Got lungs?

Boy what a sea level land lubber am I.  Thought I might die today breathing at 6400 feet peddling uphill.

We came to Colorado this year with the wish to return leaner and with better cardio.  To wit, we rigged up a way to transport Carl's 3 wheel recumbent and headed northwest .

Hillbilly comes to mind....

Our first ride was only 4.5 miles around lake Estes.  Nearly died.  7500 feet elevation.  

Properly humbled we headed down to 4600 foot Fort Collins where we spent a week on their lovely trails along the poudre river and clear creek.  Much to love on their trails.

Duly armed with lungs a week old, we moved up 2000 feet to Carbondale. We twice biked the crystal valley which requires 200 feet of climb over 6 miles to get back to camp.  Then there are the rollers up and down along it.  Going down to town is awesome but the ride home is work.  It's just what the doctor ordered.  The valley is good enough to take by the spoonful.

I formed a new plan to ride uphill first and downhill last and we moved into the town of Carbondale on the Roaring Fork.  From our rv it is a short connect to the trail and 2 miles uphill into town where we have found every least desire can be met.  

Then we set out on the rio grande trail in the direction of aspen.  Our first ride was 20 miles .  Lots of work to get there and a blast to return.  The grade is the old rio grande rail line, slow and chugging, just like me.  Saw a rodeo arena along  the way and plan to attend the weekly rodeo while we are here.

Scenery is sweet and the roaring fork roars.

Two weeks later I am happy to report that we went uphill 13 miles several times and got stronger every time.  Twice we rode home in those July Colorado afternoon thundershowers and found out that a hot shower with clothes on works great for warming up and getting the mud off at the same time.

I'd stay in Carbondale forever except for reaching the two week limit at the city's Rv park.  Sunsets are awesome too.

Since we were officially out of Carbondale, we headed toward home, taking a humbling ride near Ouray and near Pagosa Springs, and finishing with our traditional ride to the Sand Dunes.  Same distance as in 2012.  Mission accomplished. 

Panarama

Welcome to my new iPhone

Since it has a panorama option I'll share some shots since I discovered it two days ago.

Fun for a cause

this is our second year to attend the MS 150 Texas Tour of Champions, thanks to loyal and generous donors.  it is a fun filled weekend for top fundraisers to celebrate the cause for which we raise all this money.

Hiking, biking and lots of parties.  Who needs more?

Well you get more.  you get the people involved in the movement.  that is my long time friend Margaret with the memorable hair on the front row and if you look hard you can find Carl.  After only two weekends I have a dozen good friends in this crowd.  Pretty awesome people with hearts all in the right place.  

and attitudes that say FUN!  Do it!  (Maybe orange is the new black? )

For Carl the weekend is about being with people who are dealing with a life that will get worse while his gets better.  so many in wheelchairs with fabulous attitudes who are top fundraisers for the cause. 

My physical challenge was to get active after a summer of surgically induced sofa time. I rode 16 and 12 miles at Fort Collins elevation and hiked in Horsetooth mountain reservoir where I saw three bears.

I hurt all over after three days of activity, but I would not have traded the experience for anything.  I was hiking behind Karla, who has MS, who said, I 'm all about finishing, not about how fast I get there. Just do it!!!

these are two of my hiking buds, Erin and Travis.  Erin was willing to ride 8 miles with me at my speed, and since she is a Rice grad, she was super before she did that.  Travis is a personal trainer who works with MS patients and he gave me a mid hike stretch that was over the top.  With help like this, I made it to the top of Horsetooth falls. 

More photos of my hiking buds Sandra and Dorie.

And Erin and Travis.

highlight?  on Saturday nite after dinner there was a great duo taking requests.  mine was Piano Man by Billy Joel.  when they played my request I jumped up and started dancing.  guess who got up and danced with me?  yep!  Carl got up and danced!   he even let go of his cane!  and Lisa, who is the lady photo'd in the wheelchair above, danced too.  pretty awesome!!!!!

Leaf me here forever

Never before have I been here for the aspens.  Where have I been all my life?

I saw them first on the million dollar highway.  Then more and more.  I'll just paste a few here.  

And a few more....

Is that enough?

I wish there were words, but nothing can describe the feeling of the fluttering gold.  

On the Rocky Mountain National Park switchbacks I coud reach out and touch them.  Felt like driving through Christmas lights.  I'll attempt to transfer and post a video soon.  Have not figured out the technique yet in the blogger ap.   

Spa me

On a road trip to recovery hot springs are essential.  Last road trip we had our hot springs book out every day with the intention of hitting as many as possible.  This time I just wanted to go to the most accessible ones for Carl and plan a very efficient route.  We have done just that, starting with Ojo Caliente, then Pagosa Springs to the funky Healing Waters, then Ouray.  

