Pritikin Forced March

Ron (with sunburn) & Cynthia at Pritikin

31 Mar, Sunday: Happy Easter!  Jesus Christ is Risen Today!  Alleluia!  We ate at Ruby Tuesday again, and we walked again, but we didn't climb the hills in deference to Cynthia's hamstring.

30 Mar:  Onward on I-20 E and I-75 N to Marietta, GA near a Ruby Tuesday (click here), our favorite restaurant with a reliably good salad bar.  The hotel, a Hilton Garden Inn, is in a lovely wooded location with blooming dogwood and azalea.  After a late lunch, we walked for a half mile to find a trail into the woods.  Indeed, there is a trail down into a ravine we chose not to tackle.  Ron is working on the MIT reunion, Cynthia sent Easter emails to half the world, and she did resistance strength building.  The fitness center here looks very nice.

29 Mar:  We had a lovely breakfast with niece Danielle this AM; it is wonderful to see her self-confidence as she runs her father’s business in Perry, Georgia.  She sang the song Tomorrow for us.  Powerful voice.  I want her to record.  We left Perry, GA for Douglasville, enjoying a lovely, pleasant ride with spring bursting forth en route.  The wisteria, azaleas and flowering pear trees are beautiful to behold.  We were delighted to discover a Jasons Deli in Douglasville and a genealogical cousin, Skip, met us there for a great conversation.  Now it is time to rest.  route: GA 7 W -> US 341 N -> US 41 N to L on GA 92 at Experiment, Georgia to R on GA 166 W 2 mi to R on Chapel Hill Rd N 7 mi to L on Douglas Blvd and Hampton Inn.

28 Mar:  At 7:30 am this morning, it was raining industriously, but that soon stopped, although a small rivulet ran to a drain in the parking lot for an hour or two.  About 10:30 the bike was packed, and we were riding - but in the wrong direction.!!  Ron was disoriented and thought he was on US 341, 5 miles north.  After we had ridden a couple of miles and failed to find Crispen Blvd, Ron realized his error, backtracked to I-95, rode north 5 miles and proceeded as envisioned (US 341 W to stop light, L on Chrispen to first R onto Stately Oaks and R again) to visit Don and Doris, genealogy cousins.  After pleasant conversation, Cynthia decided we needed to leave, but Don forestalled that attempt by inviting us to lunch at Surcheros.  The salads were perfect.  Don still drives very comfortably and confidently.  We then said our goodbyes, got on the motorcycle and rode north and west on US highway 341 all the way to Perry, Georgia.  We saw lightning once before passing close by a huge dark cloud that did shower upon us for fifteen minutes.  Thankfully the windscreen and fairing kept us dry.  We arrived at Perry at 5:15, but Danielle is out of town until tomorrow morning, so we will see her for breakfast at the hotel at 9 am.  After all that, we walked half a mile to I-HOP for egg white veggie omelets and picked up berries and bananas from Walmart.  Ron is now trying to catch up with neglected projects, this blog being first.  route: US 341 N to Perry, but missed a turn approaching town, so took GA 224 W to L on I-75 N one exit to the Holiday Inn Express on GA highway 7.

27 Mar:  On the road again!  We rushed to pack and leave before 10 AM because rain was forecast to begin as early as 2 pm.  We were only mildly surprised to run into light rain as we began riding north on I-295 bypassing Jacksonville to the east.  The rain intensified slightly so we exited onto Baymeadows Road, serendipitously close to a Hampton Inn and St. Marys Seafood House, where we enjoyed a salad bar and baked potatoes.  When we finished, the rain had stopped and the pavement was dry all the way to exit 29 at Brunswick, Georgia.  (Ron forgot that Georgia has a helmet law, so we are thankful that no cops saw us.)  Cynthia enjoyed riding across the one tall bridge on I-95.  Tomorrow we will see Don B. in the morning and continue on to Marietta in the afternoon.  We ate dinner early at Denny's and took a brief walk to a homeless tent in the woods (sightseeing).  route: return to R on Tomoka Drive N  8 mi crossing I-4 to R on US 92 E briefly to L on I-95 N to exit 333 R on FL 9B N and I-295 N bypassing Jacksonville to I-95 N into Georgia to US 17 at exit 29 and Comfort Suites.

26 Mar:  A lovely breeze kept us cool on a 2.5 mile walk through Monte’s subdivision, in the countryide close to Port Orange, Florida.  Monte has trimmed a ton of detrius from palm trees in the couple of years he has lived here.  Monte and Ellen have bought into physical activity and healthful eating also, so we've had lots of fine conversations.  And then, late this afternoon, Monte drove us all to the National Seashore to enjoy another fine "home cooked" meal of salad, leftover chicken and rice on the beach.  It was fun to see the big, gray-green breakers under cloudy skies at the beach.  We even espied a US Post Office on the way home.  Ron ate more mango for dessert after we returned home.  Their home is in a subdivision named "A Quiet Place in the Country".  However the neighboring subdivision is a fly-in subdivision for small plane pilots who frequently take off and land throughout the day.  So much for the "quiet place."

cosin Monte and Ellen

25 Mar:  On the road again!  We left Miami at one-thirty PM after saying goodbye to as many of our Pritikin friends as we could find to hug.  We rode north on 87th Street, turned north and west on  Florida Highway 27, turned east on I-75 and continued into heavier traffic on I-595 E endlessly until able to turn north on I-95 to Daytona Beach.  It was a windy ride.  Ron was surprised to discover that it was a full hour before we passed West Palm Beach 50 miles north and that Jupitor, Florida was 15 miles further.  We exited onto FL 44 at mile marker 249, rode west to Tomoka Farm Road (FL 415), turned north for 4 miles to a R on Country Circle Drive, another R on Lakeside Drive and arrived at Ron’s cousin Monte’s lovely home at 7:30 PM.  This is nearly country with large properties and two Lakeside Drives, one east of the small local lake and the other west of the lake.  Of course we stopped at the incorrect one first despite Monte's good directions.  Monte and Ellen had delayed dinner, awaiting our arrival, and fed us a tasty meal of brown rice, baked chicken and fresh garden greens from their gardens.

24 Mar, Sunday:  For once Ron cooperated by packing luggage and boxes for shipping, thereby neglecting much-needed updates of this blog and his Burton 3rd site for the upcoming DTYD party reunion.

  SUNDAY OFFERING

What was God thinking on the first Palm Sunday? Step on Step on the high road, to the place of crucifixion, And so begins Holy Week with Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey amidst shouts of Hosannas and Palm branches, followed by a week of tribulation and his death. On this Palm Sunday, Ron and I were with new friends, gathered around a large table at breakfast and saying good-byes with misty eyes. An effervescent woman of color said, "Thank you for letting me experience your humanity." We were very moved by her expression and looked at each other with the love that I know flows from God. I looked around the room at the diverse group of people that included Jews, Christians, and Muslim from many countries I have come to know as friends. What was God thinking that first Palm Sunday? God was loving the world. (For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. John 3:16 RSV). What was God thinking this morning as we shared friendship and love (humanity) for one another? God is still loving the world through us. Amen.

Pastor Cynthia Forde,

24 March 2024

Another lovely Pritikin sunset

23 Mar:  Our days are packed with classes, lectures and eating  We are so busy we fall asleep in lectures.  Now that Cynthia’s torn hamstring tendon is healing, we are able to get in walks, too.  Today was an exceptionally active day,  totaling eight miles.  And we danced Rock N Roll for a solid hour at Miami Dance Night

22 Mar:  Cynthia had Dexa scans for bone density and body composition.  The BMI is 23.2, but bone density needs improvement.  We met with our doctors.  Ron didn’t do labs and Cynthia’s are perfect.

21 Mar:  Missing Day! we must have been having too much fun!  We had our doctor appointments with good news.  

Ron with petite Pritikin salad

20 We had a fantastic day!  We don't remember what happened, but it must have been fantastic.

19 Mar: About four miles.  

18 Mar: About five miles. 

17 Mar, Sunday:  Happy St. Patricks Day!  Ron completed the challenging puzzle, all the while teaching a waiter how to say pUHzzle instead of pooozzle.  See the wall of puzzles that Ron has completed, if they are the  actual ones or photos of the puzzles, we don’t know.

