had to get out on those trails again...

 took a short 1 mile stretch with Rio and Blossom, then it took some time to finally get Rio to settle down and let us leave her home.  she's figured out that the peanut butter bone means we are leaving and she wants nothing to do with it. so extra time just to get her settled and content.

 headed up Arctic Valley.  it was clearing up there and cloudy in many parts of Anchorage.  good leg workout for me.  i am out of shape so getting some hills in will help get me more trail ready.  feel like i still need to remember or re-learn how to walk normal.  it's funny how you forget and pick up bad habits.

 after i got my winging scapula my right arm wasn't swinging when i walked.  so odd, but the nerve that was damaged must also tell your arm to swing.  i remember for months after the initial injury having to send a message to my arm to swing.  finally, well i think it swings, it seemed to just start swinging again on it's own.  i'll have to watch that.

 going up the trail i must say i totally forgot that i had any knee surgery done so that was nice.  coming down i think i still just baby it and so i walk less confidently.  trying to improve that.

 at the top there were lovely views and of course these tiny tundra wildflowers that flourish in the summers in Alaska!! so pretty.

 switched over to the macro lens and got down on the ground several times attempting to get pictures. a few months ago i would not have done that...worried about the getting back up part.  i'm still slow and not at baseline but i try to just make myself get up and down more to gain confidence.  again, it was more a habit that seemed to develop...time to return to my healthier self.

 someone posted something about running.  he said just set 30 minutes aside. do a 5 min warm up/cool down before and after and then walk/run.  you may just run for 15 seconds at a time but just keep moving and that time will increase slowly.  eventually you will be running for 20 minutes.  the guy said don't even think about increasing the time until you are running the full 20 minutes.  let your body dictate the walk/run part.  you will see improvement.

 i've never been a runner but i know it is healthy if done right.  hell i can even start by just running in place at home during a big bang episode or something.  nothing wrong with that.

 eventually you transition to the big outside world.  i remember that was how i started weight lifting.  i lifted at home where i wasn't worried that people would be watching me and making fun of me or something. gained enough confidence and hit the gym.

 Blossom is actually pretty tired from her actual hike today.  we will have to do more of that and build up both of our hiking skills again.  she was out cold on the bed and has now shifted to the floor in the room

 Rio is still downstairs on her couch.  snuggled with her for a bit.  her breath smells pretty ripe...of course, that makes me worry that she really does have necrotic bowels and that all sorts of bad things will happen...i tend to be a bit paranoid though so hopefully all the signs that she is doing well are just proof that she is doing well.

 the vet called to check on her today.  we laughed at her over 40 min mile...then going uphill Blossom and i didn't do much better. that hike would not have been ok for Rio.  not sure if she'll ever do that stuff again.  will probably just keep her in bog/u-lake mode.  at a month shy of 11 she is pretty old for her dog years.  can i convince her that it's okay to chill out at home though?  that will be the tough part.

 as i blog i am reminded that a blogger in Saudi Arabia was just sentenced to 1000 lashings and i think like 10 years for just writing things that offended the government and religious leaders...makes me grateful for freedom of speech.  lashings...just seems so barbaric in the world i live in.

 the walrus cam went out this evening i think.  right now they have a cam up at the bird rookery it looks like.  something about the power to the camera.  in a remote place that could take days/not hours to fix.  hopefully, they can get it back up soon.  hoping word of the cool walrus cam keeps spreading out there in the big world...once the walrus gain some fans....the funding will have to happen. the state will have to keep staff out there.  we will have so many more people to pull from who are in love with walrus

 one of the cam ops actually said, "Betsy may be able to answer this better"...well i can't actually remember what he wrote  but basically he named me as a person to be trusted with information.  score one for WARIS!!

 the wind was blowing pretty good out there today...great views all over though.  i was fine, the wind actually felt great going up the mountain, it started to feel hot when the wind would stop for a second.

 one of those little free libraries was stolen from a front yard the other day...i have thought about making one for my front yard...a walrus theme of course...i'd be ticked if someone stole it though.  we are surrounded by idiots!!

 guess there have been a few of those random guy on the trail with a stick that suddenly strikes a biker and injures them.  then today i was driving down the highway towards town and you can see a bike trail from the highway...i see a guy walking down the path by himself who has a stick...lots of bikers out there..hope it was just a walking stick.  hard to really check out from the road but makes you worry and wonder.

 there is apparently some non motorized race to Alaska going on.  started in Washington and they get to Ketchikan by sea in whatever non-motorized method they chose. 54 entrants is all...that number will surely drop a fair bit by the time anyone gets to Ketchikan.  not sure who comes up with this stuff.

