one mile

Tuesday or Wednesday in the height of my knee pain I signed up for a winter tree identification workshop and walk for today. And I went.

Progress report -- I haven't taken any Aleve since Friday. Friday was a hard day. I acted normal and by the end of the day I was exhausted. Yesterday was better. Today I "ran" up and down the stairs three times doing the laundry. Okay, ran is a strong word. Stairs are still a challenge. It hurts like hell walking like an adult. Two footing, however works fine. And coming down backwards is fine as well.

The walk was in the Pocono's at the old golf course of the abandoned Pocono Penn Hills Resort. Now it's the Broadhead Creek Heritage site. This is the second golf course to park I've been to. Is this a new trend? The other is Woodland Hills in Saucon. basically a golf course is allowed to return to nature. Water features, green lawns, and sand traps are taken over by native and invasive plants and a path is mowed to walk on. This one doesn't have obvious ruins dotting the landscape.

The path is a one-mile loop where you can see the crumbling buildings in the distance.

The program started at 1. It was run by a volunteer who was a botanist. We heard a lot about trees and how to ID them in winter. I will not remember half of it. Hell, I'll be happy to remember a 1/4. Basically, there are three kinds of trees. There is a horizontal leaf (needles) which include spruce, pine, and fir. I can also tell the difference: Pine and fir are "friendly". Spruce is not. They hurt. Fir has short needles. Pine has longer ones.

There is also opposite branch (maples, ash, dogwood and horse chestnut -- MAD horse) Everything else is an alternating branch or a shrub. I also learned why and how rhodies stay green during the winter.

After the lecture, we had to sort buckets of branches by kind, andnd then it was finally time for the walk.

It really wasn't much of a walk. We stopped at every other plant. That was hard on my knee. I needed to move, not stand. Finally, a group of us broke off and just walked the trail. Here you can see an eagles nest. This will be the fifth year the family has lived there. They've had at least two hatches per year.

This is one of the few remaining relics of the Penn Hills golf course. It's also a short cut for the trail.

This is a cellphone tower. I was excited when I saw it. It meant I had passed the half-way point. Only one more obstacle remained -- a small hill. (Afterall it was a golf course.) I made it up that as well.

I think a mile was plenty. And it was slow. I don't want to push it. I think I'll add difficulty before distance. I was stiff when I got out of the car, but it feels okay now. I think I'm on the mend.

Miles/Steps:                  1 mile 

Weather:                       57, sunny
Bathrooms:                   I-5

Wildlife:                        eagles nest, beaver dams, blue jay. Yep nests and dams aren't wildlife, but they are signs of active wildlife.

Extra:                            The GPS took me on another adventure. It had me get off 33 at 611, and turn onto this little street. I thought I was going into a shopping center at first. I went on some additional small, winding roads and ended up on Route 191. I made one turn and I was there. WTF?

getting better?

I went to school today unassisted. And I parked in the lot and walked up and down the little hill.

During class, I used a low chair to rest my leg on. Sometimes. The high chair doesn't do it for me.
 
One day at a time.

this time it's serious

About a month ago hiking I fell on my left knee. It's not the first time and certainly not the last. An MRI would probably tell a horrific tale of past injuries.

I've been having a little trouble with it, and there was still a bump under it. I've had visions of evil diseases dancing in my head about the bump, but frankly I can't afford to do anything about it. I think 2021 will be the year of the doctor. My medicare kicks in.

I had noticed that my knee bothers me more when I sit a long time. That's actually terrific. Standing and moving are good for me. Friday, however, I sat thru almost my entire three hour class. I got up and damn my knee hurt. I did what I always do -- I walked it off.

Then Sunday I turned it at Hickory Run. I was limping Sunday, and took some generic Advil and felt better on Monday. I went to school and noticed that I was unsteady walking down the hill from the parking lot. And it's not much of a hill.

I took more Aleve before bed, and got up Tuesday and felt fine. Since I shower in the evening, I wash my hair in the morning. I knelt down at the tub, washed my hair and went to get up. Not thinking I used my left leg -- the injured one to pull myself up. Immediately I knew it was a mistake. My knee made a horrible noise like unscrewing a bottle of soda. Then someone stabbed me with mini knife blades. I just was yelling the f-word over and over again. I hopped back to my room and sat on the bed till the pain went away.

I stood up and could barely walk. I held on to the furniture and reached the stairs. How was I going to go down? It wasn't easy and I probably should have gone down on my butt.