The Pritikin "wall of puzzles"

16 Mar:  We had a lighter schedule today. Ron made great progress on the puzzle.  Friends cheered him on.  We went for a late walk. 

gathered around the puzzle and puzzler

15 Mar:  Ron puzzled, we exercised, attended lectures, and ate.  Ron is bent over the latest puzzle beneath a wall of puzzles mostly done by him  

14 Mar:  We both had doctor appointments.  Cynthia had perfect lab results.  Ron is down two pounds after gaining five but did not do labs again.  We are enjoying our conversations with Steve and Heather, a couple from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and with the great Pritikin staff  

13 Mar:  The days are crazy busy with lectures, fitness, eating, and the granddaddy of puzzles.  

12 Mar:  Fasting Labs at 11:00 AM.  Cynthia’s weight was down 1.5 pounds in two weeks, while Ron is up to 181.  The puzzle has caused weight gain! 

11 Mar:  Cynthia made a trip to the Apple Store to send her watch in to be repaired.  Unfortunately, (like UFFDA AWFUL) the watch cannot be repaired because it was microwaved in the MRI, and the Apple Care coverage is limited liability to repair.  They would not take it as a trade in either.  That was all very disappointing!  Cynthia decided not to buy another watch (for about ten minutes) until she buckled and decided her watch was too important.  Ron is making progress on the puzzle.  

10 Mar, Sunday:  Iowa women won the Big Ten Championship game.  

SUNDAY OFFERING

”Lord, give your servant an understanding mind.” (I Kings 3:9,RSV) The Hebrew word for understanding mind is Lebh Shomea, meaning a listening heart. When you pray for a listening heart God answers in surprising ways through surprising people. A death and an accident upended my life twenty-five years ago, but, recently, I experienced “call” to return to parish ministry. Yet, parish ministry was not the invitation I was hearing. Instead, it is being a listening heart in Hoka tennis shoes, with a backpack of degrees, to those I meet on the trails I take. It is hearing God call through someone’s anger, suffering, grief, or loneliness. It is meeting the sacred in the eyes of a new acquaintance (with glistening eyes we nod our heads). It is bearing the spirit of God without unnecessary words. Forty-two years as a spiritual director changes nothing. Pray for a listening spirit and do not be surprised where the Wind blows you.

Pastor Cyntha Forde,

10 March 2024

9 Mar:  This was another day with three work out sessions.  

8 Mar:  Two days in a row Cynthia had three work out sessions.  

7 Mar:  Uffda  what did we do besides exercise, listen to lectures, eat and work on a puzzle?

6 Mar:  Cynthia spent 3/4 of the day dealing with Apple Support, a real challenge.  She has to bring the watch to an Apple Store, which is scheduled for Monday noon. 

5 Mar:  Our days are filled with classes.  

4 Mar:  Cynthia had a Pelvis MRI, and the new Apple Watch accidentally went into the machine for a few seconds and burned up.

3 March, Sunday:  We really are crazy busy.

Cynthia dressed to dance

2 March:  Classes continue daily except for Mondays.  Ron is making progress on the Pritikin puzzle.  This one is a challenge.  Dinner tonight was followed by Latin American dance lessons.  Cynthia was unable to participate due to a pulled hamstring, but she still dressed for the occasion.

1 March:  We arrived at Pritikin a week ago for continued investment in great health, not just good, but great health.  The Pritikin benefits are numerous.  We feel younger every year.  Our arrival labs are gold-star-worthy.  And Ron loves the jigsaw puzzles they buy for him.  We have six classes a day; Ron’s favorite is Chef Vince’s cooking workshop because he gets to eat the leftovers.  Cynthia says the fitness instructors love Ron because he dances to rock n roll music on the arc trainer, making for a very lively group.  The lecturers love his comedic wit, and so does Cynthia, and now you know who wrote this paragraph.  

Cynthia is the one in green

Ron in green dancing on Arc trainer machine

Cynthia had a driver take her to a Lumbar MRI.  The Houston ortho had not yet changed the order to a pelvis MRI, and thanks to the driver, she was able to negotiate the Spanish-speaking staff.  And thankfully, the pulled hamstring appears to be healing a lot.

Merry Christmas in Texas. Great grandchild # ten arrived.

31 Dec, Sunday: Hmmm! 123123: 12/31/23, the last day of the year!   Worship at 10:00 AM.  Fifteen years ago, on New Year’s Eve, Ron responded to a friend's suggestion and proposed.  Cynthia surprised both of us by saying, “Yes.”  It has been a marvelous decision, a happy time, and a wonderful life.  We are amazed at how fast the years have passed, but we echo each other’s: "Thank God!"  5.0 miles 

30 Dec:  We walked to the lake and worked on financial reports; Cynthia upgraded her junk report, and Ron worked on James Lea.  Late afternoon, we walked once again to the point.  5.20 miles

29 Dec:  Today, we were glued to our electronics; Ron analyzed financial records for IRS required RMD calculation, and Cynthia did DNA administrative duties.  We walked five miles, followed by egg white omelets at Magnolia Diner, picked up packages at Jon’s and an RX at Walgreens, and shopped for groceries at Walmart.  Tick! Tick! Tick!  Yup!  Here we go again, zooming through another December to the big countdown at midnight Sunday.  5.0 miles

28:Dec:  The day was chilly but sunny; we delayed walking until one PM when the outdoor temp hit 52 degrees.  Ron completed his RMD analysis up through November, and we had a lovely dinner with Pastor Diane & John, Bishop Mike & Susan at the Cafe on the Green.  5.0 Miles

27 Dec:  Wednesday was a most enjoyable day to sleep late, catch up on projects, turn on the old Dell laptop, used to write five volumes of the Rambo Book, to see if it works; yes, it does.  Ron is working on financials to complete the MRD before Dec. 31.  Cynthia completed Ron’s medical paperwork for Pritikin; hers was done yesterday. Reviewing cardiac procedures since 2010, we are thankful for Medicare, plus excellent supplemental policies.  Cynthia’s Plan J requires no co-pay; it is no longer available, and the government cannot take it away.  Ron has supplement D via Mutual of Omaha, which offers great coverage in addition to Medicare.  We walked 5.31 miles.

26 Dec:  We walked five miles after early AM email distractions. Cynthia checked her blood pressure after the walk: 104/68.  Then we walked five miles before jumping up on the motorcycle to shop for food. (Well, we don’t exactly jump up, but it sounds energetic.)  Traffic was heavy, the stores were still crowded, and the restaurant was closed.  Because she was starving, Cynthia ate a half bag of unwashed globe grapes in Walmart.  Ron is industriously editing James Lea.  5.0 miles.

Fyn in England

Zoe's husband Jack

Jack, Paul, Zoe, Fyn, and Cheryl

25 Dec, Sunday:  Merry Monday, Merry Christmas!  Son Paul and his family are in England visiting granddaughter daughter Zoe and her new husband, Jack.  Zoe is at the U of York studying for a master's in Public History.  Jack is playing soccer (see photo).  They will FaceTime at noon CST.  Thank God for the gift of family, phone calls, e-mails, plus our 5.0-mile walk to the lake and back, and we call it a day!  ZZzz 

24 Dec, Sunday: Brunch with Jon and Jim & Jan at the Yacht Club, followed by visiting 23-month-old Charlotte and her parents at one PM.  We met   Roxanne and Kiira, Julie, Lamar, and Jade for worship at four PM, then a Christmas celebration over dinner at the Salt Grass Restaurant.  

