Happy weekend all.

     We have had a busy week.  It has been super hot, with 5 days in a row over 100 degrees, 2 days reached 105 degrees, and no measurable rain for weeks.  We had house guests:  2 of our nephews, who are wonderful young men, stayed with us from Sat. to Wed.  It was great having them around.  While here, they bagged their first of Colorado's 58 14ers, which are peaks over 14000 feet in altitude.  They climbed Mt. Bierstadt.  We wish we could have hiked with them.  Really, really great accomplishment, guys!  Those are tough.

     Colorado fire update:  The fire by Ft. Collins should be contained by Sunday.  There is a new fire by Colorado Springs, the Waldo Canyon fire, which has destroyed 346 homes and killed 2 people.  It is 30% contained.  There are some incredible pictures to be seen here:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2012/06/27/colorado-wildfires-waldo-canyon-fire-colorado-springs/5732/

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/photo-colorado-wildfire-near-air-force-falcon-stadium-110954267--ncaaf.html

     Please hope for rain.  If you would like to help go to:  
                 www.helpcoloradonow.org
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     Other news:
     Jogging increases life expectancy by 6.2 years for men, 5.6 years for women.  This is according to the ongoing Copenhagen Heart Study which was begun in 1975.  Jogging also was linked with better cholesterol levels, better bone density, improved immune function, improved cardiac function, lower blood pressure, better body weight control, better psychological well-being, and reduced markers for inflammation.  Good news all around, especially for us joggers who are perennial runner-wanna-bees, but who will probably always remain in the jogger category.

     Other research news out this week confirms what we all have known; that calories are not all created equal.  Calories-in do not necessarily equal calories-out. Some calories send blood sugar levels soaring after a meal....a bad thing.  Other calories do not.  Elevated glucose and insulin levels make you fat because insulin is a fat storage hormone. When insulin levels are high, dietary carbs are converted to fat and stored as fat.  When insulin levels are low, fatty acids are mobilized from fat tissue, and fat deposits shrink.  The takeaway, for me, is to at least avoid sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other simple carbs, such as white flour.
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Quotations of the day

"It looks like hell. I would imagine it felt like a nuclear bomb went off. There was fire everywhere. Everything had a square shape to it because it was foundations. Everything you put water on, it was just swallowing it." - Firefighter Rich Rexach, describing the devastation in Colorado Springs, Colo., site of the worst wildfires in state history.

By The Associated Press

The Associated Press

Plant-based vs low carb.

Here is a comparison of plant-based vs low carb diets. Take 2 minutes to watch this and then you decide. The evidence seems clear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zVxA6yipv4

All the thoughts of a turtle are turtle.---Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love, love, love this photo.  Doesn't it make you smile and feel his joy?

It's important to remember that every day is World Oceans Day.. and every day is Earth Day!

 — withStaci-lee Sherwood.

 Evolve! Campaigns

"One day I won't be able to do this, today is not that day." -Unknown

     Dean and I ran the "E-race Loneliness 5k/10k" this morning which was put on by and for Bessie's Hope.  Bessie's Hope is a wonderful charity that forms relationships between nursing home residents, volunteers, and at-risk youth.  Did you know that 60% of nursing home residents get NO personal visits in a year?  Bessie's Hope aims to help alleviate some of that loneliness.  You can learn more about them at:   http://www.bessieshope.org/
     It was a hot morning.  Dean did the 5k, I did the 10k, our friend Ellen did the 5k.  It was a small race, probably because of the heat and because several other races took place in the area this weekend;  but it was well-organized with plenty of volunteers, water stops, port-a-potties, and snacks. The course ran through City Park and was well shaded by stately old trees.  We highly recommend this race and will probably do it again next year.  Here are pictures of Dean and I prior to the race.

Kids, herding geese, love it!

Friday eve. guests.  Must you stand IN my flower bed?

 No wonder my lilacs never grow taller despite their fence.

      It is again a hot day in Denver and is to get to 101 degrees.  The hot weather and dryness continue to fuel the wildfires in Colorado, of which there are now several.  The High Park Fire is at 82,200 acres and only 45% contained.  There is a fire west of Colorado Springs in Manitou Springs.....10,000 people have been evacuated.  The third large fire is in SW Colorado.  What a year!

