Spring Forward to Spring!

I've been wanting to hike more, so I decided to set myself a mini goal of 12 miles each week this spring.  I started it on Sunday the 12th because that's close enough to spring for me.  I really just need the later sunlight to get me going.  Monday, Karen and I walked 12 miles on the Richard Martin Trail.  Done!  hahaha

We walked it fast-3 hours and 31 minutes.  I have done it in 3, but that's hard.  This time we were both REALLY worn out by the hike.  I came home with a knot in my calf and she had aching hips.  I told the kids I was skipping the rest of my 40's and going straight to 70.  They started calling me Memom and Mommaw.

Tuesday I tried walking off that sore calf while Ben was at music and put in nearly 3 miles on the bike trails at the lake.  They are surprisingly steep trails and it was a good workout on such a COLD day.

I tried a new thing with the bike trail hike.  I put earplugs between my toes.  And I wore shoes, not sandals (because it was COLD). I was hoping that by keeping those bones away from one another, the nerve would not be pinched and my toes would not go numb.  It worked fairly well.  Even when it did start going numb, it wasn't AS numb and it actually faded within a couple of hours.  Not so lucky with that calf knot. I think I can modify the earplug idea and have it work, which would change EVERYTHING about my hikes.  The Oboz worked okay during off-trail hiking, but my toes were burning by the time I got to the car because of the flat road walk at the end the one time I tried them hiking.  The next time I put them on, my toes were numb before I left the house. :/  (Update, it has not worked)

Wednesday, the calf was mostly back to normal and I ended up heading to swim after lunch with Matt and forgot my swimsuit, though I did bring two towels (one with a sock stuck to it), which is something I guess.  I went to the new library instead, then got drawing supplies.  I walked a couple miles on the greenway, but it was REALLY windy and I didn't enjoy it much.  My ears hate wind.

Thursday, I planned a big hike.  Ben and Chan were with friends and I had the whole day open.  It was warm and sunny and perfect.  Then I woke up hours later than I have slept in MONTHS (9!).  I felt both really groggy and wonderfully rested.  Jake was up minutes later and chatty like a magpie.  He sat on my bed and talked for nearly 2 hours.  Hiking plans flew out the window as we talked and talked and talked.  He got a promotion at work and a very nice raise!  He told me about a friend who is homeless and we started looking for information to get him sorted and sent him all we found and offered a shower and laundry if he needed it.  Another friend, a VERY sweet kid who has been over here dozens of times, lost his Nana unexpectedly.  We talked about that a while, too.

After he left for work, I laid in outside the sun with bare legs (sun on my long bones!) until Matt came home and we walked 3 miles, so it wasn't a totally lazy day.  In between, I set up a desk with drawing stuff and worked on learning how to draw wildflowers.  I'm rubbish at drawing, but that just means there's room for improvement.

Out and About

At the fair parade.  I can't believe the ENTIRE population of the county was out there, I prepared for the possibility of other people by bringing an umbrella.  Pokey points at eye level keep people at arms-length.  But I really had no idea there would be 10,000 people, or that the parade route would be so short, forcing us all to MASH.

Oh, oh, AND people were handing out candy, which was fine.  Lots of kids around to scramble and get that.  But there were people handing out pamphlets, flyers, cards, and reusable shopping bags.  I backed up anytime one got too near.  Interaction.  UGH

Look at that, both sides, both directions.

The parade took nearly 3 hours and of course, Ben was in float 10-from-the-end.

The reason it took so long is that each of the 8-10 school districts had a car for Baby Miss Podunk, Little Miss Podunk, K-8 Miss Podunk (one for each grade) then MISS Podunk, a high schooler.  Then some had Senior Miss Podunk from I guess their senior citizens center.  Only one had a Little Mr. Podunk and he looked about as thrilled as he would be headed to the dentist knowing he had 3 cavities.

It took HOURS.

The Klan came by as well, between schools.  Go, Alabama. 
They handed out little Confederate flags along with their bright white information sheets.

The kids had all of 10 days notice about the parade, so their tiny little orchestra pulled together to learn When the Saints Go Marching In.

I left after the float went by and RAN for my van.  And got stuck in traffic because everyone and their dog was going to the staging area to pick up their kid.  I was instantly glad this would be the only year to deal with all of that.

Tuesday, I went hiking with Gina.  I was attacked relentlessly by snake sightings.

I was in the Twilite Tunnel at Hurricane Creek and Gina walked around, which is my plan from now on as well.  If I ever go back.

I decided to use my cell phone light to see.  I saw 2 camel crickets first thing.

Then a 14-inch ringneck, not sure if it was a ringneck, only that it had a ringed neck.

I was starting to calm down when I saw THIS one below, it was easily 4 feet long.  Possibly longer.  I actually screamed.

One more snake for the road.  I left after this one.

This really is a ringneck.

Gina, coming up the Grandfather Trail.