 Japan is cutting back on direct flights to Alaska. this may impact the sex lives of many Japanese Tourist...they like to conceive babies under the norther lights.

 nearly all the attackers of Malala, the young Pakistani activist, have been freed of charges in the case.  only 2 remain in prison.  no big surprise there i guess.  she remains in England due to continued threats against her life...educated women terrify these terrorists.

 attempt at a selfie

 a disgruntled moose in Denali is taking it out on the tourists....those tourists can be testy to the wildlife...they seem to forget what wild is and get way to close to these large beasts..apparently this mama moose has got some kick in her.

 Blossom rests at the saddle while i take flower photos

 just checked on Rio.  so tempted to wake her up but she is sleeping so comfortably.  she is so peaceful in her sleep, always has been.  i envy the pure sleep of these pups.  not that i have any trouble sleeping but they just look so at peace when they sleep.

 worked on the web page for a bit.  frustrating as when i try to just put the web site address up it still seems to mostly take you to the older version of it for some reason.

 so besides the two walks i really got very little done today.  oh well.  did finally get a nice relaxing bath in though. i've talked about it for weeks in my head but tonight i finally took the chance.  still reading and enjoying the latest book in snippets.

 i should be better at identifying these flowers but soon i will be in Denali and we will have a course...perhaps my wildflower skills will improve.

 that is the Southfork Valley...in the very back to you can see Eagle and symphony lakes i think..or at least one lake

 Blossom enjoys the last remnant of snow out there.

 a few from Rio's big mile walk yesterday.  she was a bit wobbly both days but she managed the mile okay.  seemed totally ready to turn around today but i think she enjoyed getting out for a sniff.  don't want to take her anywhere  with a lake right now...want to try and keep her incision from getting infected.

 really, you would never pick up that she had major surgery less than a week ago from looking at her.

 a few from last nights sunset walk with Blossom

 two days of 10,000 miles/day...back on track..just add the pool, running and some biking in and maybe i'll drop 3 pounds...haha.  i think that is how that works.

 little planes are crashing...they do that in the summers in Alaska.  one really sad case i read about.  i think some pilots were practicing gravel landings...somehow the one plane was rolling and the other pilot jumped out to try and stop the other plane...he ran right into his propeller.  that had to be an awful death.  every so often a death really just gets to you...these horrible deaths, so painful seeming.  sounds terrible and i'm  sure the awfulness makes it that much harder for the family.

 called the Barrow contact.  hopefully he can take us out looking for wildlife and says he'll ask around about a boat?  would be cool to go out and look for walrus or polar bears if the weather is good.  when in Barrow do what you can, right?

 Blossom out swimming...

 powerline trail will be closed much of summer as they work on said powerlines.  i hear Rio moving off to check on her

 late night snack and potty break.  will have to just give her a noon meal or something to get her calories in i guess while i'm at work.  she does seem hungry.

 hunger is good.

 get the feeling that she will be needing 2-3 smaller meals per day.  Blossom not happy to not be joining her in that other meal.

 the princess has spoken.  haha. liked the driftwood in this.  for some reason this beach is where everyone does their graffiti..strange.

 of course the water tower...always have to take a few of that when you are out there it seems

 high tide and painted rocks...

 our new colorful logo is ready to reveal to the public!! i think it looks amazing!!  thanks SS for the artwork!! looks great!

 she also did our cool walrus...i will probably send an email and see if i can get new stickers with the walrus rock first.  some had wanted it to say Alaska.  figure we can start putting a year on there as well and then we can do new cool stickers...get people returning for more.  these would be great for sales i think, gear with these on them so we do have some cool options if i can make them happen.  wonder if we could have our own fund thing set up so that we could more directly give to Round Island...thing to investigate.  would be easier than doing grants and stuff.  love this guy though!!

well, i should get to bed...thankful for: A. a real hike today...much needed B.  freedom of speech. i would not cope well with 1000 lashings for verbalizing my opinion.  C.  new awesome drawings for WARIS by SS!!  so excited!!