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Kayaking for an hour
Walking to and around National Mall for fireworks. No idea how much walking in total, but it should be at least a few miles.
Tai Chi
Notes:
Happy Independence Day! Looks like we're getting a break in the rain (for a day at least) which is good news because we're heading into DC to see the fireworks. Lots and lots of walking involved with doing that, so we're getting more than enough exercise for today. I’ll have to post photos of that tomorrow, after I sleep in late. July 4th celebrations in DC always run way past my bedtime and I’m a zombie the next day. A happy zombie, but a zombie nevertheless.
Meanwhile my reward for doing all that packing yesterday is going kayaking this morning. We're headed out the door, so for now…. I'll leave you with a peaceful picture of our birdfeeder this morning.
And just in case you were wondering.... today is:
Independence Day
Yankee Doodle Dandy Day
Big Brothers/Big Sisters Day
Family Day
Barbecued Spareribs Day
International Drive Your Studebaker Day
Wow, kayaking... one must be very careful. You wouldn't want to drown.
Caladium, Just an FYI, the birds in you photos are not ducks, they are Canadian Geese, probably cousins to the ones at my place.
I hope that the packing process is mostly a good experience. I know that after my cross country move as I unpacked stuff sometimes I found my self wondering "what was I thinking, keeping this_____ and other times I wished I'd kept something that I got rid of.
You mentioned that you liked what I wrote and you can find a bit more about my retired life in the country on my blog here at C-D.
Have you decided on what new camera you'll be getting? I'm reasonably happy with the Canon that I got a few years ago but mainly use it for taking cute, appealing pictures of my foster dogs in hopes of getting them adopted out to new homes.
NEG - I didn't know that there was any tool to pick blueberries other than by hand. If the little bushes that I planted last year start to produce an abundance of berries I'll have to see if the comb would be a good investment.
My in somnia took a break last night and I slept for over 6 hours straight through until after 8 this morning. What a treat.
Hope all have a day that is both productive and fun.
It is raining in Kentucky - again. What a wet few weeks we have had - and really it has been a wet spring. On the rolling farmland that accompanies our drives nearly everywhere we go, the corn is about a third as high as an elephant's eye and the soy is barely visible. We are going for our walk regardless of the weather - hoping that there is no major downpour. We have gotten stuck in those before and that is no fun at all - especially when you are 3 miles from home on foot - make that soggy feet.
We primp in the yard every day, deadheading the geraniums, cutting armloads of hydrangea, pulling out the occasional weed. Lately there is no watering needed - even the pots remain soaked....small mushrooms are popping up everywhere and the fleshy petals of some of the flowers look bedraggled. Laundry always every day, hanging antique Imari plates today in the living room, grocery shopping for organic veggies at the farm store, ironing, service, exercising.
We fill the bird feeders almost constantly (we seem to buy sunflower seeds by the carload - make that boxcar load, LOL). There is a large fluttering chirping congregation of birds at the feeders each morning (we hear them singing in the dark before the sun rises). Fun to see the different personalities of each of the species. There is one particular blue jay that has managed to figure out how to open sunflower seeds - he gets a seed out of a feeder and hops to a long iron bar on the feeder and as he holds the seed in his mouth, he jack-hammers it against the iron bar until it opens then puts his head back and swallows the little seed...other jays try to mimic his method but can't seem to get the jackhammering correct and they fly off in a huff. Unlike the finches, cardinals, sparrows, cow birds and others, Blue Jays can't open sunflower seeds with their beaks but they are known for their problem-solving capabilities. Cardinals are the most territorial and cantankerous while yellow finches are the most skittish....robins take the longest, splashiest baths of all birds.
We have been catching baby chipmunks every day and transporting them to the nature park where they can join their relations....we call them Alvins and we have caught 56 Alvins since moving to Kentucky....they are so destructive in the garden! But really cute so we give them a long ride to a new home.
Monday always lunch out....this is our day today....actually this is our routine most days :-)
2 mile hike to Heron Lake
Mini golf for an hour (lightweight exercise but every little bit of walking around helps )
Tai Chi
Stretching and maybe some situps later today
Notes:
Went on a sunrise hike this morning. The rest of the morning was spent with houseguests. My sister's family stopped by on their way to a week at the beach. We took them to minigolf, and then to a market to stock up for their trip. We had planned to also go to the Air & Space Museum out by Dulles Airport but this evening's forecast has them nervous, so by noon they decided to drive out ahead of the storm.
That's ok by me, it's fun to take little kids to a museum but it's even more fun to go on my own. That way I can take my time and read every single inscription if I want to.
Other activities for today include a long afternoon nap, the Nats game, and Book Club at our local library. This month we read "Beautiful Ruins." Interesting book--I highly recommend it.
I greatly amused the kids by taking photos in the market. But aren't they cute? They look like little pac-man figures!
Yes, the kids thought the squashes were photo-worthy, but then they said it was a little bit silly to take photos of peppers. I took it anyway because I thought they looked colorful. And hey, it coulda been worse! At least I didn't start singing "I'm a pepper, you're a pepper, wouldn't you like to be a pepper too...."
This photo and the next one are for people interested in the "Do You Look Your Age" thread. The man in this photo is 65, and his wife is 62. Do they look young for their age? Beats me, to me they like two people in great shape but I also think that they look their age because (after all) that is the age they are. I don't really know what 65 is supposed to look like anymore, anyway.
These are two of my family members, and I took this shot at Pt. Reyes National Park two weeks ago, after we had all gone on a long hike. Everyone in my family goes on daily walks and exercises more or less about as much as I do. And I think we look pretty fit for people our age, as a result. Now, don't get me wrong. We don't look like body builders. And some of us are heavier than others (though none of us are obese). Still, beefy or not, we all look like people who can easily hike ten miles without gasping for breath.
So, why mention this? Because I really do believe that if you want to have the vitality of people like this you can achieve it by doing things like taking a daily brisk walk and maybe doing a few other little bits of exercise every day. The thing is, you have to get a little bit aerobic about it (brisk walks, not just a stroll) and you have to do it day after day. You won't get much benefit from exercising just once or twice.
OK OK I don't want to have this turn into some sort of fitness lecture. I guess I just wanted to make the point to not be intimidated by the people who spend hours at a gym--or even by people like me who walk long distances. Do what you can and do a little bit more every day and most of all KEEP DOING IT and if you do keep doing it, you will eventually see results.
This family member is 59 and is making fun of the tai chi that I'm doing just a little bit down the beach. Which is fine by me--her bogus tai chi gave her plenty of exercise, too and we all got a good laugh. It was windy, by the way--no she is not super busty a la Dolly Parton, she just has a breeze blowing up her shirt.
And just in case you were wondering.... today is:
Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day
Zip Code Day
Gingersnap Day
Build a Scarecrow Day
Vitamin Day
Early Bird Day
It's also:
National Hot Dog Month
Cell Phone Courtesy Month
Eye Exam Month
Woman's Motorcycle Month
National "Doghouse Repairs" Month
A Question To Ponder:
It's Cell Phone Courtesy Month. Do you think seniors tend to be worse or better than the average person when it comes to cell phone courtesy?
Good points. I'm starting to see what you mean about deciding what to exclude. The shots I took back when I first retired were so crowded--now I try to focus more on details, to exclude anything that isn't adding, as you put it.
Tomorrow I'm hiking down to Heron Lake and will try to take a shot of a flying bird (if I see one). It'll be a good challenge to see if I can get it in focus--plus a good baseline to look back on as I get better over time.
You know what, we get lots of threads from people who don't know what to do with their time after they retire--let me recommend taking up photography. It's turning out to be a very satisfying retirement hobby. Doesn't cost a dime (once you buy the camera) and is giving me many reasons to see the world around me now that I finally have the time to take a good long look.
Great points!! Always good to know what to exclude.
When we don’t put the brakes on our self-absorption, we have nothing stopping us from total self-destruction. We become the fruits of our actions.”
― Zeena Schreck, Beatdom #11: The Nature Issue
I think quotes are very inspirational...thought provoking. I think this type of thing should be added to the endlesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss sssssssssssssssssssss messages on exercise and photos.
the same way you find the subject matter boring quotes can be boring if you have no interest in reading them or what they have to say. .
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