I’ve finally returned home and expect to stay here for another ten days when I will travel to marry one of my grandsons. Earlier this year I got certification as a Marriage Commissioner at the request of my eldest grandson as he wanted me to officiate at his wedding. Now, grandson number two wants the same thing and his wedding will be happening two weekends from now. This adds a certain kind of awe to my role of being a…
Yes, it is hot here on the Canadian prairies. I left early for my planned hike in the hills. For some reason, I packed a litre of water to take with me as I expected it to reach 30 Celsius by the time I finished my hike. I was thankful and avoided dehydration walking in full sunshine for more than two full hours. There was a lot of hill work in the hike and my legs definitely got a hard…
I got to go out for a brisk walk yesterday morning, and by brisk I mean a brisk pace. Normally, my average pace is closer to 11:30 minutes per kilometer. Because of a good number of hills, I decided to throw in some light jogging to mix it up. I use a variety of programs to record time and distance and am finding that I like this app by Under Armour as it has a good display when all is…
I don’t have a lot to report as life is being lived in the “normal” lane, at least normal for me. Free-hiking is on hold, likely for a few more days because of weather, chores, and expected company. At least I have the some freedom in my backyard. So what does normal look like? Well, watering the garden is done au naturel as you can see in this photo. Because we live in a semi-desert climate with not much rain,…
For the past few mornings, it has been quite cool with single digit Celsius temperatures. This morning it was eight degrees out. At least there are no clouds or much of a breeze. I went out for another naturist walk in the prairie hills this morning. One of the things that I have noticed is that I am outdoors almost to the maximum possible. Morning coffee on the deck in our yard happens at 5:00 am [I get up earlier…
Today is my birthday and I have received more well-wishes than I expected. I am seventy-three today. I have friends. In a way, that surprises me. Thankfully, my wife of 51 years is my best friend. Having a life partner makes life easier for me and for most people I know. There are some who make me wonder how they are still together, or who have found safety and peace in retreating into single life. I am blessed with a…
It has been some time since I last talked about meditation. For me, it is all about mindfulness. Now, how do I explain that in a way that makes sense. Typically, people assume that meditation is about drifting into a state of non-being, a trance, or simply going blank. Meditation doesn’t do any of that. Meditation is about clearing out the chatter and noise that typically dominates, especially in quiet times. Thoughts fragment, scatter, and we are typically left with…
Another sunny day and another walk in the hills. Two days ago I walked through this valley and through another area that had just been cut for hay. Once I had cleared this valley and was at the flats between opposing sets of hills, I saw that the other area had been baled. I am fairly certain that this area will either be baled later today or tomorrow which means no naturist hiking tomorrow. Today is the hottest day of…
Well, that was a naturist hike with a difference. I added another km to that total because of an issue. Between the start and the finish, my truck keys had fallen through a hole in my carrying sack. I had a choice to either retrace my steps or walk home where I have a second set of keys. Luckily, about a half kilometre into retracing my steps, I found the truck keys on the path, just steps away from where…
This morning, en route to two chores that were required out of town, I decided to pay a return visit to a highway rest stop not far from town which had been my naturist “go-to” site back in 2011. It was different this time. The rest stop is now barricaded and the place is in a sad state of repair. However, the fence is still standing strong as it does its job of containing the cattle that pasture there from…