While you may not be able to tell from my last many posts, I am actually a quite positive person. Yes, many things have conspired to drag me down or, at least try to drag me down, I’ve decided that I will not allow that to happen.
To begin anew, I’ve decided to order new credential(s) for my long Camino in the Fall of 2023. I ordered the Irish Credential, I saw on in 2017 and knew I needed one. I know, you can say, why get them now? It’s a long time until the Fall of 2023 and, you’d be correct, it’s a bit over 3 years.
But, I’m optimistic and, it gives me something to look forward to, to plan for and to dream about. Isn’t that really what living is about? What’s next? Where to? When do we leave? Why do I have to wait so long?
I’ve written previously about this long Camino, beginning in Lourdes and then taking the Camino Aragones through the Somport Pass and joining the Camino Francés in Puente la Reina. From there, slowly meandering our way across Spain. Looking for side trips, the road less travelled.
Phase 1
My friend Ann and I have talked about doing this, maybe mid-September to mid-November, a change of weather and seasons would be nice. Maybe, I can convince Susan to join us. I would be a miracle worker if I could do that but, I am an optimist.
Not having a true time constraint is going to be something to get used to, that factor was a motivation of its own, I always knew that I had to be finished by some date. I guess my airline reservation will be my motivation, tickets can be changed though.
Who knows, maybe I’ll even volunteer as a Hospitalero, I’m very sure Susan will not get on board for that but, one can hope.
Sorry for the negativity, I’ll strive to be more forward thinking and continue to work on equanimity.
It’s been a while since my last post, for the last week to ten days, I have just been in a rut. The reality of CV-19 in Texas and the United States is becoming overwhelming for me.
In Dallas County, where I live, most people are wearing masks, to them I say thank you. It’s probably too early to tell but, it seems that the number of infections identified per day is beginning to go down, it had peaked at over 1,200 but today, we were on the 10th day below that peak so, maybe there’s a change starting to take hold. Masks and closing bars is a big part of that.
The disappointing thing is that too many still feel that they should not have to wear masks. Some claim it’s their right not to, I guess they feel that it’s also their right to infect others. There are even people that are wearing very thin mesh masks, a giant middle finger to the world. Because there is no legal definition of what a mask/face covering is, they can get away with it. And, still infect others.
Fools!
There are people who are militant about not wearing a mask, some have physically attacked people who ask them to put a mask on. I don’t understand how these people can be so selfish. Of course, we have a President who encourages this type of behavior and a news channel that touts these idiots as heroes of some sort. I wish no one ill but, if anyone deserves to get CV-19, these fools are it. Sadly, the virus doesn’t know the difference between those of us who are doing our part and the selfish miscreants.
What got me so down was thinking about this going on for many more months. While we are not currently under a mandatory stay at home order, those of us who are trying to do our part do stay home, a lot. Restaurants are open and there is patio seating but the number of people who do not take CV-19 seriously and don’t wear masks or observe physical distancing make this a non-starter. Besides, it’s summer in Dallas and temps outside are mid-90’s or 35C and humid, not great patio weather.
Not seeing friends and family is the toughest part. Before CV-19, we saw our friends every week. Dinner out was a regular thing. We’ve not been to dinner out since the first weekend in March. I feel like I’m in a minimum-security prison.
Yes, I can get outside but that’s usually alone and you’re ever cautious about your physical distancing, a cough can clear the entire area. Not much joy their.
I realize that my fellow Americans created this problem, spurred on of course by President Ass Clown but man, it is wearing on me, and others. Sadly, the way it’s looking, this will continue in the U.S. for months more. That’s what is wearing me down. So much of this could have been prevented. Instead, I feel like I’m being sucked into a Black Hole.
Earlier this year, I created a new category, Whining, I’ll add this to that category.
Even for me, this is way off the track but, this damn song has been going through my head since I heard it yesterday.
If you’re 55 or younger, you’ve probably never heard Zoom before, it was released in 1977 by the Commodores the lead singer is Lionel Richie, before he went solo. I was working on a project and listening to music yesterday, I had my iPhone music set on random and up it came, I didn’t even remember that I had it.
Zoom is pure 70’s Soul/R&B with a little Funk mixed in. It’s very smooth and very relaxing and, if you’re really unlucky, it will keep playing in your head all night long. Oh well, I’ve had worse music playing through my head. Very big on the dance floor back in the day, it was slow and long.
So, in the age of Covid-19, go ahead and Zoom, fly far away from here…
As far as I’m concerned, there’s very little better than the simple act of walking with a friend. Just being outside sets a great tone but to do it with a friend or friends, well you just can’t beat that.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take a hike in Meridian State Park about 70 miles south of the Dallas-Ft Worth (DFW) metro area. As you probably know, Texas and the DFW area is being hit hard by the Covid-19 virus so, for those of us with any sense, we haven’t had the opportunity to get out much this year. Sadly, I don’t see that changing for quite some time with the possibility of another stay at home order.
With that said, getting out in this fairly isolated park was just what I needed. Usually, I do these walks by myself but this time, my brother-in-law decided to go with me. Mike has been part of my family since he started dating my sister in the 70’s and they’ve been married since 1977 so, he’s as much my bother as my blood brother is.
We took off early, it’s July in Texas so out of self defense from the heat, most outdoor activities occur early in the morning. The park is about 10 miles from my brother’s ranch, so it took no time to get there, we were on the trail by 06:30. Mike walks on paved walking/biking paths near his home so he only had athletic shoes to wear, he would find out why I wear my Keen’s later.
Central Texas is rugged country, limestone is everywhere and when you’re ascending or descending, the ever present greyish white stone can be difficult to navigate. It was though nice to once again hear the crunching of the gravel under my boots, it’s become a very Zen experience for me and a joy I discovered on the Camino.
Limestone Walls
There are a couple trails, the longer Bosque Trail wanders around Lake Meridian through the woods (bosque) and up and down the canyons and ravines that feed run off rainwater into the man-made lake. In Texas, the person in front gets to watch for snakes and also gets to clear the trail of cobwebs as you walk down the trail. I saw no snakes on this trip, but I found every cobweb in the park.
Bosque Trail
In my posts about my 2017 Camino, I mentioned that it seemed as if every morning, Old Santiago planned a little early morning wake me up climb. Apparently, he did the same Saturday morning. All in all, it was not a big climb but, it did get the heart pumping.
Mike also got to find out that walking on smooth and level paths is very different than walking on natural paths, uneven surfaces and with steady elevation changes. Unfortunately, he took a fall as he lost his footing coming down an incline. No serious damage fortunately but he is going to invest in some boots. I hope he does and that he joins us on more of our hikes…whenever that is.
I enjoyed sharing my joy of hiking with Mike and, other than the fall, I think he enjoyed it too. He was surprised to find that we’d done all of this in about two hours. He was also surprised at how sore he was. Like I said, walking on level ground is very different than walking in the wild. But, we all know, it get’s easier if you keep at it.
Mike’s welcome anytime, who knows, maybe I can convince him to come walk the Camino with me in 2023. I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be. Right Mr. G?
I hope to do another hike soon and the Professors are interested as well. The Government Canyon State Natural Area is north of San Antonio and has several very nice trails. The area is wild and it the recharge area for the Edwards Aquafer. It’s also very close to Enchanted Rock, a big plus. Probably have to be in the Fall as it’s getting very hot now, and, there’s that other thing.