Little Charlotte (upper right)

Blaire and Becks

Sister Bonnie and her family

Ron and Cynthia after church

23 Dec.  We exercised, oatmealed, and walked; Ron did Sudokus and edited James Lea.  Cynthia said this is Clean Condo Day!  5.0 miles 

22 Dec:  Ron is sending his Christmas cards today.  Cynthia is not sending cards.  5.0 miles 

21 Dec:  Winter Solstice is upon us.  So is writing Christmas cards, running errands, walking, and having a late lunch at Magnolia Diner. The hard drive did not successfully migrate everything to the new Mac, so we have many more things to accomplish before Feb. 10th.  However, the past three days of work on James Lea's book were not saved when the Mac rebooted.  Very sad!  8.31 miles&nbsp

20 Dec:  Another five-mile day!  Ron is hard at work on the Lea book  Yaay!

19 Dec:  IMAGINE!  Yet another crazy busy day doing the usual, followed by a five-mile walk, then a trip to the Apple Store in the Woodlands for Apple School on the new Apple Watch #9.  The traffic was horrendous, but we were only a few minutes late.  We learned GPS and cellular on the Watch are the same as on the iPhone.  We get complimented often because we hold hands, “So sweet,” a lady said in Walmart.  The truth is Ron holds Cynthia’s hand to keep her from falling, shopping, or dawdling.  Take your pick.  And now we are tired, as usual!  5.51 miles

18 Dec:  Computers and James Lea ruled the day!  Ron worked on the book, and Cynthia spent half the day struggling with security issues on several websites.  We enjoyed two walks, 6.12 miles  

17 Dec, Sunday:  Worship was wonderful with tiny angels dressed in white fluttery wings, Mary adoring, Joseph with arms raised, a heavenly choir, and bell ringers telling the story of Jesus’ birth. Midafternoon we walked 5.08 miles 

16 Dec:  We exercised, oatmealed, walked to the lake, and drove to Jason’s Deli for their salad bar and our bike. Ron ran errands; Cynthia stopped at the pharmacy and then went home to read a gifted book, From Bremerton to River City, written by a 95-year-old woman about the first North Iowa Band Festival in 1938. And we walked again. 7.15 miles 

15 Dec:  Another early AM, but an appointment with Cynthia’s retina specialist is scheduled for ten-fifteen.  Good news all around. The retina specialist said everything looks good, and her AMD continues to be stable.  We ate lunch at Jason’s Deli and walked to Eyeland to schedule an eye appointment for Ron’s RX glasses.  Thankfully, they had an opening at two PM. He has prescribed transition lenses for reading and distance, using OSHA Safety design for use on the motorcycle.  It will have a gradient design to turn into sunglasses in the bright sun.  At 2:33, trouble started! Cynthia said, “I received a weather warning.  Heavy rain is scheduled for 2:33.  Oh, that’s Now.” And the forecast was right.  But the optician was measuring Ron for new glasses.  We finished, paid the bill, and wondered if we should sit at the optical company to wait for the rain to pass over or return to Jason’s Deli.  Cynthia bolted towards food.  By the time Ron arrived in the midst of the deluge,  she was nearly finished eating avocado sourdough toast.  The rain promised to pour indefinitely (eight PM).  Cynthia texted Jon, who just had a flat tire and needed to get new ones a block away.  He picked us up, we waited for new tires, and he brought us home.  We will get the bike in the AM.

14 Dec:  We left by nine-thirty for the ride to Hempstead for lunch with Carol S., stopping at the CPA, then onto Brenham for Ron’s eye appointment at 1:45 PM.  It was a successful visit until we realized Ron’s eyes were still dilated as we returned for the ride home on the motorcycle.  Thankfully, Ron did a great job, and we are still alive.  We arrived home after dark; we had no walk today.

13 Dec:  A busy day! Ron affixed the AZ motorcycle license tag for the next five years.  6.0 miles 

12 Dec:  Our walk to the lake at ten-thirty started out chilly but warmed up in the bright sunshine.  Ron is in a HO HO HO mood, writing Christmas letters with a goal of ten a day until the end of the month.  Cynthia is FA LA LA ing projects completed.  Becks is amazingly alert for a newborn.  Big sister Blaire is in love.  7.0 miles, all of Cynthia's fitness rings are closed.  

11 Dec:  After the morning EO routine (exercise/oatmeal), we walked almost to the lake but turned to boogie back for our dentist appointments at 2:00 PM.  Our good reports were followed by a stop at Walmart to search for hard sourdough pretzels; they did not have them.  Dinner at Jason’s Deli was filling, and the ride home was not quite as chilly.  5.0 miles 

10 Dec:  We worshipped at Grace Lutheran Church, followed by brunch at Magnolia Diner.  Cynthia erred in trying to type a document on her Mac; her right-hand ring finger and middle finger sagittal bands do not allow her fingers to do 10-finger typing on a keyboard.  She put the brace back on.  4.0 miles 

9 Dec:  Luxuriating on a Saturday with nothing on our schedules except a walk, a trip to Walmart, and a package pick up from Jon.   Almost everything from the 2011 17” MacBookPro hard drive migrated successfully to the new 15” MacBook Air.  As we travel, it will conveniently hook up to 48” TV screens with an HTML cable.  We started our walk at 2:00 PM despite 80 degrees, plus high humidity, because of some cloud cover.  It worked - - sort of.  We returned home alive but sweaty after a five-mile jaunt to the lake.  Cynthia prepared baked salmon using a new recipe.  Ron made a baked sweet potato using the potato pocket that ElaRuth gave him years ago.  5.0 miles   

8 Dec.  The Bishop’s Clergy Christmas luncheon was at 11:30 AM, but we arrived late and ate lettuce.  We don’t eat pasta in cream sauce or butter rolls, and Cynthia disciplined herself not to eat the yummy-looking homemade carrot cake.  We left the luncheon a few minutes early to get to our appointment at the Apple Store to have Ron’s old Mac checked out, plus Cynthia’s 2019 Apple Watch needed to be checked.  The battery did show deterioration; she was offered a $60.00 trade-in on a new Apple Watch and bought one that includes the GPS and the cellular on the 2019 Watch.  Ron successfully removed the hard drive from the 2011 Mac with a delightful Apple Store assistant. We walked to Best Buy, nearby, and Ron bought an adapter, and their Geek Squad announced the hard drive was still good.  It is being migrated to the new Mac as we sit here exhausted from the day.  Riding on I-45, one of the most dangerous freeways in the US, in the dark is stressful to one of us, while the other said he was ready to do something different after arriving home.  Today's walk: two miles.

7 Dec:  After oatmeal and exercises, we were off to the Apple Store to buy a new MacBook for Ron.  Thankfully, they had what he needed in stock: a 15-inch MacBook Air with 16 Gig memory and 1 Terabyte SSD hard drive.  We stopped at Jason's Deli for large luncheon salads and a baked potato, and then Cynthia had an eye appointment next door, with very little change in her RX.  We walked to the lake and home, totaling 6.6 miles for the day.  Ron could not take the old MacBook Pro apart to get the hard drive out to attempt migration to the new computer.  When we stop at the Apple store again tomorrow, he will take both MacBooks to see if their Genius bar can help.  This is being typed on the new MacBook Air, and Ron is delighted with the keyboard.  Cynthia is happy to be riding the motorcycle instead of driving.  One of these days, her disinclination to present "hairdo by helmet" will overcome her reluctance to drive in Houston traffic.

Miss Blair & Baby Becks

6 Dec:  Our tenth great-grandchild, Becks, arrived late afternoon, 7.6 oz.  Her parents and big sister are elated and exhausted.  The Smooches slept late, luxuriating in the peace of togetherness.  We will be much rejuvenated if we get another few nights of good sleep.  After compulsory morning exercises and oatmeal, we walked to the lake and back, collected too much from the storage locker, and bought groceries (although Ron forgot the walnuts on his 4-item shopping list).  Ron connected Cynthia’s Mac to the 48” TV screen for a monitor to read about new Macs.  5.0 miles  

5 Dec:  Ron said his goodbyes to Rex, Danielle and the dogs before continuing to Corsicana to research Albert Miller Lea, who died there.  The local genealogy librarian was familiar with Albert Miller Lea but had no Bible record.  However, there were a couple of good biographical sketches of him in their vertical files.  Next time, Ron will dig out his camera to take photographs.  He did promise the librarian to send a copy of the Lea book and articles from the Freeborn Standard next time he researches in Minnesota.  And home on the range, Cynthia walked to the fitness center and back, brimming with excitement because Ron is due in Walden soon and very soon!  The happy ending is that he arrived about 3:30, and the Smooches are very happily reunited.  Route: back to TX 205 S 7 miles -> FM 148 S 2 mi to R on I-20 W 25 mi to L on I-45 S 45 mi to Corsicana (next time take photographs).  I-45 S 113 mi to R on FM 1791 S 18 mi to L on TX 149 S 12 mi to L on FM 1097, R on ?? to E on TX 105 E to Walden Road.