Afternoon Update:  The Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs is in the path of the Waldo fire, which is zero percent contained.
http://kdvr.com/2012/06/23/crews-responding-to-fire-in-colorado-springs/

Eight wildfires are raging in Colorado at this time.  Here is a location map from Denver Post online:
  

104!

     Denver reached 104 degrees today.....and it is only June, our coolest summer month.
     The High Park Fire has now reached 75,500 acres and is back down to 45% containment.  There is a new fire by Estes Park, and a new fire by Colorado Springs.  It really will be a long hot summer.
     Dean and I have entered a race tomorrow.  He is doing a 5K, I am doing the 10K.  With these temperatures, and tomorrow is supposed to be as warm, we will be doing well just to go slowly and finish.  No racing for us. More later.  No rain in the forecast.

The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking. ~ John Kenneth Galbraith

 Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a man, a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently, because the time is short. Civilization is another word for respect for life.. ~Elizabeth Goudge 






The value of a sentient life is not measured in its utility to others, but in its immense, irreplaceable value to the being whose life it is. ~Joanna Lucas 




At what age did you lose your compassion?


 (Thanks to EVOLVE! CAMPAIGNS for the photos and quotes)

"Let me be one of the first to welcome you to the new season, to wish you the happiest, mellowest, bestest summa eva. Stay up late. Sleep in when you can. Smile often. Play. Run far and free." Kristen Armstrong, Mile Markers Blog, Runner'sWorld.com

     Happy Summer Solstice everyone!  Ironically, we are getting a much-welcomed break from the sizzling temps on this first day of summer. Don't you love these summer evenings?  Once the sun dips behind the hills it is so pleasant to venture out and walk barefooted in the grass, to visit with neighbors never seen in the winter months who are out watering flowers, and neighborhood kids playing volleyball.  The light seemingly lasts forever.  
"In summer, the song sings itself."---William Carlos Williams 


     Update:  The High Park Fire is now at 65738 acres and is 55% contained.  The newer Springer Fire has grown to 1100 acres.  We could really use some rain.


     News:  Biotech giant Syngenta has been criminally charged for denying knowledge that its genetically modified Bt corn kills livestock.  
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/company-charged-for-covering-up-animal-deaths-from-gmo-corn/

     The AMA has stated that they would like to see genetically modified foods "go through a mandatory pre-market safety approval process."   I still find it hard to fathom that these products are allowed on the market without human safety studies having been done.  GMO food producers must know that there are hazards of ingestion involved, or they wouldn't be fighting against having GMO labels attached.  You always have to question businesses that fight against transparency; you must wonder what they are hiding.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AMA/33362?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&eun=g523196d0r&userid=523196&email=turtlewomandeb@yahoo.com


     We are loving the fruits of summer....mmmm, blueberries, strawberries, cherries.


                                           Evolve! Campaigns

10 Great Songs about Dads

     I know this link will be a little late for Father's Day, but I just discovered it this morning.   It is a blog with ten great songs about Dads.  Enjoy.

http://artofmanliness.com/2012/06/12/best-songs-about-dads/

What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.---Jane Austin

     Our weather is hot, hot, hot and very dry.  The High Park Fire by Ft. Collins has burned 58,000 acres now, but is 45% contained.  Today's hot, dry, gusty weather is expected to continue to stoke the fire.  This isn't the only fire burning in Colorado right now....there is the Springer Fire west of Colorado Springs which is now at 300 acres.
 
     I just completed the book "Eat & Run, My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness" by Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman.  Scott Jurek is perhaps one of the best known plant-based, whole food athletes.  You may remember him from the book "Born to Run", by Christopher McDougall.  Jurek is also, by profession, a physical therapist, a coach, a motivational speaker, and a chef, who promotes a plant-based lifestyle.  His story is an interesting one.  It shows that everyone must earn their successes.  He has definitely had to work for his.  FYI:  he has won the Hardrock 100 once, the Badwater twice, the Spartathalon three times, and the Western States 100 seven times, among other races.  He set a new US record at the 24-hour World Championships by running 165.7 miles in 24 hours in 2010.
     The book includes his philosphy and spiritual insights.  His life and his running have been a spiritual journey for him and appear to have made him a kind and humble person.
     What I especially enjoyed was trying out some of the many recipes he included throughout the book. Vegans are always on the lookout for new and better plant-based recipes.  Two of them, the lentil-mushroom burgers and the granola, take a fair amount of work, but the recipes make a large amount and are worth all the effort. I do make my own soy milk, but am anxious to try hemp milk and rice milk; also his hummus trail wrap, pizza, and his salsa verde. Good stuff.

