is so more more than is pictured. Sugar and carbs are everywhere. Meals have protein and starch because I'm the only one who eats veggies and salad.

Goals: Return to eating vegetables every day.  (The roomies hate veggies.) Greatly reducing sugar and simple carbs...again. (Oh how they love soda, candy and white pasta!) And basically just stop eating so damn much ... after all that work to stop, my grazing habit is back. And my soda habit too.

I'll have to find the little routine that I had that stopped me from grazing. I'm sure it's here somewhere—my comfy, well lit spot to sit and draw and watch television and block off what's going on around me. Right now I lack inspiration to do anything. Even type these blogs.

Looking at the stats on this blog I can see that my readership has tanked. I've had 16 views since September first and I'm going to guess many of them were my views to copy/paste the stats box. Why? Because there is no content. Why is there no content? Because I'm not doing anything to generate content. The goal here is simple. Thirty minutes of exercise every single day no matter the weather. Aqua Zumba starts Wednesday but I'll only be able to go one day. I have classes Wednesday nights. And I'm searching for a free class on New Years Day. Or maybe a First Day walk.

Big goal: Find a part-time job. I've talked about it for at least a year. I'm blowing thru my savings and I'm not putting anything in.  In this job market it sounds easy to get a job, but it won't be with my crazy schedule. I don't want to work retail and handle money. But stocking shelves would be fine. Or warehouse work. Maybe overnight? Something that has me constantly on the move would be fantastic.

So that's it. Simple, right? Eat less, move more, reduce stress and generate more income. And maybe find some readers. That would be nice.

We'll see how it goes.

not dead yet

Wednesday was a bad day. I really felt crappy, and I talked myself into believing I was having a heart attack. Alas, I survived the night, and the pain in my upper back was gone in the morning ... well mostly. It's been two days now and a little pain remains.

Yesterday I walked on the D&L from Bethlehem towards Freemansburg. It was a beautiful day and there was no algae in the canal. Alas, there was lots of trash. Zoom in on the picture. The tree and it's reflection are framing an island of trash. I'd rather it was the island of mis-fit toys.

I was happy to see that t

he canal trail was also fairly busy so if I did collapse, someone might call 911. Lots of bikes and dogs.

I was hoping to see the giant turtle, but alas, I didn't. Nor did I see any little ones. Too cold I guess.

Today I had plans to walk at the Parkway, but it's pouring. I don't think that will happen. Instead I went to visit an old friend. Talked for four hours. Her health is declining and it got me thinking that I need to get my ass in gear and get back on the healthy me wagon. We're the same age and I don't think she'll see 2020. That's a scary thought.

Guess I need to work on my goals for 2019.

Miles/Steps:          2.5
Weather:               40, SUN! 
Bathrooms:           locked
Wildlife:                a pair of Mallard ducks

is a heart attack looming?

I feel like shit today. And I'm obsessing over whether it's a heart attack in the making or not. I watch too much television. Most people, especially the ones with health insurance would go to the doctor. I went for a walk. I figured if I returned it wasn't a heart attack.

Anyway, today I got up, got dressed and headed downstairs. I parked my ample butt on the couch with the paper, read it, and went to get up. I had this horrible pain in my left shoulder, in the back. Now a few weeks ago I would have thought I slept wrong. But about three weeks ago I was watching a tv-show called 9-1-1 and the "life coach" character says my shoulder hurts and immediately had a heart attack.

Lydia came in from walking the dog, and told me there was something unusual at the top of the hill. I thought this was a good test. Up hill puts more strain on the heart. I put on my shoes and went up. It was a school bus stuck in the alley. Not really exciting. It happens a couple times a year. But I made it home without collapsing, so I planned my walk.

Usually when I head out for a walk I give a general idea of where I'm going—D&L, IRT, Nor-Bath —not really any details. This is considerate, and if any errands need to be done it gives others in the house a sense of the direction I'm headed. But because of the heart attack obsession I was specific. I'm going to the Saucon Rail Trail starting at Water Street Park, and then coming back Main Street and stopping at Saylor's and the bank. I think I said it three times. If I didn't come back at least they knew the general area to look.

Water Street Park has being renovated over the last few years. I guess the last thing to do was put up the fancy new sign.