4 Dec:  The ride from Miami south to Rockwall, Texas, on US 69 was quite pleasant, with fall scenery and colors adding to the green grass and fields along the road.  Ron spent the night with cousin Rex and his wife Danielle, and we all went to dinner at a great restaurant there.  Their home is quite hectic with four large dogs and eleven !! puppies.  Back home in Texas, Cynthia made chili to take to her granddaughter in Bryan, TX, for an all-gathering birthday party with Jesus in the morning.  She was home by two.  Two miles walking today ofr Cynthia.  Ron's route: US 69 S to Whitewright, TX and R (straight) on TX 160 S 9 miles to TX 78 S 27 mi to L on TX 205 through Rockwall, TX 16 mi to L on FM 548 E 2.5 mi to R on Tejas Trail briefly to R on Hidden Pass that curves into Eagle Pass 1 mi to R on Cattlemans Trail to L on Dove Landing.  

3 Dec, Sunday:  Ron is visiting Clarence in Kansas City for a couple of hours or maybe sixty hours!  Who knows!  Cold and rain are forecast in one hour (at three PM) south of KC.  His next stopping spot should be a little more than an hour south of KC UNLESS HE DECIDES TO GO ELSEWHERE.  WHO knows? Aha! Ron made it to Miami, Oklahoma, by dark.  He phoned from a Walgreens drugstore while searching for a hotel.  The good news was that he was only two minutes from a hotel with a Subway restaurant nearby and checked in quickly.  Meanwhile, at home on the range in Texas, Cynthia completed the final day of a 21-day, 10,000 steps-a-day challenge. 14,958 steps, 6.26 miles.  She is a happier hiker with more steps daily, but walking on uneven ground in the dark (alone) is not a good choice.  Route:  I-35 S to I-70 W to 7th Street exit (U-turn to go N) to visit Clarence.  18th Street S to I-35 S to US 69 S to Miami, OK

2 Dec: Sat: Ron left Trenton, Illinois, mid-AM, for the arduous ride to Kansas City, MO, arriving in Excelsior Springs, MO (drenched) to visit his friend, Les.  His wet shoes and socks sizzled on the heater.  At about eight-thirty PM, he will ride to Kearney, MO, a suburb of KC, check in at the hotel, shop for food, and fall asleep.  Kearney is about fifteen minutes west of Excelsior Springs.  Ron has a detour, wet drizzle, or heavy humidity riding to Kearney.  He arrived wet again at about nine PM.  Tomorrow, he will visit Clarence in KC, and, God willing, he will leave for the next overnight before dark or rain. Cynthia walked 6.5 miles today (day 20 of 21).  Route: US 50 W to Trenton, IL, R on IL 160 N to Highland, L on US 40 W to R on IL 4 N to L on I-70 W to I-270 W ;to MO 270 W to I-70 W 182 miles to R on MO 13 N (where the rain started) 25 mi to L on MO 10 W 17 mi through Excelsior Springs to US 69 N 2 mi to R on Italian Way to R on Salem Road to Les & Joan. back on US 69 N briefly to L on MO 92 W 7 mi to Kearney and SureStay Plus.

Hudson, Holden and Santa

1 Dec:  Ron spent another day and night in Trenton, Illinois, keeping Ann company.  He plans to leave for Kansas City, MO, tomorrow, likely about ten AM; he has several places to stop en route to Texas.  Cynthia walked at 10:30, shopped for groceries, and (for those who understand the importance) had a broken fingernail repaired.  HA! From the state of extreme boredom.  5.79 miles (day 19 of 21-day challenge)

Hurray, hurray for the 1st of May in Sedona

31 May:  As we leave the merry month of May, we also ride away from beautiful Sedona to Flagstaff.  The astounding part is that Ron's packing was completed earlier than ususal and we finished housecleaning only an hour past our check out time.  (Ron has learned that the housekeepers are delighted to discover him still cleaning when they arrive.)   The ride north to Flagstaff was scenic and uneventful unless you consider that there was little to no traffic to slow us down.  As we rode up the switchbacks onto the Mogollon rim, we encountered a surprisingly chill wind.  Then again, Flagstaff is at 6900 feet elevation.  Route: 89-A N to I-17 N to I-40 E to exit 198, R on Butler Ave .7mi, L on 4th Street .7mi, R on Industrial Blvd .6mi, L on Steve's Road, R to Best Western Pony Soldier.

"Happiness isn't something that depends on our surroundings ... It's something we make inside ourselves."

-Corrie ten Boom 

30 May:  This will be an early to hike day, then filled with packing and recycling until dinner at Linda and Dale’s at 5 PM.  With luck everything will be packed and ready to roll first thing in the morning - don't we wish. 4.0 Miles

29 May:  Memorial Day, so no QQQ.  We hiked at 10:30 and enjoyed watching a backhoe digging loose rock from the entrance to the irrigation canal.  Cynthia took a video to delight the younger generation.  At 4:15 we rode south to dinner at Cucina Rustica with pastors David and Gwen B.  Our waiter was quite a character, with a strong accent that was hard to understand.  This time they got the message no oil, no butter, no fat, no cheese and delivered immediately with no backtalk.  3.0 miles

28 May, Sunday:  Worship at Christ Lutheran was wonderful.  The sermon highlighted the need for being feathers on the breath of God, a need for good leadership and communication to overcome division in our troubled times.  We stand united with a constitution like no other country.  Being in the presence of America’s beauty, its red rocks and rills, is a gift.  Cythia became teary-eyed while singing the national anthem in church.  After breakfast at Cafe Jose, Ron rode to Cottonwood for frozen mango and pretzels.  Cynthia is almost packed.  Ron hasn't started packing yet.  3.9 miles  

27 May:  We hiked a short one early because Cynthia has a nail appt at one.  Cynthia's goal is to pack her saddlebag.  On our evening hike, we met a delightful foursome from Santa Fe at the overlook after our mandatory hill climb!  We enjoyed visiting so much that we failed to notice the encroaching darkness, so we boogied off down the hill via the access road past Cresent Moon Ranch house.  3.02 miles  

26 May:  Two hikes, it was such fun meeting Brad and Natasha from Duluth, MN, and how fun to see Gretchen with little Gitsy in the park.  6.5  miles 

25 May:  Ron strapped the big box of Cynthia's clothing, etc to the back of the bike and mailed it back to Texas.  We hiked twice, and our backs have survived too much bending over to move rocks to help clear the trail.  It took us this many hikes to decide which path is a trail that leads to Buddha Beach and on to the old water-powered pump.  5.10 miles.

24 May:  We leave for ABQ a week from today. LIFE IS GOOD! Thank God!  Thank God!  Two hours hiking, moving rock, and clearing trees from the flood damaged trail left us exhausted.  Progress is being made.  The evening walk was also satisfying. 5.25 miles, 13,868 steps  

23 May:  Exercised, oatmealed, and QQQ’d, we were hiking by 8:30 AM for three miles before returning to more of the crazy market returns.   Ron rode to Cottonwood for groceries for the "last time."  Cynthia started packing.  We went out for a second hike at 6:30, but that is only an hour and a half before darkness threatens.  Five miles 

22 May:  We tried to hike early, but that turned into 10:45 AM when the sun is already too intense; so we opted for forty-five minutes with a second hike at 6:30 PM when it was cooler and pleasant.  We met Angela again, this time with her husband Ryan and two cute, cute little ones, Finn and Johanna.  4.7 miles

Another lovely day in Sedona

21 May, Sunday:  Oh, oh! Oh, no!  Our friends at church gave Ron a two-sided, complicated puzzle.  We enjoyed breakfast at Cafe Jose, and Cynthia fell asleep while Ron now puzzles away.  It is 85 degrees warm today, very hot degrees outside, and it is steamy hot indoors.  Ron was able to spend almost the entire day on the puzzle.  We walked only 3 miles in the cool of the evening.

20 May:  Our one day to sleep in, now that QQQ obsession has gripped Ron.  We did sleep in until nearly 9 AM.  Whoopee !!  Then we exercised, ate, and went for a quick walk through the park, past the pump, and up the hill.  We met the nicest person, Angela, writing at the picnic table chained to a tree that had kept it from being washed downstream in the flooding.  After exchanging life histories, we proceeded up the hill to find that the temperature had gotten too warm to continue before evening, so we returned by the upper route across the meadows.  We went for a second walk this evening after it cooled off and helped some folks from Napa Valley find the vortex. 5.0 Miles

Looking back after all these years of wedded bliss.