The winner, which we have returned to twice this trip, is Joyfal Journey, near Moffat, centered in the San Luis Valley between Salida and the Great Sand Dunes. 

 

The landscape is like New Mexico with its dramatic skies. In addition to amazing sunsets, they have a masseuse named Frannie that is among the best I have ever experienced.  

Pool temps are hot, hotter and hottest.  I like the hotter one.

This spa is built on the site of Mineral Springs, a hot springs destination that died when the railroad did.  The current owner developed the springs, a hotel and conference center and yurt camping and finally removed the deteriorated buildings from the previous century.

RV spots are bare bones, but with skies like this, who cares?

Roswell and a solar storm

After two years off the road Carl is finally mobile enough to attempt an rv trip.  Since I had two surgeries myself this summer it is a return to activity for me as well.  We are both giddy like kids with new drivers licenses.   No one could mistake us for geezers.  

I felt a bit uneasy when  I heard about the solar storm coming right before we hit Roswell New Mexico.  That is just too much space junk at once to take any chances.  Had to fashion a hat for Daisy to protect her.

There are aliens everywhere!

I'm not sure if the solar storm influenced the weather, but around Roswell we hit a rain storm and a double rainbow. 

if I don't post again, it's probably the electronics zapped by solar flares, but then again we might be with the aliens.  In case it is the latter, just know we had fun on the way there.

A change in plans

I The sun came up brilliantly on our last day at lake Garda and three hikers took off on a level 99 high ending up somewhere close to one of the lower realms of heaven. 

I and three others headed out to rent bikes to toddle along the shoreline and then inland upriver to the next town.  I rented a mountain bike with more gears than the free tourist info bikes but was somewhat limited by the hard seat and no gel pants to cushion me. But the day was lovely and the path idyllic and I cannot believe no pictures!!!!  

We returned for lunch when my phone rang.  We needed to check out a day early, a mess up by the owner.  As a result we are right on the water for the night.  Perfect.

Famous in a foreign land

While wandering Bologna's central market zone, we were approached by a very attractive Italian woman and a camera man.  

"Garble blah blah blah" in Italian.  

We shake our heads.  No speak Italian .

She switched to English.  "What do you think of this thing kamut?  What is it?"

More questions followed before I figured out I was supposed to play along in a guessing game.   

Dessert I said.   What kind?  Panne.  And latte.  Like bread pudding.    

Dodie said it was a small animal.  Played in the yard.  Went anywhere it wanted.  Like an elephant.

Meanwhile I spoke to the producer who said she was making a promotional film for an Egyptian exhibit in town, and kamut was an Egyptian grain found in a tomb.

Selfies followed. 

Then we gave permission to be used in the film.  It's on Bologna tv in June.  Look for us at www. Didn't get the name.  Of course, you will need to pronounce www. Woo woo woo in Italian before anyone can help you find us.  

Holy Agricola

We arrived today at Il Sarelle , an agritourism accommodation with breakfast and dinner included in Northern Umbria.  Everything served tonight was raised here or in the area.   

First course. 

Bread and wine with farmed raised olive oil, carafe of red wine, bottle of still water.

Appetizer home grown Parma ham and sausage with olive oil and Brusetta with a tomatoe confit.

Then ravioli with pecorino cheese (we could see the goats but not sure where the sheep were). And sautéed sage and more olive oil.

Then insalade of farm greens with farm olive oil.  

Then thin sliced roast pork loin with roasted potato.

Then a slice of shortbread pastry with chocolate and cream cheese and desert wine and limoncello.

Never mind the offer of coffee.   It's 10:30 pm now.  

Tomorrow we will maybe make gnocchi with Sara , who came from Venice and married a Roman with the crazy idea of raising a family on an organic farm.

Buon notte!

Miracles/karma

Monday night the phone rang with an invite to Italy on....Friday!   Would I replace a member of the trip who was ill?

I had a million reasons why not, but Carl struck them off one by one, and  a week later I was on a plane to join Girl Scout Rebecca and family at lake Garda Italy, to be followed by Venice with Verdi.  I think I landed in heaven.  

Here I am having coffee overlooking Lake Garda in a lovely villa with six bedrooms, three and a half baths and fabulous company for day hikes and shared meals.  The seeds I planted for my next life are growing right here in my present one.  Karma ripened early.

Today we visited two villes one with castle and one with a hike to a lake, complete with pastoral cows and hay meadows and vineyards along the way.

This is one of my favorite shots of some of the group.