"When you run on the earth and with the earth, you can run forever."---Raramuri Proverb

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places."---Ernest Hemingway

                                                                                                                                                             
                                                   Dreamwork with Toko-pa's photo

Happy Father's Day!

     Happy Dad's Day to my Dad, and to my husband Dean.  They are the greatest.



                         from Evolve! campaigns


     We went to our running group yesterday at the park.  One Dad brought his 2 year old adorable daughter Samantha.  She had just completed 26.2 miles of jogging (in her stroller) this year so got to break through the winner's tape and get prizes.  She is a shy 2 year old that gets to stay with her Dad two weeks out of every six as her Mom lives in another state.  Prior to the run she continually hugged her Dad's leg like a tree-trunk, never letting go, just circling it to see different views of people and their pets.  It was a wonderful image for Father's Day....little arms encircling her Dad's leg with a big hug.  (We miss the feeling of little arms hugging onto legs).

      UPDATE: The fire near Ft. Collins has been declared the most destructive in CO. history.  It has burned 181 homes and destroyed 55000+ acres thus far.  The next few days will not be helpful as temps are to be in the mid-90s.

Our 3rd Fasting Friday

     We are fasting again today.  It really isn't very difficult, which surprises me no end!  We skipped last Friday as Dean had a business lunch to attend, plus I don't think we need to try this weekly.  It is a relief not to have to cook for a day.  We don't lose weight with the fasting as we eat more on Thursday plus make up for it throughout the week.  Weight loss is not our goal.  Health is our goal.

     I have had no further wildlife encounters this week, which I regret.  They make life magical and remind us that we are not the be all and end all.....we just think we are.

     Have a fantastic weekend.



   

Running barefoot in the grass

     We jogged a slow barefoot 2 miles at the soccer field of a nearby school tonight.  The soft grass felt wonderful to the feet.

     The High Park Fire near Ft. Collins is now 52000 acres and has jumped the Poudre River!

My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass.

~ Leslie Grimutter

"Speedwork" Wednesday

     Dean has a softball game tonight so I went to running group despite the heat.  I'm glad I went but, once again, I am so tired of being the slowest one out there.  I will keep at it though. Speed is relative anyway.

     The High Park Fire near Ft. Collins is now 46,600 acres in size, but is 10% controlled.

 Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.

~ Louis L'Amour

              reblogged from Pinterest.com

     

Monday Miscellany

     I mentioned the fire near Ft. Collins, CO previously. It is called the "High Park fire."  It was 2 acres on Sat. am, 8000 acres on Sun., and was at 20,000 acres and raging as of this morning.  I just checked as of 11am it is at 37,000 acres and very aggressive.  More than 100 homes have been damaged or destroyed, and there has been one fatality.  The Denver area is windy, smoky, and smells like a campfire.  It is hard to take if you are outside for very long.
   
     Previously, when discussing vegan athletes, I mentioned undefeated professional boxer Timothy Bradley.  Yesterday he defeated Manny Pacquaio by judges' decision to obtain the Welterweight Title.  They are fighting again in November so maybe there will be a more clear-cut boxing victory, but it is still a clear victory for vegan athletics.

     I give up on feeding the birds.  At breakfast an elk had knocked down the bird feeder and was trying to paw it into submission.  When we went out to try and get a picture, we noticed 2 more.....one eating our crab apple tree, and one eating our neighbor's tree. These elk didn't linger once we went out, so the pictures we took aren't worth sharing...they just showed the hind quarters of the departing trio.
     Later I saw 3 buck deer eating the remains of the birdseed on the ground.  On my hike I encountered a small 10" rattlesnake sunning itself in the trail.
     This evening a beautiful wayfaring bull elk stopped over by our patio.  With us there watching he chose to take a siesta.  We are so blessed to have such amazing guests.