19 May:  Tomorrow, Ron will get Tori's photo aligned with the text below.  First QQQ, exercises, oatmeal, and a ride to Elite for Cynthia's hair.  Cynthia walked to Cafe Jose to get steps on her Apple Watch.  Then instead of breakfast at Cafe Jose, as planned, we rode home to avoid the approaching thunderstorm.  We listened to thunder for a couple of hours - but no rain.  Had we known, we would have eaten omelets.  Ron is patiently waiting for QQQ to go down again, a certainty now that the debt limit talks have stalled and the Fed is threatening another interest rate rise.  Over the weekend, he will work on James Lea instead; now, his focus is on the great-grandchildren of James Lea of Cobbs Creek.  The lightest drizzle of rain commenced about 4 PM and continued until midnight without leaving much wetness anywhere.

Tori on the Path to Willingness

18 May:  And the rains came, fortunately after we finished our walk and had met Tori on the Ridge Trail, a painter, and musician (The Path to Willingness).  Cynthia wanted to capture her sweet persona as we said goodbye.  Tori was framed against the deep red rocks, and Cynthia captured the image, but unfortunately, the light did not fall on her sweet face.  Thank you, Tori!  We got an earlier start than usual and were able to hike up the hill and up the Ridge Trail to the Sketch Trail, which we soon decided was too challenging for us just now.   It rained lightly for the rest of the day without amounting to much.  6.17 miles  

Tivoli Fest-ivities #2

17 May:  We have dinner this evening with Nellie & Lisa, cousins of Deb, an Iowa friend who sent Danish party favors from the Elkhorn Danish Windmill (click here).  Both girls were wonderfully sweet, and Nellie's Eddie was also a nice man.  We all enjoyed a couple of hours of reminiscing "Tivoli Fest" (even though Ron and Eddie were about 60 years out of the loop).

16 May:  Rain is forecast again today, but only at 30%.  We need to hike, but the temperature is 85 degrees Hot.  Ron rode to Cottonwood for groceries, and we hiked 3.39 miles at 6:00 PM when it cooled down.  After we hiked through the fields and up to the road, we met a mom and her two UT grad student daughters who wanted to swim in Oak Creek, so we led them down the hill to a wide spot in the creek where they could swim. 

15 May:  Another day on pins and needles, wondering if QQQ would go up or down, and eventually, it did move far enough up for Ron to sell his calls at a profit.  Our new efforts to improve our vision require us to exercise our eyes for an hour daily.  As he does those exercises, Ron often falls asleep mid-exercise. We tried a late hike when it cooled off, but the rain forecast was actually correct, and we got wet while putting on our plastic rain ponchos!  One little mile!

14 May, Sunday:  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!  After a beautiful Lutheran church service and visit with friends, we enjoyed a good breakfast at Cafe Jose and rested our overfull stomachs all afternoon.  After a short nap, we awoke to dark skies threatening rain.  Ron spent the second day on the puzzle given to him by Dale and Linda for his birthday.

13 May:  Ron is editing… he did finish entering the great-grandchildren of James Lea of Kilgore's Branch this weekend.  Our granddaughter Zoe (Magna cum Laude with Honors Distinction) and her fiance Jack (All-American soccer goalie) graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.  Cynthia was delighted to be able to watch the ceremony on her computer.  They will wed on June 10 and move to York, England, for Zoe to pursue a master's in public history, and Jack will play soccer, hopefully professionally. 

12 May:  HAPPY ANNIBIRSARY!  We celebrated our twelfth anniversary, and Ron is now 76 years old.  (Let's see - born in '47 so math works out.)  We could never have envisioned our lives so changed & wonderful fifteen years ago.  Ron continues to say that he had the perfect life for a bachelor - - and leave it to God to improve upon perfection.  Ron again bought QQQ calls, but the market didn't agree with him until closing.  He then rode to Cottonwood Walmart for the last groceries we would need while here.  Then at 5:30, we joined Linda and Dale (whose birthday was Wednesday, May 10) at Judi’s Restaurant to celebrate our birthdays and anniversary over dinner. 3.6 miles 

11 May:  I LOVE YOU, SMOOCH!  We hiked the Ridge Trail (marked with a black diamond on the maps) for quite a distance.  The black diamond means it climbs and climbs and climbs some more.  Actually, there are a couple of difficult rocks covered with loose sand & gravel to scramble over.  (Falling is not allowed.)  We turned back before reaching the second junction with the Sketch Trail, totaling 6.10 miles. 

10 May:  We arose early and decided it was too cold to be up, so we went back to bed to warm up and fell asleep.  At one, we went for the first of two hikes, moved rocks again, and met several lovely people.   Our second walk in the evening only took us as far as Buddha Beach again.  5.42 miles.  We started SightCare eye exercise program. 

9 May:  We can hike early today! Nope!  We left at 1:30 when the temp was at 80 degrees and did rock maintenance ... moving loose rocks to create a better trail than the one the flooding left us.  We went out again at six, found a shortcut to Buddha Beach, and helped a girl from NYC find it too.  Ron is enjoying telling people that Buddha Beach is buried under 6 to 10 feet of loose rock and gravel left by the flooding, which carried the vortex downstream too.  5.00 miles 

8 May:  Ron arose at 5:30 to finish exercises and breakfast and QQQ in time to leave at 7 am and took the motorcycle to Scottsdale for 6,000-mile maintenance.  And twelve hours later,  he successfully returned home with groceries, new light bulbs, and a better coffee pot.  He spent several afternoon hours in Cave Creek visiting with his cousin Rex and Susie. 

7 May, Sunday:  A week went by already here at the Creekside Cottage.  Thanks be to God for the earth's beauty and the beautiful sermons Pastor David preaches.  And let's also thank God for the choir and Jim.  Despite being tired, we hiked again to the top of the hill and the junction with the Sketch Trail.  Then we collapsed for the remainder of the afternoon.  3.5 miles.  Ron discovered the need for one more sentence to make the next picture fit correctly.  Oops, today it took two more sentences.

Our guests shot us in the back as we hiked

6 May:  Hiking Bell Rock was the goal, but we weren't sure if our guests were hikers.  Indeed, they are young and fit!  Jim even scrambled to the top of Spaceship Rock.  We hiked 6.09 miles with our granddaughter's fiance’s parents, followed by breakfast at Miley's cafe.  Our ride home through Page Springs was lovely, so one would not know it was Arizona.  In a rush to depart on time this morning, Ron accidentally melted his shirt while trying to iron on a patch.  Fortunately, he has identified a candidate patch for that spot.  (He still hasn't finished the mending job on May 18th.)

5 May:  It is lovely to sleep with open windows and not need A/C because the cold overnight air keeps us chilly until noon.  QQQ behaved nicely.  Now it is time to hike!  Hiking Sedona! The flooding was impressive, leaving debris twelve feet high in trees and piled in heaps blocking the trails. Buddha Beach is no longer; the Slickrock slab is covered by a pile of loose rocks up to ten feet high. Cynthia’s hiking goal of thirty days consecutively turned into 37 days because of the rain, but her total was 159.33 miles, not too shabby for a great-grandmother. Photos (?) are from today's hike, where many old Westerns were filmed. We once met a guy who grew up in the area then. His parents hosted and fed many movie stars, including John Wayne. He remembered seeing the valley filled with water when the creek flooded.

4 May:  National Day of Prayer begins with thanksgiving for life lived abundantly and together.  We pray for healing for our country.  QQQ didn't behave as planned, so we hope for better behavior tomorrow.  The ride to Cottonwood for groceries was windy, but the ride back was very scenic and pleasant.

3 May:  It is wonderfully cool at night and early AM.  The microwave is a combo microwave and air fryer.  (This modern world needs to be simplified.)  Cynthia is still exhausted, so Ron walked alone today out the door and over the rocky "trail" to discover Buddha Beach covered with rocks and sand up to 8 feet deep, another casualty of the flooding this March.  No more cute piles of rocks, no more psychic vortex.  He again made it to the top of the hill and came back via the Secret Slickrock Trail, and the wind was strongest where the exposure was greatest a fun combo.

