Ineffective Toothpicks

So, I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks, mostly due to being busy, but I will try to catch up.

Weight:  still bouncing around in the mid 160’s.  I can’t remember the last time I managed to stay within my weight watchers point range for a day, but I am still tracking and weighing and I think that alone is preventing me from gaining a ton of weight.   At least I have an awareness.  And I’m exercising, which brings me to my next, great topic:

 Backpack:  I got to go on a GREAT backpack in the Gila Wilderness near the Gila Cliff Dwellings.  As it was over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was able to go for two nights.  I won’t describe the entire trip here, but highlights included hiking across a gorgeous grassy mesa that was reminiscent of the Serengeti with its swaying golden grasses and miles-long vistas, camping in a floodplain by the east fork of the Gila River next to what had been vast fields of flowers, now dried and brown but taller than my head, and hiking out the last day down the middle fork of the Gila River and coming upon an actual hot spring, hot water gushing from the canyonside, steaming in the chilly morning air.

My companions were my dad and a good friend of his named John, and my dog Murray.  This was only his second backpack and by far his longest, but he did well, carrying his dog pack, trudging along stoically, and once it was time to sleep, climbing into the tent and staying still all night long.

 Thanksgiving:  had a nice time with my kids and soon-to-be son in law.  We cooked, my daughter made her famous brined turkey, we had rolls and green bean casserole and real mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole, homemade whole-berry cranberry sauce, cornbread dressing with celery and onions, and my daughter’s made from scratch (even the crust) harvest apple pie, a delicious variant on apple pie that includes cranberries and raisins in addition to sliced apples.  It was a lot of fun, the big kids took all the leftovers, and the next day I burned off the meal by backpacking 7 or 8 miles, I can’t remember.  The entire trip, spread over three days, was about 16 miles.

Getting it Back:  The backpack wasn’t super steep or hard, but being able to carry a pack 16 miles over three days has really boosted my confidence in my physical abilities and I want to do more, harder backpacks and hikes.  When I’m doing my weekly A mountain hike, I’ve started doing it the long way again (haven’t done that in a while) and I’m generally feeling stronger.  This is good.  Too bad I still am 30 pounds overweight.

Succulents:  I had moved my split rocks, baby toes and big variety plant dish garden back outside not only due to mild weather but also because my male kitten was systematically eating the plants. (He didn't die so I guess they aren't poisonous). This was especially annoying because not only was he eating the flower buds on the baby toes plants, he was eating leaves off some really gorgeous plants in the dish garden, rendering them limp and scraggly.  The baby toes has continued to flower, and it is downright bizarre to see a big, wide daisy-like flower emerging from the strange, translucent lobes of the plant.  Another bud is emerged as well, but has not opened yet.  The dish garden is starting to recover, but alas, a forecast cold front and much colder temperatures will require that I bring it back inside today.  Not only was the kitten eating the plants both kittens were lying down in the dish garden, further crushing the plants.  We tried putting sharp toothpicks in the dirt to keep them out, but that was ineffective.  I would awaken in the morning to find the toothpicks on their sides and obvious evidence that they had been laid upon.  I am going to have to figure out a way to protect it  . . . will report back.