I parked the car  and was easily distracted by the paper birch (Betula papyrifera) trees peelings. It doesn't take much to distract me.

I walked thru the lot and before I even reached the trail I was distracted by the creek. Eventually, I headed toward Bethlehem.

And was distracted a final time by an old railroad signal that I've seen a zillion times before.

When the trail ended I walked up the hill to Main, and back main with the stop at the bank and the butcher. When I arrived at the town square, I crossed and returned to the park.

As  I reached the fence I saw what I thought was a yarn bombing. But it wasn't. It was scarves and hats for people who needed them. My sister should participate in this. The fence would be full!

I made it back. No heart attack. Yet. So maybe I pulled something. Or maybe it's a warning sign. Who knows. Every time I stress myself out and go to the doctor it's nothing and I waste $200. So I have to feel a lot worse before that happens. Maybe I'll take some ibuprofen. But probably not.

I'm glad Bonnie doesn't read this anymore, she'd be calling and reading me the riot act. and dragging me to the doctor by the ear. She goes to doctors like some people go to the mall. A lot.

Miles/Steps:           2.5
Weather:                43, SUN! 

my first "walk" in 10 days.

It's disgusting, I know. It's not like I've totally sat on my butt and did nothing, but I just haven't made time for myself to actual take "a walk". I have a ton of excuses but they really don't hold water, except for all the rain. So we shall try again with the 31 days of January. The rules are simple. Get my fat ass out of the house for a minimum of 30 minutes every day.

I'm also going to stop eating like a junk machine. In the last 6 months my diet has gone to Hell in a hand basket. It's time to stop. I've pretty much undone all the progress I made in the last 10 years!

I couldn't pick a place to go. Didn't want to do the hood. Didn't want to go anywhere near a mall or shopping center. And I wanted someplace where it's Christmasy. There's no Christmas at my house and I miss it. (You'd think I'd be over it ... it's been 15 years of no Christmas.)

On a happier note I have been going to the movies every Friday. First week we went to the Nutcracker & the Four Realms and last Friday The Grinch. It's the Roxy, so it's only $3. The Grinch was better than the live action, but not as good as the 1965 cartoon. The Nutcracker, well it wasn't The Nutcracker. It was okay. It had elements but the Sugar Plum Fairy turned out to be evil! Maybe it was good if you didn't see the real thing before. But honestly I got to watch Misty Copeland dance for a full five minutes. So it was well worth the three bucks. Lincoln Center is not in my budget.

Back to walking. I really wanted to do the short trail up to the star. I've done it once from Mountain Road, but there are huge signs that say no trespassing.  I heard there's a way to get there from Lehigh but I don't know it.  I really don't like exploring alone.

So what to do? I walked around the hood talking on the phone with my sister Barb. It was not an exciting walk or Christmasy but it went quickly since I had someone to talk to.  It was out Broadway, back Delaware, down Wyandotte and home. On the way back I ran into Violet the cat lady sitting on her porch. I haven't seen her since early summer. I feared she was dead. (She has many health issues.) But she is alive and well and waiting for her cigarettes to be delivered.

However, I need to take Sharon from her job at the senior high rise to Dave's house at 7. I think we'll take the scenic route, park on Hamilton, and take pictures of Allentown at night. The PPL always looks good. And the arena is sure to be decorated. Yesterday when I took my great nephew to see Pip The Mouse at the Liberty Bell Museum, I noticed the monument was lit up. It was ugly but lit. Yep, this is sounding like a plan.

BTW Aqua Zumba is starting Wednesday nights at the high school in Hellertown beginning in January. It took four months before it was cleared. Last term I didn't work on Wednesdays and I could have went. Of course this term I teach Wednesday nights. Drats.

Miles/Steps:           2.5
Weather:                41, SUN! 

clearly the 31 days of december can't happen.

I didn't walk at all on Sunday. But Monday I did walk in Fountain Hill.

Tuesday, after class, I went to the Pohatcong Creek Natural Area and Hiking Trail. It's in Washington, NJ and about 3 miles from school. I almost drove past it. It's probably my last after-school adventure now that the school year is winding down.

PCN has a fenced in arboretum featuring native plants of New Jersey. Of course, it's December, and nothing was blooming. A trip back in spring might be appropriate. The creek runs through to the property, and then I saw two trails. A white and a blue. I took the white and it went east, fairly straight back.