We headed out later in the week to walk at Duck River:

Duck River Trail

There are now 2 parking areas with trails in both directions, so we still have some walking to do!  We have done about 4 miles in each direction so far, last weekend was our latest trek to knock out the first section we ever walked.  The first time, it was only finished to the bridge, now it's open beyond that.

We were hiking with Amanda and Elan and had only planned 5 miles, so getting in 8 was a surprise!  It seemed to go SO fast!

The trail is mostly this-skirts the lake and undulates a bit.
It crosses a few feeder streams that can be quite pretty when it's rained enough to have them flowing well.

Ben does an interpretive dance called 'Returning the Way We Arrived'

Getting to the bridge is a good turn around spot, there are a few wide flat rocks along the water for a picnic snack and it's pretty!

Headed back!

This is a lovely walk, it's not hard, it can be tailored for any length by just turning around and there's water the whole way, so it's visually pleasing.
I would not get drinking water, even if treated, along this trail just because of so many farms and houses in the area.  I know that's ironic because it's the drinking water reservoir for Cullman!  But I always try my best to avoid potential agriculture runoff.

I am hopeful they will open the lake up for kayaking or even swimming, I love to swim!
Some camping here would be awesome, it's 21 miles, so a backpacking option could be done.  I am looking forward to seeing this project develop.

Wheeler

Met up with Katy and Amanda at the end of last week at Wheeler to see the sandhill cranes.

The kids played Elbow Tag until the inevitable SLIDE in the mud.  

Elbow tag:
One runner, one 'it' 3 or more pairs of players.  Players pair up and hook arms.  The runner runs while being chased by it.
The runner can link arms with any pair, the person on the other side of the pair then must break off and run.  It's chaotic and hilarious and there's loads of yelling and re-pairing off.  

This is where I met Katy 12 years ago!  At this swamp.  hahaha!

Hikes

I feel like I should have lost weight from having a cold.  I made roughly 8 pounds of snot.  As is my main complaint when comic book characters grow huge at whim; you can not create mass from nothing.   So where did that 8 pounds come from?  I'll tell you.  Hot tea.  Everyone is all like 'ooo, tea with honey' but all that does is force you to get up and potter around and the results fuel snot.  Next time it's bourbon, chocolate, and goldfish shaped pretzels.  I can keep all that in a drawer by the bed-the one that is currently filled with typing paper.  I have not have a functioning printer in 3 years anyway.  Then I can just flail, it's a great plan.

Between New Year's and the 12th, I left the house only if there was some necessary thing at the end of the trip.  Delivering tissues to the croaking thing in Chan's room or reupping the Powerade stash, or, my favorite, buying yet another pill for congestion.  I used to not be able to take decongestants. They made my head swim and my heart race.  I've either developed a tolerance or mild panic attacks are old hat now, either way, I have been popping nasal decongestants at the rate of 2 every 6 hours for DAYS.  Not only am I not reacting, I'm only breathing slightly better.

I have recovered to the point that now my nose does not run, it drains into my throat so I have this near constant need to cough and go 'ah-heh' in long spiels like a chain smoker upon awakening.  This. This is what it would be like to be a 70 year old man.  And me without my tightie whities with questionable sanitation level.  Dang.

The 13th I dragged myself to Elkmont and walked with Melissa and Gina on the Richard Martin.  We did the whole thing in 4 hours.  I had in new arch supports that were too narrow for my boots.  I did not realize it would be such an issue, but it rubbed my feet and by the time I got home, I had 4 HUGE blisters.  The ones on my heels were over 2 inches long.  I popped them and drained them and taped them with leukotape and ended up having to do the same thing the next morning.  I have not had a blister refill before.  My feet were SO tender Saturday, it felt like I had burned them, like I was walking on a sunburn, not a flesh wound.  :(

Sunday, we did a couple miles with a new person, Nicky.  We ended up over at Hurricane Creek. I have not been there in years!  I expected it to be in bad shape, but other than a couple pieces of trash (in a place I could see but not reach) there was no damage or debris!  The trail kicked our butts, I was covered in sweat.

That afternoon we dropped Ben off to do an escape room with some friends (they did it with 2 minutes and 7 seconds to spare!) and Matt and I ran to Cabela's to look for a particular towel I'd like to get. They had it, at nearly $15 more than REI.  ack.  But they did have a big sale going on and I got a mens rain jacket for half off,  It has pit zips and covers my butt.  The women's (same price) has no pit zips and the bottom comes to my waist and I could not even get the large to zip over my boobs in a tshirt-never mind a fleece or down hoody underneath it!  And, if I leaned over wearing it in the rain, the rain would funnel into my butt crack. Who designs this sort of crap?  Mmmm, tight in the titties, don't hide that ass!  PERFECT!

Anyway, here are some pics:

Sunset, out the bedroom window

Richard Martin

From Hurricane Creek: