Pictures from outdoor exercise.
Replies
-
Finished my sixth career path last night with a 16 hour fire watch for the RCMP. I’ll still do the odd guard or fire watch shift if needed, but no longer chained to my phone 24/7 to make sure a guard is in the chair at my detachment.
Time to try this retirement thing.
4 -
I was out in the woods with a friend yesterday. There's a really sweet little spot along the way that usually has someone parked. Nobody was there, so we took a little while to enjoy the cool shade by the creek before we continued our day.
5 -
Brightly colored "plumage" on our home river says "power boat, please don't hit us!". Almost certain this whole quad is 60+ y/o people (photos anonymized for privacy, other than me): Woman at right of photo in stroke seat turns 78 this month. The guy behind her is new, but I think he's over 60; he's at least close. I'm 68, the guy in bow is 62. I think we're holding our own here.
The new guy is doing a particularly good job staying in sync so soon in his first season.
4 -
I was out in the woods with a friend yesterday. There's a really sweet little spot along the way that usually has someone parked. Nobody was there, so we took a little while to enjoy the cool shade by the creek before we continued our day.
This image is like something in a dream... fantastic!!1 -
It's surprising how many of my former coworkers have either signed up to do reservist work (including the guy next to me in the picture). Others have started their own businesses. I was offered a contract as a consultant in my specialty but I declined as I was trying to finish my renovations.Finished my sixth career path last night with a 16 hour fire watch for the RCMP. I’ll still do the odd guard or fire watch shift if needed, but no longer chained to my phone 24/7 to make sure a guard is in the chair at my detachment.
Time to try this retirement thing.
I don't want to be one of those who retires and dies; likewise I don't want to be some of those who keeps working despite being retired. I keep myself active/busy enough without working.
The canoe picture looks amazing...3 -
I was out in the woods with a friend yesterday. There's a really sweet little spot along the way that usually has someone parked. Nobody was there, so we took a little while to enjoy the cool shade by the creek before we continued our day.
This image is like something in a dream... fantastic!!
Parker Creek on Marys Peak. Well, near Marys Peak.I don't want to be one of those who retires and dies; likewise I don't want to be some of those who keeps working despite being retired. I keep myself active/busy enough without working.
Unless there's a terrible accident or a medical issue that was going to hit you irrespective of retirement, I think the "Retire and Die" people go sit on the couch because they don't have hobbies. Their life was only about work. I've had some close calls (I don't like to call them accidents because most could have been prevented), but I have so many things that bring me joy I can't imagine just senescencing. I am surprised at how much work I've agreed to accept in my prime recreation season, and maybe I'll stop that soon. In the meantime, it's really fun and rewarding work, and it helps cushion my finances since I don't otherwise bring anything in.
Ask me about "What do you do?" some time if you want my take on all that.
2 -
At several points in my life, I was fairly close to being a workaholic. Financially rewarding but, in retrospect, I wish I spent more time with my kids. How bad? Between 2001 and 2007, I paid off the $250k mortgage on our house. I was averaging about 4 hrs of sleep per night. Gee, I wonder how I ended up weighing 283 lbs?Unless there's a terrible accident or a medical issue that was going to hit you irrespective of retirement, I think the "Retire and Die" people go sit on the couch because they don't have hobbies. Their life was only about work. I've had some close calls (I don't like to call them accidents because most could have been prevented), but I have so many things that bring me joy I can't imagine just senescencing. I am surprised at how much work I've agreed to accept in my prime recreation season, and maybe I'll stop that soon. In the meantime, it's really fun and rewarding work, and it helps cushion my finances since I don't otherwise bring anything in.
Ask me about "What do you do?" some time if you want my take on all that.3 -
Time to try this retirement thing.
From the sound of things, Mother Nature didn't take your retirement announcement seriously, @Farback
For those who might not have heard, although Hurricane Beryl reduced to being a tropical depression/storm before leaving Texas, it still managed to cause a world of hurt for many folks as it raged up toward New England and then across Nova Scotia... causing flashfloods in many areas, including where Farback lives...
I'm hoping he's doing okay?2 -
Hi Mac
Yeah, the tail end of that hurricane hit us hard. Sudden flash flooding, the worst I’ve ever seen here. Here and gone in the space of a few hours. I spent the best part of the night in a fire truck, working to save or find a missing 13 year old boy swept away in the waters. It didn’t end well.
I had a few young crew with me, and it had a large impact on all of us. At one point my 68 year old frame was rappelling down a ravine to search an area. Risky, but I was the only rope rescue skilled guy at that site. We had a CIS debrief afterwards, It helped many to work out the damage we do to ourselves doing this work.
The boy’s family lives just up the street from me, and one of my granddaughters know his little sisters. Small town. I’m proud to be part of the groups who help others, but as you well know, some days suck.3 -
On a happier note, just after the flash floods, we had two weeks vacation on the coast, a place call ed Green Bay. I had just finished my latest boat, and had it on the water almost every day. There have been two tagged great whites in the area, the guy at the next cottage saw a 10 footer just off the rocks out front. I didn’t see one, and nobody bit my boat.
2 -
I got to help out with the another invasive aquatic plant "Paddle and Pull." My two main jobs were on-water safety and then helping haul the full bags from the area we were pulling out to the area where our canoes were. We were pulling Water Primsose (Ludwigia hexapetala and Ludwigia peploides)
Before:
After:
The results - 55 bags of weeds (and one discarded barrel) no longer in our river:
5 -
Yeah, it gets better it seems, but never totally goes away. I concentrate on healthy living and exercise these days. Only drink on vacations, and then sparingly. I only admit to having a broken brain to trusted friends and family. PTSD seems to be very trendy these days, and while I don’t challenge anyone’s claims, I do wonder if they have any idea what vets and emergency workers have experienced.
There’s a very popular clothing brand around here now called Cracked Armour, connected to this. Part of the profits go to help groups. While I think the intentions are good, I don’t wear my problems on my shirt. Privacy is important to me.
3 -
@farback and @UncleMac, I can't begin to imagine the things you've seen and experienced, and I'm selfish enough not to want to imagine. It's a testament to your humanity that you continued to do those needful, so difficult jobs.
Thank you, sincerely. And Farback, thank you for trusting us enough to share some of that experience here, too.2 -
I think I saw something about that Cracked Armour guy on Facebook. It seems like part of his PTSD recovery involves helping others similarly afflicted... and he raises funds via selling merchandise like t-shirts and ballcaps.There’s a very popular clothing brand around here now called Cracked Armour, connected to this. Part of the profits go to help groups. While I think the intentions are good, I don’t wear my problems on my shirt. Privacy is important to me.
Like you, I don't tend to advertise. A friend asked me recently why I don't have pictures of myself in uniform on Facebook or elsewhere. I said I didn't feel the need to virtue-signal.
I appreciate that, Ann. I like to think each of us should try to leave the world better than we found it. If everyone did that, what a wonderful world it might be.@farback and @UncleMac, I can't begin to imagine the things you've seen and experienced, and I'm selfish enough not to want to imagine. It's a testament to your humanity that you continued to do those needful, so difficult jobs.
Thank you, sincerely. And Farback, thank you for trusting us enough to share some of that experience here, too.3 -
Since I got back from vacation, my daily routine has been up at 07:00, feed the cats and ravens, a one mile trail hike before coffee on the deck, then a couple mile paddle on a nearby power dam pond. I go without pause for a mile, then a leisurely cruise back. Lots of wildlife, and. Peace and quiet.
3 -
3 -
Such a beautiful area and kayak!!
I'm reluctant to show my rough carpentry although I "get" there isn't any real comparison.
The bottom step of the stairs was buried and rotting. Then I had the entrance into the basement installed so they dug close to the stairs to form up the new foundation/stairwell.
When they backfilled the new stairwell, the bottom stair was still buried. Across the winter, their backfilling settled by more than a foot. So after I replaced a couple of rotting deck supports, I tackled the stairs. Literally cut off the bottom step and put a "foot' across the bottom of the stringers. Then I filled and tamped with soil, then a thick layer of gravel and tamped again, finally the patio stones.
The old handrails were literally a 2x4 post topped with another 2x4 up to the deckrail. I put in a pair of 4x4 posts at the bottom and now finishing it up similar to the deckrail.
3 -
I got out for a couple mile evening paddle after a busy day. Met a new friend, a young beaver. After watching for several minutes, I was silently drifting along waiting for him to re-surface. He came up two feet from my boat. He seemed surprised to see me. Big splash of water, soaked me, and gone.
3 -
Once again, I'm going to shamelessly claim that walking the long block from remote parking to the farmers market is "outdoor exercise", so I'm sharing photos from today's walk here.