I walked a while and came back and took the blue a bit. This one crossed the bridge and went deeper into the woods.

I didn't explore that far. Time was short, and I was alone in strange woods in a different state. I also didn't have on hiking boots. Several areas were very muddy.

Wednesday I didn't walk at all, again. I spent the day doing errands and playing Uber driver for my family.

Today, was Portfolio Review. I walked a lot -- nearly four miles -- but did go very far.

Clearly walking the 31 days of December hasn't worked out.

days 6-7

I didn't even make it a week posting everyday. Oh well. Let's try again. But at least I walked both days.

Yesterday I left WCCC and headed into Easton. I parked and walked around downtown. I was looking for a new mural and couldn't find it. As I was leaving, I saw it. I didn't go close enough to the highway.

Today Lydia and I went to downtown Bethlehem to walk and window shop. We walked up and down Main Street, Broad street, thru both floors of the Commons, the new Moravian Book Store, and the Christmas Market huts, We also explored the decorations at the hotel, but most of the coolest rooms were closed for private parties.

I feel like tomorrow should be Allentown, so I do the three cities. Not sure. I have shelter duty at 4, and then again at 4 am Sunday. It's cold. It will be packed.

 The south side tree lit up is a little prettier

day 5

Small walk today but I pulled myself away from this mound of grading and did it. And it was freakin freezing. We went over to the Industrial quarter and Johnston park. Lydia and the dog came along.

Walking, my sock slipped into my shoe. My foot became an ice pop!

Not a single Christmas decoration in the industrial quarter.

day 4

No Christmas picture today. Actually no walk either. I decided to go to  Roaring Rocks Park, and was looking for the entrance. I saw a trailhead : Richard Flint Natural Area Hiking Trail. It looked fairly well-marked but it was a hike. It also had a sign about ticks. I was certainly not prepared for that.

I decided to take a trail map from the box. It was a fully enclosed box, like a mailbox. Walking to the car I opened it. There were two ticks inside the folded brochure. A large one and a small one. Note to self, don't go there without tons of protection.

Looking for information on the trail I found a blog called Gone Hikin'. It has a photo of the signs at two additional parks in that section of forest. No wonder I couldn't find Roaring Rocks.

No walk for me today.

The term will be over in three classes. I'll have to find another town to explore—the Pohatcong Native Arboretum. I think I'll go the last day of class. I won't have a time constraint since my other classes will be over.

day 3

When I arose this morning it was bright and sunny and warm. I did the laundry and hung it out it was that warm. I had a lot of grading. I decided to grade one school, then do my webinar, and then head out on my walk. By the time I left at 1:30 the weather had gone south. It was windy and down to 50. It was also cloudy and icky. Timing is everything.

I headed to south Bethlehem. They had hung some new tacky decorations that I decided would be this posts photograph.

My first stop was the Comfort Suites. I had to drop off the cookies from the Volkssport group. The ethnic trees are always up at this time of year, but there was only about eight.  I was so disappointed. They have split them up across several venues.

I left the hotel and headed east across the parking lot toward the new building. I think they call it the Greenway Commons. They had put up a fake tree under the overpass, and 50s garland across the road. (It's not bad during the day, but at night it's got a couple lights that you can't see. It looks silly.)

They also put these swags along the greenway. They don't light up.

Bethlehem decorations used to be classy. Now they are headed toward tacky. The Fahy and Minsi Trail bridges have stars on all the lampposts. 3rd and 4th street have stars and wreaths. Corners still have trees, mostly artificial, though the Hill to Hill has real trees.  I miss the classy decorations.

But I digress.  I headed down the greenway and then came back Third street.


Miles/Steps:           1.5
Weather:                 51, cloudy, windy

day #2

Today I walked in Fountain Hill. It was rainy and damp and in my current mood I would have just stayed home. See this challenge works! Good thing no one on my block is really decorating much, or I'd be in a tight spot.

Nobody has really decorated in Fountain Hill yet either. Clearly we as a whole are old school. Or Grinch.

YJod od yjr Jeter triangle and the borough tree. Don't blink, you'll miss it. I think the mailbox might be bigger. You can see by the brown grass that the tree used to be much larger. It was at least as high as the creche painting.  Probably closer to the height of the flag pole.