I continued to walk and hold on to furniture. Then I went to my ask and graded until it was time for school, taking walk-breaks so my knee didn't freeze up. It was exhausting.

I emailed the dept head and asked how I could get a parking pass for the "circle". It's a five minute pick-up zone for the child care center. I knew if I walked from the lot I wouldn't be able to work. It was downhill going in and uphill going back.

But honestly getting up and down from a seated position is the hardest.

I took my hiking stick into school and used it during class. I stood the whole time, sometimes balancing on one leg and holding something. My knee was feeling better. I talked to people with the same issue and they said the doctor is useless unless something is busted or torn. It wasn't swollen so we guessed that wasn't the case. I should probably brace it.

Now Bonnie has broken a lot of bones and had several replacement parts put in. I called her during break to see if she had a brace. She did. I picked it up after class. She gave me the low-down on how to use it.

When I got home I put it on. I stood up and it fell down. I made it even tighter. It seemed like it was staying. Late I walked to the back porch and it fell down. The brace was a bust.

I took an Aleve and went to bed.

This morning it felt better. I'm walking better. It still hurts.

A little while ago I took a walk to the corner. Then back down.  Unassisted. It was slow going. I felt like I walked a mile. I might have done better if the 'hood was level.

I don't think I need the hiking stick today but I'll take it to school anyway. And I'm going to park in the circle again.

Miles/Steps:                  1 block 

Weather:                       46, windy, sunny
Bathrooms:                   didn't use

Wildlife:                        none

Extra:                            I talked to all the neighbors. I think the roomie might have been getting worried.

f%!k the gps

Today was the Get Out Lehigh Valley walk at Hickory Run State Park. Earlier in the week I invited my international student to come along. She said yes. Today she canceled. I went alone.

Last night when I looked at Google Maps I chose the route from the college. Basically up 33, 115, 940 and you're pretty much there. When she cancelled, I delayed the trip a little too much leaving me only 15 minutes to get lost. I decided to use the turnpike. I set the GPS on the phone with the address 3613 Pa. Route 534. That's the park office address where we were meeting.

I made good time on the turnpike, and was on track to be early. It told me to take the exit for 903. This is a new exit and you need an easy pass to take it. Accidentally, I pulled into the service plaza. That confused the GPS all to hell. Then the nightmare began.

I returned to the turnpike and was about to get off the exit, when she told me to go straight to the 940 exit. Okay, that's fine. I should have listened to my gut and not the GPS bitch.

I get off the 940 exit, west, and I hear the lady say make a u-turn. WTF? Who in the world would make a u-turn back onto the turnpike. The large brown sign says that I should be turning right for the park. I'm about two miles down and GPS lady is having a hissy fit. Every few feet she is telling me to turnaround. I was 4 miles away. I finally decide that if isn't recalculating, then I will turn around, maybe the meeting place is accessible from the other direction. But I know heading east we reach Blakeslee and that's 115, not 534. I'm puzzled. I'm almost at Mosey Wood Road (I can walk to boulder field from the Girl Scout Camp) and the GPS wants me to turn around and go west again. I didn't see a turn.  I looked at the GPS. I was still 4 miles away.

I turn around and head west again. I'm almost at McDonalds and she tells me to turn right. I took the first right after McD's and ended up back on the turnpike. F this. I should go home. It's now 1:00. In 30 sections I'll be late. I'm about a mile down the road and the GPS says, "You have reached your destination. I WAS ON THE TURNPIKE. The address clearly said Route 534. The GPS lady is not only a bitch, she's also stupid.

I get off the 903 ext and she starts to talk again.  Thank goodness she isn't sending me back the turnpike. This trip was getting expensive. I would not have gone anyway. I decided to see where this took me. At the light I looked at the GPS again and I was 4.5 miles away. It's been ten minutes and I'm further away than when I started. This time the GPS took me into the park. At the Hickory Run State Park sign she told me I arrived. Again.

I still wan't at the park office. I wasn't even 100% sure I was on Rt. 534. At this point I gave up. I decided to stay on "534"until I reached 940 and just go home. I stopped in a lot but they weren't there. More wasted time. Half-way to 940 I saw the park office. It was 1:17 and they were gone. Unlike the Lehigh Valley group the Carbon group is punctual.I went thru all the effort to get there so I decided to go walk on my own. I wanted to be back by about 2:30 so I was there when they returned. I wanted my stamp.