I've posted about the ice pops before, and seen some interest, so here's today's pop, cantaloupe with a strawberry. It was tasty, a very nice cantaloupe was used. The strawberry's flavor contrasted nicely.
This time, I did take a photo of her whole list of pops available (they change weekly to some extent). She's married to an artisan bread vendor whose bakery is "Stone Circle", hence her stand (established chronologically later) is "Stone Cold"
.
I also took new photos of the interesting lawn decor. This is from the conceptually chaotic but tidy place. What drew my eye was the spear-wielding tiki guy riding on the small Flamingo. I think he's new.
This one is a new set of dyed or painted fabric panels hanging in the conceptually chaotic and untidy place, which usually has a mix of interesting art and visually interesting . . . junk. The smaller central panel isn't light and dark in the way it looks like: There's a shadow of tree branches/leaves making part of it darker.
3 -
Many years ago, I took my ancient SLR camera, determined to get a picture or three of the local beavers around their dam. After waiting a couple of hours and innumerable mosquito bites, I did get some nice pics. Even the sound of my camera taking pics was enough to set them into dive mode.I got out for a couple mile evening paddle after a busy day. Met a new friend, a young beaver. After watching for several minutes, I was silently drifting along waiting for him to re-surface. He came up two feet from my boat. He seemed surprised to see me. Big splash of water, soaked me, and gone.4 -
3 -
@mtaratoot: That photo! Yes, please.
Yesterday on the river especially, but also today, as the weather cools, it's overcast, maybe there's a light rain . . . I feel so much nostalgia for canoe-camping in Northern Ontario with my late husband.
That. Every. Fall. For 26 years now.
I'm not the same quality of canoeist he was. I don't have the confidence (or skills) to solo backwoods canoe camp. (We had so many close calls even as two people in the woods, days from the car!). The friends we used to go with are "too old" (or something).
I miss it.3 -
Waldo Lake.
It's a very special place to me. It's about ten square miles and is the second largest natural lake in Oregon. It's also the second deepest at 420 feet. The outflow is the North Fork Willamette, and that is a very very special place in my heart. Going to Waldo every year is required at least once. More is better. I went last week for work taking folks for a short paddle in kayaks. I go next week in the Big Canoe (29 feet long and holds a dozen paddlers). This one was just for us.
We sometimes pack up canoes/kayaks and paddle across to do remote camping. This time we had reserved a site at a developed campground. It's the only open campground. The other two on the north end of the lake have been closed a couple years. A major fire killed much of the forest up there, and the Forest Service doesn't want people to have dead trees fall on them. Our camp is also the only place to launch a boat currently.
We only stayed one night. We got there early afternoon, got camp set up, then took a short paddle around the south end of the lake. Wind was calm. Air quality wasn't too bad. We got back to camp and had supper, walked down to see if we could see stars reflected in the lake, and just soaked it up. Overnight, the wind shifted, and air quality degraded. It was kind of calm in the morning, so we made a crossing and headed north. It was calm enough we opted to do an open water paddle to the northwest end where we had lunch. It was getting smokier. Right before we landed at the very northwest corner, the wind started blowing from the southeast. The 5.5 miles to our stop at the north end took about two hours. Pace was about 21.6 minutes per mile.
Well, time to fight the wind and head back. We made decent time. I estimate 8-10 Kt wind as there were some whitecaps forming, but not every wave had them. We were heading almost directly into the wind, and that's not all bad. Quartering winds can be a real challenge. We had planned to paddle close to the east shore on the way back if needed due to conditions out on the open water. Instead we just put the paddles to the water and crushed it back to the put in. That was about 6.0 miles, and it took us about 2.6 hours - we were for sure slower into the wind at 25.3 minutes per mile. A passing sailboat told us we were making good time. Fast boats help!
The only good thing I can say about the fire closure is that few folks want to take the initiative to paddle all the way up to the north end. We saw only two other paddle craft. We did see a couple sailboats. I think I need to learn to sail. We had the entire place to ourselves. The smokey air probably also kept folks away. Oh. Yeah. And the wind....
We were about a mile or two from the take-out when we first heard thunder. We wanted to get off the water! And we just made it. We got boats loaded up, and some folks asked me to help them take a sailboat off of their trailer. About the time we were just going to head out, the sky opened up. The hail didn't start until we were in our vehicles heading to make a stop at Salt Creek Falls.
My friend waited until we got to the parking lot for the falls to change clothes rather than try to change in the hailstorm. We walked out to check out the falls because neither of us had been there for quite some time. Then we said farewell and departed back down the mountain to our respective homes - two generations of RAV4 and two nice boats.