As soon as the tree has some mass, they cut it down. About every 15 years. The twins were babies the last time it was done. It just looks silly. But I guess it's better than nothing.

On Facebook I saw a post for Goschenhoppen Pennsylvania German Christmas Market in Green Lane. I decided to go. The post said it featured traditional Pennsylvnia German decorations.

Pat decided to ride along so I didn't venture far from the folk art museum.

You climbed the stairs outside, to climb a set of about 20 stairs inside to the second floor. At one time the building was a church. There was an organ, a massive pulpet,  and a stage! There was only a handful of vendors and I could have spent a fortune.

The hand crafts were beautiful. This is one of the trees. All the trees were decorated in paper, features and other upcycled items. You should see what they did with sweet gumballs.

I climbed to the third floor for more Belsnickle and Nativities, as well as items in the museums permanent collection.

Miles/Steps:           1.5
Weather:                49, drizzle

the 31 days of december— #1

Today is December first, so my blog post will all feature seasonal decorations. But todayswalk was in the forest. No decorations. So I'll start with the swag I put on my door. I hung it this morning. I made it two weekends ago at Hgh Moore Park.

golv: merrill creek reservoir

Today was the Get Out Lehigh Valley walk at Merrill Creek Reservoir. I've waited to do explore this place, about 4 miles from WCCC because I knew it would be hiking, rather than walking.

Merrill Creek Reservoir is a 650-acre artificial lake surrounded by 290 acres of protected woodland and fields. The trails winds through forests, early succession fields, evergreen plantations and wetlands. The reservoir is 72 meters (235 feet) deep.  We couldn't take pictures of the dam or any building, including the visitor center, because it's is a protected water source! The land was donated by Ingersoll Rand back in the day.

Snow geese and other migrating birds congregate here in season. Be sure to check out the wildlife count at the end of the post. This time its fowl! (Bad pun, sorry.)

This is a great place to hike. It has everything — visitor center, environmental education, taxidermy birds for easy identification, ruins, clean bathrooms and even a place to fill a water bottle. Oh yeah, lots of trails too. There are 6.7 miles of trails, including a 5.5 mile trail around the lake.

Since there are less and less chimneys in the area, the reservoir is building chimneys for the chimney swifts to live in. This one was built by a boy scout. (Of course it was. Where would parks be without Girl and Boy Scout projects?)

The trails are well marked, which is good for me if I go back. Some of the trails were flooded, even when there was boardwalks. Sometimes the water was over the boardwalks!

This was the last event of the year. I have my minimum 10 stamps. (One couple had 17!) Next event is Stone Soup Hike. One of my favorites. It's been confirmed that Dung will be cooking again.

Miles/Steps:           3.5
Bathrooms:             I-5
Weather:                43, overcast, windy 

Wildlife:                 Golly, I hope I remember it all there was so much fowl. Lets start with the geese. Two v-formations of Canadian ... is that two gaggles. A large gaggle—maybe 200 — of snow geese. A group of bufflehead geese. I think there was six. Then two loons and a picinae woodpecker. (Wow, does he make large holes!). I think I forgot something.

Extra:                     They announced the date of the Stone Soup Hike right before we set out on the hike. Dung, usually stays behind and watches the soup and the pots. People were starting to talk about what to bring. It was a pretty typical conversation. I'm guessing from Dung's name you can tell he's Chinese. He said that American food is bland. We have salt and pepper on the table. He continues tell us that they have S&P as well as soy and ... . And other countries haves spice. It was quite the engaging conversation. That's when he drops the bombshell ... at least for me. He's a chef! But more than that, he cannot cook Chinese food—American style or authentic Chinese. He is a western chef, trained in Seattle. No wonder he won't leave anyone else tend the stone soup.
Extra 2:                  Bald eagles life at this reservoir. We were not near the dam, so we didn't see them. We were given directions and told what path to take. We'd have to drive there and would be rewarded with an eagles nest the size of a bathtub. And maybe, just maybe, the eagles would be home. I set out excited. I make one turn. I make the other turn. By the third turn I'm almost there but the street name was different than on the map. I was on the other side of the lake, but I couldn't find Boat Launch 1. I didn't see the bald eagle nest. Or the eagles. I cmae home.