"Without habitat, there is no wildlife.  It is that simple."----Wildlife Habitat Canada

Namaste, friend.  Visit again soon.

"Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way." ---John Muir

Never tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon.-----unknown

      We are having a wonderful weekend.  They are always way too short.  Yesterday afternoon Dean used his gift of an hour of gliding with Mile High Gliding out of Boulder, CO, which the kids got him for his birthday. It was 95 degrees yesterday, and the airfield felt like a heat sink for those of us on the ground watching, but Dean said it was great in the air.  He had an absolutely fantastic time.  Thanks kids from Dean for the gift, and thanks to Kate for coming along.
     The glider he got to ride in was used in the Vietnam war.  At that time it had a small engine to get it up in the air; then the engine was shut off and it silently glided through the night skies over the jungle doing reconnaissance.  The pilot said that finding a place to land it in the dark was really difficult.  I can't even imagine that.

Before take off.

Being towed for take off; a small wildfire on the horizon.

   

View from the cockpit.

     There is a huge wildfire burning NW of Fort Collins, CO, not the fire in the photo but easily seen from where we were in Boulder.  Yesterday morning it was only 2 acres in size.  This morning it covered 8000 acres and was zero percent controlled.  We had a dry winter which left tinderbox conditions in Colorado.

     Today we jogged/walked in Deer Creek Canyon park.  It has become our favorite place.  It accomplished one item on my personal bucket list....to jog Deer Creek Canyon park.  We did the short loop, not the long one we hiked a few weeks ago, but it felt really good to be out. Maybe by summer's end we will be able to jog the long loop. We really felt like trail-runners today even if we don't look the part. (Must remember to wear gloves next time....I am a rock-tripper)...only fell once but spun and turtled onto my back, landing on 2 steel water bottles, cell phone, and camera.  I am fine, but more importantly so are the camera and the cell phone.  The steel water bottles protected them.

Gentleness is the strength.

                          reblogged from EVOLVE! Campaigns

Did you ever grow anything in the garden of your mind?

     I just saw this youtube video today.  Do you remember Mr. Roger's Neighborhood?  This is a great remix done for PBS Digital Studios.  Enjoy. I loved it. Thanks, Diana, for bringing it to our attention.  He was a gentle and sincere man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFzXaFbxDcM

     Another interesting news item on the effects of sun on your skin.  This is the face of an actual truck driver.  It is not photoshopped.  Here is the article:
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/shortcuts/2012/jun/05/face-shows-damage-from-sun




Have a wonderful weekend.


                                             (pinterest)

Really look, with eyes wide open.

     Yesterday was National Running Day, and how did we celebrate?  By taking a much needed rest day.  We had been doing the RunnersWorld summer streak....running at least a mile daily.  We managed 9 days of it, but realized that even a slow mile is not enough recovery for recovery days for us.  Sorry for blowing the streak but boy, did the day off feel good.

     Plus Dean had some good news....he had had a biopsy on Monday of one of some new lumps in his abdomen.  It turned out to be benign....just scar tissue.  So we just relaxed and felt happy yesterday.

     We had a horrible summer storm with waves of hail and lightning overnight. It was an awesome storm.  Our trees and plants look bedraggled today, but we really needed the rain.  We just did a quick scan of our house this morning and didn't see any major damage but there are small chips of paint all over the patio.  It looks like house repainting time. We may have more of the same weather later today.

     One of my high school classmates died 2 days ago.  I did not know her well then, plus have not seen her for 43 years, but have been thinking of her ever since Tuesday. It makes you feel empty, like the world has been lessened somehow. I wonder what her life after high school was like?  I know she was married, had kids, became a teacher, but that is about all I know. I wonder what subjects she taught?  Was she good at it?  Did she touch lives?  It is hard to imagine that she just isn't any more.  When I brushed my teeth this morning, I thought that she wasn't brushing hers.  All the little non-important, simple acts that make up a life, she isn't doing.  She isn't anymore, except in memory.
     I had always hoped to see John Denver and also Mary Travers perform again, but they died too soon.  I have always thought about getting back to a high school reunion again to see how the lives of my classmates have turned out, but some of them are dying too soon. It always seemed that there was plenty of time. "Time is the coin of your life.  it is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent,"  said Carl Sandburg