Cynthia with niece Kelly

2 May:  We are ensconced in Creekside Cottage, a block to the Red Rock Crossing of Oak Creek, with a phenomenal view of Cathedral Rock, the most photographed spot in Sedona.  We walk through the adjacent Crescent Moon State Park to terrific hiking trails, and the weather forecast for next week is excellent.  Those fantastic hiking trails are gone because massive flooding washed them away on March 22nd this year.  We could pick our way over river rock and sand to find recognizable portions of the trail to the top of the nearest hill.  4 miles.  We discovered that the rose bush adjacent to the porch is blooming a few red blooms.  Yes, JOY.

Tivoli fest (see Apr 24)

1 May:  Mee weefee returns !!!  Oh, Joy, oh, Joy.  Yes, JOY.  Ron made one trip with a big box to the Creekside Cottage & recycling to Sedona before Cynthia returned, but ran into a mile-long backup due to a paving crew on the return trip, so he could not welcome his WeeFee home.  Ron cleaned, packed, and prepared to move to the Creekside Cottage while his exhausted WeeFee slept.  Cynthia and her children arose at three AM for early airline departures from Palm Springs Airport, plus she had a two-hour shuttle ride returning to Sedona.  Zzzz

September is for falling leaves and chilly rides

30 Sep:  In Hasting, Minnesota, we enjoyed a windowside visit with my former college roommate Greg for an hour before we lunched with Donna at a Perkins then rode up Minnesota 55 to Minnesota 3 (which IS Robert Trail) towards Sunfish Lake through incredibly strong winds and light rain to Robert Trail to visit Y-DNA cousin Lance and effervescent wife, Shelley.  Even though Ron has tons of experience riding motorcycles, those winds were unnerving, especially with the rain included.  Shelley cooked a marvelous meal of Minnesota wild rice, chicken in parchment, and baked sweet potatoes caramelized to perfection.  We like our new cousins.  Lance entertained us with pictures and books and spreadsheets from his basement catacombs.

29 Sep:  Eagan, Minnesota is our goal today, a 45-minute ride on Interstate 494 bypassing Minneapolis.  At the Hilton Garden Inn there, we should meet cousin Lance for the first time.  He promises to be a whole lot of fun.  (But maybe not quite as much fun as a healthy, energetic 2-year-old boy.)  In Butte, Montana, where sunshine is the norm, when we looked at weather forecasts a mere week ago, it was supposed to be in the high 60s and low 70s here and now.  Instead it has been perpetually cloudy with highs in the low 60s and high 50s.  Hey, at least the rain has been well timed in the late afternoon, and there has not been any snow YET.

28 Sep:  Medina, Minnesota for one more day.  Roxanne flew home, but we are awaiting Cynthia's newest found first cousin Kathy from Benson, MN.  (And we passed through Benson twice on our route from Butte, once intentionally and the second time because of a wrong turn on Minnesota Highway 9.)  Kathy is a delight, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together.  If anyone finds a photo of Charlie Rinker, aka Harry Bernard King, Kathy would love a copy.  After she left, Cynthia and Ron walked the circle that Bluebell Trail makes and arrived home just as sprinkles were falling.  Cynthia took several pictures of the rainbow that expanded across the sky and grew pronouncedly more vivid as we watched.  Again this evening, Hudson displayed amazing energy as only a 2-year-old can.

2-year-old Hudson pushing his stroller uphill

What a wonderful rainbow for a cloudy day

27 Sep:  And we did indeed awaken early enough to get to the church on time.  Hudson behaved as well as can be expected for a 2-year-old boy, so everyone was pleased, especially Cynthia, a very, very proud great grandmother.  If you'd like to see the video, click here for the church service including Hudson's baptism on U-Tube.  (The baptism begins 31 minutes into the service.)  After the service Cynthia had arranged with Annie to provide a meal for 15 at home, although only the immediate family of six showed up.  Hudson was able to move from lap to lap eating all visible fruit from every plate.  It was fascinating to watch him cram more and more food into his mouth without ever apparently swallowing.  We merely assume that the drainage into his stomach was similar to the drainage down his front.  Afterwards, Cynthia and Ron walked (waddled) around the neighborhood, enjoying the fall colors and nicely kept lawns.

The Smooches are often told that they are so cute

Brett, Hudson & Jenn dressed for church baptism

26 Sep:  Medina, Minnesota at grandson Brett's house, entertained by 2-year-old Hudson, tantrums and all.  Air quality in Butte has been "Great" all day today.  Ron took this opportunity to visit with his sister-in-law Carolyn, who lives near Bossen Park in Minneapolis (click here because nobody knows where Bossen Park is located).  While on Crosstown Highway (Minnesota route 62), Ron was delighted to still see vivid fall colors and to see a couple of airplanes fly close overhead to land at the airport.  They are BIG at that distance.  We visited outside for a couple of hours, catching up on Carolyn's father's condition, her siblings, her previous job, her current activities curtailed because of covid, etc.  As he prepared to leave, raindrops at Carolyn's house prompted Ron to wear a rain coat, and occasionally more raindrops reminded him that the raincoat was good idea until he arrived on Blue Bell Trail.

25 Sep:  Waubay, Minnesota is where our ride began without much color other than ripening grains and grasses, but then suddenly we were back into more varied scenery and our fall colors returned to please our palettes.  After entering Minnesota on US Highway 12, we then navigated through a variety of state and county roads to Minnesota Highway 55 that kept us in countryside all the way to our turn onto Arrowhead Drive.  And we ended our riding day early at grandson Brett's house in the outskirts of Medina. The commotion of greeting was enhanced by the fierce barking of Bret's two dogs.  Fortunately no one was eaten.  Roxanne was in a dither, trying to keep tabs on 2-year-old Hudson while rearranging furniture in her head.  Cynthia pitched in with the decorating/ arrangements, the handyman was instructed to move the bed from the basement to the second floor and the one on the second floor to the basement.  The delicate girlie types instructed the manly masculine types to more this furniture here, there etc. until the basement bedroom was declared to be "good."  Then we all piled into the cars and drove to the adjoining village of Excelsior for a delicious dinner, followed by a quart of sorbet from the Wisconsin Farms (advertising "if you want nutrition, eat carrots"- click here).

24 Sep:  Tonight we are near Waubay, South Dakota, surrounded by lakes.  No mountains today, but the scenery on Highway 12 continues to be spectacular with golden yellows and occasional reds, oranges, and purples mixed in.  We ended our ride at 200+ miles at the Circle Pines Motel, highly rated by undiscriminating fishermen (click here).  Still, it was clean, cheap and quiet.  We walked around the motel to Dog Lake and along the lake shore and dirt road for a mile or more.  Consequently, we slept well, despite crowding together on a full sized bed.

23 Sep:  This morning in Miles City, our hostess greeted us warmly and served a suitable breakfast for our diet that filled us quite well.  Only when Cynthia asked about paying for our lodging did she bother with those details.  All of the reviews that lauded her hospitality and generous breakfasts were accurate.  She is the real deal.  Today on US Highway 12 we engaged in another scenic ride with mountains and varied terrain eastward across the southwestern corner of North Dakota into South Dakota to the Dakota Countryside Inn (click here) in the middle of nowhere, SD.  (Nearest town is Watauga.)  Again the sporadic fall colors were predominately yellows with a few oranges and roses thrown in as accents.  It is remarkable how the usual green vegetation highlights the sporadic fall colors.  We enjoyed a walk for about a mile along the gravel road next to the Inn but stopped short of the terminal driveway.  This is a very peaceful part of South Dakota.  Our host is a very thin, pleasant farmer whose wife told him that she was going to open a B & B-type hotel, so he decided to join her and moved five miles to do so.  Sadly, she has had a stroke and can no longer use her left hand that drew the architectural drawings for the hotel.