I parked and walked for a half-hour in one direction on a paved trail, and returned. I did not want to wander the unfamiliar woods alone.

I saw a trolls house. Nobody was home.

There was patches of ice in the forest and on the road. I was near the glacial shelf. I passed an old chapel. It was quiet and pretty.

Another reason I didn't go into the woods was that I was afraid of seeing a bear. I got it in my head that it's been so warm I thought they might be awake.  I have noticed over the last three years I am becoming afraid of everything.

I was returning to the parking lot and trying to decide if I should follow a trial into the woods when I caught my foot in a depression and twisted my leg. Damn. My knee hurt. I was able to walk back to the car. I hobbled over to the park office and it wasn't open. It's only open during the week in winter. Odd, because my guess is people are in the park on weekends. All the times I've been at Hickory Run and I've never stamped my passport.

As I was limping toward the trail I saw the group returning and returned with them to the parking lot.

This trip/walk was a nightmare from start to finish. I should have stayed home and graded.

Miles/Steps:                  2.5 miles 

Weather:                       39 on the mountain, partly cloudy
Bathrooms:                   P-2.5. It was very close to being a 1.5

Wildlife:                        none seen or heard in the park.

another walk to the doctors

Today was a follow-up day for the eye doctor. I think this little mile circle I make will be part of my regular routine for the next few weeks. It's an expensive walk at $100 a pop.

The pressure is down in my right eye so they can do the surgery now. Then we'll see if I've lost my vision in it. I'm hoping for perfect sight. But I am a realist and understand nothing will probably change. I will be an one eye teacher. Just so the other one doesn't go.

The surgery is scheduled for March 9th, spring break. The kids go to Fort Lauderdale. I go to Delaware Avenue. It will be about $5K I'm guess. Dr. is about $3K, surgery center $1.1K, I'm guessing they anesthesia is about 500. That leaves $400 for prescriptions. Eye drops are forking expensive.

Sunday and Monday I did the loop down to the supermarket.

Not much of a walking week. I've. back in my negative rut. If someone has an idea how to pull me out, let me know.

tail on the trail winter challenge kickoff

The Tail on The Trail people hold their winter 30/30 challenge in February (30 days, 30 miles). Today was the kickoff and it was well attended. The instructions said to meet at the Environmental Education Center. The lot was full and I attempted to go in but nobody was there. A lady came out of the bathrooms and said they were in the main parking lot. I headed down to the parking lot. The path had some serious erosion.

After signing in we waited. And waited. They finally started about 15 minutes late. While I was waiting I asked the walk leader if we were headed into the woods. The creek trail is wide and gravel. The woods trails are natural and sometimes steep and rocky. She said we were headed into the woods.

I walked back to the car and got my walking stick. It was wet and I wasn't falling. A minute or two after I returned they started the walk.

They went down the creek trail. The wide gravel one. I didn't need the stick. The walk leads power walked the whole group. I finally broke away and took pictures of the ice rocks. GOLV walks stop too much. This walk didn't stop at all.

Since I stopped for pictures I often walked alone. Occasionally meeting up with people who also stopped for whatever reason. I was thinking while walking that Calandra's cheese was not too far out of the way. I wonder if I had enough cash in my wallet. Lasagna would taste good. And right now I have room in the freezer for a second.

At the parking lot we turned around and went back. The improvements to that small lot are really nice. I returned to the beginning, grabbed a tangerine and left.

Miles/Steps:                  2 miles 

Weather:                       36, windy, partly cloudy
Bathrooms:                    didn't use

Wildlife:                        none seen or heard in the park.

Extra:                            I did stop at Calandras for cheese. As I went to pull out I saw at least a hundred snow geese (Anser caerulescens) in the field next door. The wildlife missing at the park was all here. I think this year I am going to middle Creek to see the migration. It should begin in 2-3 weeks. I don't want to go on a weekend. Too crowded. But if I go Monday or Wednesday I might be able to do it. It's a less than an hour thirty to get there. (near Adamstown) and the best time is sunrise or sunset. Sunset is always impossible but sunrise is very doable. And I'd be home before noon. We'll see

Extra too:                   After shooting the snow geese I headed south on 191. My destination was Walmart to get Girl Scout cookies. There are always little girls selling cookies in front of Walmart. I pass the bridal place and see a Girl Scout sign in a parking lot. The Brownies have a tent pitched and are selling cookies. Yeah, no Walmart!