     Her death also was an additional reminder why we need to keep exercising and eating healthily.  We all do!  It makes a big difference, and the stakes are too high to do otherwise.
"I shall not die of a cold.  I shall die of having lived."  Willa Cather


     On the way to volunteer at service dogs this morning I saw a large hawk perched on the crosspiece of the cross high atop the steeple of our church.  He was strikingly lit by the morning sun and was calmly and objectively perusing all he saw...he seemed to be much wiser than all the humans speeding by in their cars not even seeing the day. Maybe the views from that elevation give a better perspective, such as in the movie "Dead Poet's Society" when Mr. Keating had all the students stand on their desks in order to look at the world in a different way. As Mary Oliver suggests:  "I look; morning to night I am never done with looking.  Looking I mean not just standing around, but standing around as though with your eyes wide open."  I hope my eyes are wide open, and that I am really looking.  Carpe Diem.

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the Continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in Mankind,
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls, 
It tolls for thee.
               John Donne

Happy National Running Day!

     Go for a run today, or make a resolution to start.  Get outside.  Enjoy the day, whatever you do.

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes."----e.e. cummings

"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard." ---Standing Bear

"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of  the stars."---Walt Whitman

"A light wind swept over the corn, and all nature laughed in the sunshine."---Anne Bronte

"The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art." Leonardo da Vinci

     We had to get up extremely early today as Dean had a hospital procedure at 6:30 am so we have both been dragging the rest of the day.  We knew we had to each run a mile, though, because we joined the RunnersWorld  summer running streak....we promised to run at least 1 mile every day between Memorial Day and Independence Day.
     Dean had the great idea for us to go to the nearby elementary school, kick off our shoes, and slowly run around the grassy soccer field for one mile.  We did just that and it felt wonderful to be barefoot in the soft, wet grass....like being a kid again.  You'll have to try it sometime....both being barefoot, and being a kid again.

"In search of my Mother's garden, I found my own." Alice Walker

"Skylark sings all day, and day not long enough."..Matsuo Basho

     We hiked today.....actually  we ran a little, walked a lot.  We tried out a new trail I just heard about....Sharptail Ridge.  We traversed 4.4 miles of rolling grassland and hills.  Only then did we reach the beauty of red rocks and some shade, but by then it was time to return. The return trip was sunny and hot, but at least it was mostly downhill.  It was worth the effort. It is a beautiful place and it was a beautiful day.  There were prairie birds singing everywhere. 

      The trail running group I ran with last Thursday plans to run here every Thursday in June.  I learned that this trail is not for me in the summer....there is no shade and it gets very warm.  Plus, I would be running it by myself since I am so much slower than everyone else.    

     Dean and I both suffer from biophilia----an affinity for natural surroundings.  It makes every day a good day.

See the city in the background?

Our lovely turnaround point.

Animals should not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth. ~Harry Beston

 
     Yesterday evening I decided to join a trail-running group as it was their last time running at Deer Creek Canyon park, which is a place I have wanted to try.  Dean hasn't wanted to jog there, and I have hesitated to go alone as there have been recent mountain lion and bear sightings.  They immediately lost me, which I had expected.  They are a really swift bunch of runners.  But I have learned to run my own pace and kept at it, completing the 3 miles of trail.  It was a fantastic feeling of accomplishment. I will have to convince Dean to run with me there.

     Speaking of mountain lions, a friend of a friend who lives in the nearby town of Conifer had her pet miniature horse and her pet miniature donkey killed by a mountain lion last weekend.  I have mentioned the bear that is hanging around our neighborhood.  It was such a dry winter that wildlife must be moving closer to humans to obtain food.  We will have to learn to safely share our world.
     We have been putting our bird feeders out by day and taking them in by night to avoid attracting the bears.  Dean went out to bring in the feeders at dark last night and stumbled into a bull elk eating our crab apple tree by our patio.  Dean was really startled.  The elk, luckily, took it in stride and shambled off to eat in someone else's yard.  It was a brief moment of excitement. The sheer size of these animals is always awe-inspiring.

     We are doing another one day fast today, our second "Fasting Friday."  So far, so good.



                 from Pinterest.com