22 Sep:  Tonight in Miles City, Montana after a marvelously scenic ride on I-94 from Billings, Montana. As we passed by Livingstone and Big Timber, we thought of Seth and wife who grew up on Montana ranches north of those towns. And the ranches we saw were really vast! It is harvest time, the golden, newly-mown hay fields stretched to the horizons. It was equally fascinating crossing the Yellowstone River many times, and riding past the junction of the Big Horn and Yellowstone, thirteen miles west of the famous battlefield known as Custer’s Last Stand. How timely, after recently reading the incredible NY Times #2 Bestseller, Killing Crazy Horse (click here). Cynthia captured a photo of the Rosebud memorial. The ride was cool until we neared Miles City, our destination for the evening, and then it got hot. And how fun to have lunch sitting at the soda fountain in an antique shop that formerly was the old Woolworth’s Store in town. Their restaurant is called, Remember When Cafe (click here)! Our lodging for the evening is in the Horton House, a historical B&B (click here). Strangely, our hosts never appeared to ask us to check in. We arrived early and their hired helper gave us a key and combination.

And this is what we saw as we rode eastward

All decked out and ready to ride !!

Our friends at the Copper King

21 Sep:  After one last breakfast at the Copper King and photographs with our delightful servers (right), we expected to leave "early," or at least prior to official check out time of 11 AM (Cynthia chuckled at the foolish notion that we might leave by 11:00), but Ron did it, got all packed and in motion before 11AM !!  The ride started south on Montana Highway 2, and after several miles, we were worried by a sign that said "Road Construction - Motorcycles advised to seek alternate route."  We continued for 20 miles, being wary for any sudden change to gravel, through Thompson Park (click here) and past an "End of Construction" sign without ever seeing any evidence of road construction in the last several years.  Then there was a Detour sign pointing left.  Again we continued cautiously until we arrived in the town of Whitehall where we turned right onto I-90 east.  (What peculiar signage.  It must be a Montana insider joke.)  We arrived in Billings about five PM, in time to enjoy a lovely dinner at the Windmill Restaurant (click here), one that we enjoyed so much when we stayed in Billings in 2018.  

20 Sept:  We leave tomorrow.  Still a tiny bit smoky, but air quality is almost "Good."  Everything looks good for a hike up the Maud S. trail today.  Thank goodness we did get one final good hike up Maud S. before leaving Butte, and we were both surprised by our speed and stamina.  Cynthia exclaimed that her knees, feet, back and legs felt wonderful.

Sunday Offering 

To live we need air to breathe, food to nourish our bodies, and safety to survive.  Beyond the basics, every human longs to satisfy the sex urge, and CRAVES being appreciated. To recognize this is key to relationships, and it speaks personally to how we live out our lives  in Christ. Listen with your heart to these words. 

Galatians 2:20-21Revised Standard Version

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification[a] were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.

19 Sep:  It seemed obvious to me and my sister in April.  Why did it take the media so long to tell the public that obesity is the greatest risk factor for coronavirus death (click here)?  Air quality is "Good" in the rain this morning, but we are not about to walk until the drizzle stops.  Cynthia tried to fix the font size in this blog, but Ron had to do it to avoid spousal frustrations!  Now at 3 PM the rain has stopped, so we will (and did) walk to the Montana Club for food and stop at Walmart on the return trip for blueberries and raspberries and anything else we can eat with only one evening, one day and a breakfast left before departure.  Rain again forestalled our attempt to walk this evening.

18 Sep: More smoke; air quality is "Unhealthy" again but has improved to a smig above "Unhealthy for sensitive groups."  We walked the cemetery and picked up shreds of plastic flowers everywhere, our new preoccupation while walking.  Again we walked to The Montana Club for dinner and walked the cemetery a second time just before dark.  Ron is "perfecting" concordances in preparation for indexing Volume 7 of the Colonial Records of the Swedish Churches of Pennsylvania.  Lots of tedious work for those of us who love tedium as a change of pace from normal over-activity.

17 Sep:  Smoky again today - this is getting tedious; air quality slightly less "Unhealthy."  Looking for the positive, we probably don't need sun screen today.  We walked the cemetery and enjoyed another fine, fun conversation with the superintendent and a short one with one of the Forest Service fire fighting helicopter support crew.  Sad news today that Ron's former boss Kurt has passed away.  One final cemetery walk today, and we picked up shreds of plastic flowers which we left in a bag on the superintendent's steps.

16 Sep:  Smoky again today with no relief in sight until Saturday.  Air quality is "Unhealthy," but we walked the cemetery, took an hour break, then walked to The Montana Club for salads.  We've already walked 5.7 miles today by 3:34.  We went out for another smoke inhalation therapy this evening, total miles for the day 8.5.

15 Sep:  Smoke today in Butte started with "unhealthy for sensitive groups" and about noon moved into just plain "unhealthy."  Thank goodness Ron is an insensitive.  Our morning walk provided us our minimum daily requirement of smoke.  Then Ron rode the motorcycle to the Post Office to mail additional letters and cards (12 mailed to date).  We again walked to The Montana Club for salad, salmon and a baked potato.  Now it is 8:17 in the evening, and we forgot our after dinner cemetery stroll.  Ron still went for a quick stroll about the cemetery after dark and hopes that his conversation on the cell phone did not disturb the residents.

14 Sep:  The smoke is still bad although we've improve through "unhealthy" and "unhealthy for sensitive groups" to "moderate"after noon.  We can again see the mountain with the "M" for Montana Tech (just barely).  We walked the cemetery and rode the motorcycle to Walgreen's for a prescription then to The Montana Club for lunch.  We walked a second time in the evening once the temperatures dropped a bit.

13 Sep:  Gosh, has it ever gotten smokey here in Butte.  Apparently there is a fire just beyond the mountains, and the winds must have wafted some smoke westward to us.  So we opted to hike the cemetery instead of Maud S.  Amusing to see a horizontal line across the mountains; above is more smoke, below is less smoke.  Air quality here is supposed to be good, but we can smell the smoke in the air.  We walked to the Montana Club for lunch, and the smoke is heavier.  Ron looked for the source on the web but didn't find anything helpful.  It is time for our evening walk in smoke that has caused air quality to become just plain "unhealthy."  Let's hope that cooler air overnight causes particulates to drop out of the air.  Nine miles walking today.

12 Sep:  Every new day comes so quickly now: obviously time is accelerating.  It is now 4 PM, and we've been waiting since breakfast for housekeeping to clean the room.  Ron has been reviewing cell phone calls to label many "nuisance" and to discover (via Google) a couple of useful phone numbers.

11 Sep:  How did the rest of the 10th disappear?  We hiked Maud S. early and enjoyed lunch at the Montana Club.  Ron continued going through his address book and has sent another 43 emails addressed with blind CCs.  If I have your email address, you should have gotten a copy of the annual letter.  Now I need to send a few more snail mail letters, and I will be caught up with correspondence.  Oops, the snail mail count is 39 letters.

10 Sep:  And another cool start to our day, but we will walk the cemetery early (i.e. before noon).  And then we walked to dinner and again walked the cemetery just before dark.  Ron spent the entire day going through his address book and emailed the annual letter to 48 correspondents.

9 Sep:  32 degrees in Butte, Montana after breakfast - - - but it is supposed to reach 70 degrees today.  Our efforts to finding cooler weather for hiking certainly succeeded beyond our wildest imaginings.  Cynthia promises to be ready to hike up Maud S. by noon.  Life is good.  It is noon, time to visit Maud S.  We hiked 2.5miles to the Vista and enjoyed seeing Our Lady of the Rockies closer again.  Why does the uphill seem harder each time we go?  In the evening we again walked the cemetery for 8.4 miles total today.

8 Sep:  dawned even colder, and after breakfast Ron walked around the hotel and found ice on the seat of the motorcycle.  After sending a couple copies of the annual letter (below), Ron decided that it was too cold to inflict a motorcycle on da poor little weefee to get to the Maud S. Trail, so we limited our walk to 2.5 flat, flat, flat miles around the cemetery.  (And it was cold.)  We walked to the Montana Club for typical afternoon meal of huckleberry salad and steamed veggies for Cynthia and two baked potatoes with lotsa pepper for Ron.  Then in the evening we walked the cemetery again for a total of 10 (flat) miles today.