We both want to go back again, and maybe we'll load up our gear and go camp far away from the campground and just soak up all the peace and quiet. We remember back when we camped up there and had to chip ice off our boats and pour water on spray skirts to thaw 'em out. Brrr.
3 -
I finally got my buddy out in his canoe yesterday. He's been thinking about buying a drift boat. He was cured of that yesterday when we paddled past one. I think it was his first day in a canoe this year, and I'm hoping to get him out more often.
In between the times it was blowing, we had some nice calm air that let the river glass out a bit and give some nice reflections.
3 -
How about a photo of un-photogenic outdoor exercise, or at least its aftermath? Last night, 3 of us spent about an hour and a half raking weed mats from around the rowing club dock, and hauling them up on shore (with assistance at the end from a 4th person). The weeds make it challenging to launch, especially for new rowers, because they tangle and load down the oars.
The most colorful part happened when we wanted to haul in weeds from further out than we could reach with a rake or even a sweep oar (which is 12 feet or so long). One person went out in a recreational single, "parked" parallel to the dock in the middle of the weed mass, then we towed the boat (by a throw-bag's rope) sideways to the dock, bringing a new mass of weeds within range of the rakes.
Weed clumps were heavy until the water drained out. Functional fitness at its best, I guess? (No, I don't know what the weeds are in botanical terms.)
This is the scene from the morning after, heaps of weeds on the bank, semi-cleared area on the outside of the dock. They'll be back: Taking bets on how long there'll be a benefit of the effort. (Herbicides are sometimes used, but that costs big $$$. Raking is (?) free (?). We tried a boat-mounted weed cutter; took a lot of time, not much return on effort invested.) Before we did this, the outside of the dock looked pretty much like the bank side of the dock still does.
2 -
At some point, I should take a pic of my neighbour's rack of toys (canoe and kayaks) so you can tell me what they are since I have no idea.1
-
I couldn't decide what to do today for my day off with such nice weather. I get to take people rafting tomorrow... in the rain. I wanted to do a downriver canoe trip. I couldn't find a partner. I probably could have found a shuttle, but I slept in.
A buddy suggested putting in at Buena Vista and paddling upstream as far as we could in maybe an hour. I know that stretch of river. We might have been able to get a mile. After that is a steep section that I don't think we'd be able to get past without dragging. And he wanted to go at 09:00. It was still cold at that hour. Buena Vista is a half hour away, so I'd spend as much time in the car as on the water. No bueno. Did I mentioned that I slept in?
Well I did some chores and mid afternoon packed up the canoe and went to the boat ramp about a half mile from my house and pointed the boat upstream. I paddled about two miles in about an hour and a half. I did stop after the first climb which is pretty much right out of the gate. I tossed a lure in the water and got some bites. It's a big lure, so the little fish that were biting didn't really bother me much. I got up past the next two climbs. I got to a shallows that I couldn't get past, but I was able to make the ferry to the other side of the river without washing in to a nasty spot and continued up. I got past the last climb to the island at the water treatment plant. Sweet.
I turned around and drifted back. It took a half hour. I fished a bit. I had to make a little correction to keep from drifting into a strainer, and that's when my lure snagged on a rock. I broke it off and picked the paddle back up for the last seven minutes of the half-hour return trip.
Gorgeous day. Glad I waited. It was warm out. There was one fellow rolling up an inflatable kayak when I was putting in, and one fellow showed up to dunk his power boat to flush salt water out of the engine. I saw nobody else until I was almost back when there were a couple folks letting their dogs swim. I saw a fellow in a fast kayak just putting in while I was taking out. I've met him on trash pick-up events in the past, so we had a chat. Then one other person came to dunk a large boat. That was it.
The wind wasn't bad.
Water level was friendly enough that I was able to make the last climb that I sometimes can't. It was a good day. There was a HUGE hornet nest in a tree right around where I turned around.
3 -
That is a huge hornet nest. Enough to make a person nervous, actually!!1
-
I drifted by slowly, and I didn't see ANY activity at all. Odd. We haven't had a freeze yet. It was a nice warm day. I thought I'd see activity in and out. Nope. I looked for a while, but I also wanted to just drift on by.... I wonder if the queens already left and the nest was abandoned. If it was close enough to the ground to cut down, I'd wait until at least one good freeze because... ouch!2