Lunch at an agritur restaurant was the freshest gnocchi in  butter sauce that ever melted in my mouth, and at fellow traveler Dave's suggestion we all drew on our placemats.

Food and art, my favorites.

Bon sera!

iPad?

Oi!  It makes my head hurt to think about replacing my stolen laptop for my summer blogging.  So I'm thinking iPad but trying the phone to see how it goes first. 

How's that for the most uninformed post known?  At least a funny for your trouble....

No MS 150 ride for Carl this year

Around Christmas Carl had a neurological event either related to his Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cidp/cidp.htm or Guillain Barre http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/detail_gbs.htm but more likely a cousin to one of these as his symptoms do not fit neatly into a box for either. The treatment for either problem is the same, and today he starts his third monthly round of three day infusions of Gammunex.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=gamunex&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CEwQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGamunex&ei=YEUiUan_C4_c8wSi1YGYCg&usg=AFQjCNHRnCOohM8MxluDOMoPyzNO-nyVaQ&bvm=bv.42553238,d.eWU

His October surgery for lumbar bone spur issues fixed his left leg problems and he was rebuilding strength in the left leg. Then at Christmas he lost strength in the other leg. He has the same leg quad failure as before with falling because the main nerve in his right quad is not communicating with his brain. He probably has an auto immune disorder with his antibodies attacking his nerve insulation instead of protecting it, and the infusion attempts to overpower his antibodies with others gleaned from donor plasma. Very expensive. Thank you all who are still working for paying your medicare taxes.

We are hoping that his problem is acute rather than chronic, but only time will tell if the disorder will be short lived or long term. In the world of strange but true medical opinions, the two events in his legs could very well be only slightly unrelated.

He uses a walker to stabilize his walking and last month we bought a wheelchair so that we could attend events without fear of falls. He is in aquatic therapy to try to keep his muscles going.

All is not negative. Thank heavens for living near a major medical center with so many options We have discovered a new appreciation for our relationship and an acceptance for “it is what it is”.  In the world of medicine and therapy there are so many kind people, people who go out of their way to help and make things better.  It never ceases to make me appreciate what we have, from the physical therapist who gives guidance and pep talks to the security guard who walks Carl in to infusion therapy to the technicians who do their best to serve every day. 

Carl  tries as hard as is humanly possible to stay positive, and we are both sure that we will look back on this event as a bump in the road. It has given us so much insight into the life of handicapped people.

Carl is really dedicated to continuing to raise money for the MS movement even though he cannot ride.  This condition has made it more important than ever to help other people out of their wheelchairs.

If you want to help us on our MS 150 campaign for this year, visit http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/TeamLincoln2013

We also welcome and appreciate your well wishes and prayers.

Faith

My walking buddy says she met a man who called himself a Possibilitarian.  When it comes to the divine, no one can prove or disprove anything, so anything is possible, he said.  I like the thought of that, believing in the possibilities. 

My husband Carl has always believed in the existence of the divine.  He believes that many chance occurrences in his life are evidence of the guiding hand of the divine.  As for myself, I have always considered good things in my life evidence that I am lucky.  True, much of what I consider luck could be the result of trying to do the right thing.  But how can I not believe in luck when I was born female in an age and a country where a woman could actually get somewhere by doing the right thing?  A Buddhist would say this is my karma ripening from the spiritual work of a previous life.  Who really knows?  After all, anything is possible. 

I believe it is possible that Carl’s Dad Fred came to see him right before his back surgery to tell him everything would be all right.  Why not?  Fred certainly was correct that things were going to be okay.  Things that have bothered Carl for years are cured.  Carl even calls it miraculous. 

This much I know to be true:  angels have been watching over Daisy lately.  During the days before surgery when Carl was in pain, he got an urge to take Daisy to the blessing of the animals on St. Francis Day.  We’ve never done this, so I don’t know why it was so important this year.  Maybe Fred was working on him again.  Fred dearly loved St. Francis’ prayer.  But an outing that day proved to be too much for Carl and the day passed without a blessing for Daisy.

Then two little miracles happened.  One, Girl Scout friend Rebecca volunteered to take Daisy home for a slumber party the night of Carl’s surgery.  I knew Daisy was loved and taken care of, and this was a gift.  Then, a few days ago, a letter came from Rebecca’s Mom in New Hampshire.  It read:

“I thought you’d enjoy seeing that I used a nice picture of Daisy from our Christmas visit in an ad I prepared for St. Andrew’s Blessing of the Animals.  Although Daisy wasn’t present for the event, I think you can consider her well blessed. “

Yes, Daisy has been blessed, and so have we.  With a little faith and many good people doing the right thing, anything is possible.