7 Sep:  dawned a bit chilly in Butte, Montana, and a brisk wind blew in colder air and snow by noon.  We walked around our convenient cemetery very early, but cut our walk short when raindrops hit us in the face.  After fussing with Google sites for an hour, Ron decided to walk to Walmart for frozen mango and blueberries.  Sister-in-law Carolyn reports that the rioters in Minneapolis are nowhere near her.  Sister Carol reports that new DNA matches are providing much food for thought.  Ron is now shivering as he eats his frozen mango.  It is time to mail his annual letter, dated September this year.  The walk this evening through the cemetery was again wonderful because of the dusting of snow on the mountains and the mama with two baby deer watching me walk by.  It was amusing to see that all three heads tracked me identically.

This annual letter comes to you from Butte, Montana on September 6th, 2020.  Ron and Cynthia report that life continues with the same old same old - hike, health, travel by motorcycle, no fat, no oil, no butter, no cheese, no salt.  We no longer own a house or a car, just a motorcycle, and we fill our days with hiking, genealogy and travel.    One of the ironies of aging is that we need a daily exercise routine to stay fit enough to enjoy the activities of daily life.

If you'd like to know all the gory details of our daily lives, check out our blog by Googling "Where is Ron."  Our blog shows up first.  The URL is whereisronnow.blogspot.com.

Once again we are delighted to be among the living - - - and we are feeling Younger Next Year (click here) after reading the book and going to the Pritikin Longevity Center four times in the last two years.  Our 2019 adventures began in late January when the motorcycle driveshaft broke on I-10, 30 miles west of Mobile, Alabama, as we rode towards the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami.  BMW Roadside Assistance rescued us with a tow truck, and the driver even dropped us off at our hotel.  We were both sick for the next three days, but when we recovered, the repair shop was still waiting for the driveshaft, so we rented a car and drove to Miami, arriving at the Pritikin as scheduled.  Cynthia checked in and I rode further south to visit friends in the Florida Keys.  That ride over all those bridges out to Big Pine Key is really lovely in the off-season, and those tiny key deer are just too cute.

Again our stay at the Pritikin provided us results and new exercises.

After our month at the Pritikin, we again rented a car to retrieve our motorcycle from Pensacola.  Then we rode south through Mexico Beach and were astounded by the hurricane damage there.  Whole forests of pine trees were snapped off 30' above ground for miles and miles.  The first floor rooms of the Hotel Governor, where we love to stay, 30' above the normal high tide, had been demolished by the storm surge and waves.  Most houses between the roadway and the gulf were entirely gone without a trace.

We visited friends as we rode north to spend 3 months in Mt. Airy, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia.  We spent most of our time in the basement of the Lutheran Archives, working with Peter Craig's collection of books and papers (genealogy).  Mt. Airy is fun for us, and the weather stayed mild enough for us to walk the mile to Chestnut Hill for lunch every day at Fresh Market, a grocery with a nice salad bar.

After summer heated up, we hustled north into Vermont to cool off and spent the next three months hiking - except that Cynthia's children mandated that she fly to Houston to celebrate her birthday with them.  She came back from the flight with a cough that soon turned into bronchitis, then into pneumonia, which led to a shingles affliction that lasted a month.  We were compelled to leave Vermont, just as the leaves began to turn fall colors because we had booked the first 2 weeks of October at the Pritikin to take advantage of a seasonal discount.  At least we did see a few marvelously colorful displays of leaves in Vermont and New York before outrunning fall south, and we enjoyed a bon voyage Pasta Loft party with MIT friends.

Samantha and Adam's wedding in Texas in November was a joyous occasion, vindicating our early arrival in Texas, long before our scheduled doctors appointments the first week of January.

2020 will go down in history as the year when pandemic paranoia gripped America, when wearing face masks and social distancing became mandatory.  Cynthia and I were lucky to arrive in Sedona mere days before the ___ hit the fan.  We were able to walk from our vacation rental house to the Bell Rock Trailhead for the first six weeks and then from a second rental to the Sugarloaf Trailhead for the next month.  Those red rock mesas are just so spectacular.

Then we spent two weeks at the Grand Canyon with only a few other early arrivals.  Imagine getting to see and hike the Canyon without crowds.  Awesome !!  Ron was even able to hike down the Bright Angel Trail to the second rest stop (3 miles distance and 2100 feet elevation) in 1 1/2 hours and back up in 2 - - - giving him confidence that his heart is A-OK.

Next we visited friends in Santa Fe for a couple of weeks and were able to see nearly everyone in outdoor settings deemed "socially distanced" and safe from pandemic propagation.

Seeking cooler temperatures, we spent a month in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, hiking every day, and now another month in Butte, Montana, hiking the Maud S. Canyon Trail every 2nd or 3rd day except when the air was contaminated by California wildfire smoke.  We have really enjoyed staying at the Copper King Hotel and Convention Center in Butte.

Before long we will ride across South Dakota to Minneapolis so that Cynthia can baptize her 2-year-old grandson.  Then back to Texas, visiting friends and relatives along the way.

I continue to tell people that I had the perfect life as a bachelor, but leave it to God to improve upon perfection.  And I continue to tell Cynthia that I love her just the way she is.

6 Sep, Sunday:  Another day with a smoky haze from wildfires.  At least this time it is local fires.  After our morning walk, it is finally time for Ron to get productively busy, so he wrote his 2020 annual letter in order to send a few snail mail letters this month.  Next project is to print one.  Then I need to lambast Google for the travesty they are inflicting upon their web site users when they "convert" to "new sites" November 2021.  We walked to The Montana Club for lunch of salmon and asparagus; Ron had baked potatoes.  After fussing with Google sites, Ron walked around the cemetery for half an hour.  Now time for bed.

5 Sep:  Today is forecast HOT, so we hustled through exercises and breakfast in order to hike the Maud S. Trail early - but it was already hot.  We persevered and hiked to the viewpoint despite feeling that the hike was more strenuous than ever.  We stopped at the Montana Club for lunch and walked around the cemetery in the evening.

4 Sep:  And here it is already the 4th of September.  How did that happen?  We walked our favorite cemetery twice today and bought lots of groceries at Walmart.  Ron was successful at avoiding work of any nature.

Ron did NOT realize that the bike is so clean.  Angenieta must have a magic camera.

Isn't Cynthia a beauty ?  SmoochSmooch, I love you.

Angenieta photographed our heels

Lost Trail Pass ?

Informational rest stop

3 Sep:  Today we rode from Missoula back to Butte after Big Sky Motorsports installed the diaphragm in the front brake fluid reservoir and after we met the nicest couple at the Montana Club near the HGI.  Angenieta is quite the vivacious motorcyclist.  She just had to ask about us, and believe it or not, Ron was able to respond to this young cutie at length.  Our route was south for 80 miles on US 93 through way too much traffic and population and heat, although the surrounding Bitterroot Valley appeared quite agricultural and scenic.  Then we started climbing up to the Lost Trail Pass and stopped at the informational rest stop explaining that Lewis and Clark might has crossed about here when they were lost on their way to the Pacific.  In contrast, we were not lost and turned east on Montana Highway 43 towards Wisdom - and we recognized Wisdom when we arrived.  We had stayed at the one little motel at the edge of town and ate at the one bar in town some previous trip.  (2 Sep 2010 according to the blog)  We both remember an awesome sunset (not mentioned in the blog).

2 Sep:  We checked out of the hotel for the day, but the manager told us to leave our luggage in the room since we are returning tomorrow.  WINDY.  WOW was it ever windy !! as we rode from Butte to Missoula, 118 miles of being blown mostly sideways or sometimes noticing the abrupt loss of speed when the gust hit us directly from the front.  At times it was a struggle to remain confident that the bike would stay on the road.  All's well that ends well, and Cynthia checked into the hotel, Ron rode to the motorcycle shop despite the GPS misleading him, and the shop was able to change both tires easily.  The  lounge was occupied by another motorcyclist working remotely for his job with Verizon, and our conversation made the time vanish quickly.

1 Sep:  Let's see if Ron can figure out the font that he likes without copying from yesterday.  OOOh, I like this, Times - Large.  We are up, exercised, fed and digesting, preparatory to filling the motorcycle tires with air and hiking.  Walmart Auto Center cooperated by providing air and we hiked the Maud S. Trail again today.  It seemed more strenuous uphill than on other days, but the downhill was a breeze.  Lunch at The Montana Club and too many things to do before bed time.  Goodnight.