Another Adventure: Drift Creek Falls

I miss my bike. It is sitting on the floor in our dining room, dismantled and stripped. The hubby is finishing up the sanding this week. Then this weekend it gets painted. I picked out a spiffy peach color that was made in 1989 for Hyundais. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

Since I am bikeless, I chose to go on foot for my latest adventure. Of course I had to go with my adventure buddy because these kinds of jaunts require a compatriot in ̶s̶t̶u̶p̶i̶d̶i̶t̶y̶ zealousness.

Armed with hazelnut hot chocolate, we headed west towards the coast in search of Drift Creek Falls. We had to take a few detours, including a too-long-to explain side trip to try and reach the Delphinium Scientologist School where Tom Cruise’s children had been sent (We failed to get anywhere near there. An ominous gate and no trespassing signs were enough to stop us).

We also stopped at this covered bridge which is near the Drift Creek trail.

This water pump reminded me of the old pump we had in our front yard. Somehow the water always tasted better out of it.

This dog was actually wearing a diaper. The owner took the diaper off to let the dog go potty. Poor dog, how humiliating to go in public with a diaper on.

Drift Creek trail is a beautiful, wooded trail that gradually slopes down to the river. The woods are mossy and dark and the trail is littered with mini waterfalls and creeks. Here is a photo of Adrienne taking a picture of the trail.

The moss hung like tinsel from all of the trees. It made everything look wispy and surreal.

 I loved how twisted the branches were on these trees.

There were several little foot bridges like this one that kept your feet from getting too muddy.

At the end of the trail, you reach this amazing suspension bridge that is the longest in Oregon.

It is 240 feet long and spans a canyon housing a spectacular waterfall.

When you walk on it, you can feel the wind swinging it back and forth. It is both exhilarating and heart-clutching to have someone jump on the bridge while you are standing out in the middle.

 The trail ends at the waterfall where there is a little picnic table and plenty of rocks to crawl around on.

We had so much fun hiking and taking pictures, we almost got home too late to pick up the kiddos from school. I suggest this hike to anyone. If you would like to know more about the bridge, check out this site: http://www.sahale.com/drift.htm

Valentine's Day Should be a Banned Holiday

I have crawled out of my chocolate-induced coma long enough to write this post. I am living proof that a diet of only chocolate would probably kill you within a week. I received a large box of chocolates from my Hubby on the morning of Valentine's Day. Thinking I would save myself some calories. I skipped breakfast and lunch and only ate my chocolates.
     The physical effects of such a decision soon manifested. By the end of the day, my stomach was playing ping-pong with my chest. The next morning I dragged myself out of bed long enough to take the kids to school. A raging headache was barely soothed by another chocolate. Needless to say, I didn't get my run in that day. I did stagger on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I think that was a major accomplishment on its own.
     Two days later, I still have chocolates left. I'm not weighing myself for anything, and I still feel like ripping my head off.
     Starting Monday, I really need to get my calories under control. I have been awesome at my exercising: five days a week every week. So I need to concentrate on the food. I'm thinking a written chart might help.
    It would really help if food didn't taste so good.

Big Bummed Boot Camp week 6

Finally! I've started losing weight again. I am at a 7lb weight loss. And since I'm not doing low carb, I know this isn't water weight. Hurrah!
     It probably helped that I was able to work out for the entire week. No sickness, no laziness, I did it all. I ran, even though my lungs were dying.
     By-the-way, "Pump It" by the Black Eye Peas is the best running song ever. I can't not run when I hear it. I even turn the speed up on my treadmill because that song makes me want to fly.
     Today my runs switch to 5 minute intervals. I admit, I'm nervous, and have done my fair share of whingeing about it. But I am prepared to not stop, no matter what. 
    Since the sun has been so awesome as to bless us with her presence so much this month, I think I will plan a few extra hikes in while I am at it.  I'm hoping for further success when I weigh-in next week.
     Hope everyone out there is moving and grooving. Let me know if you have a favorite song to run to. I'm always on the search for music.

The Witch's Castle in Forest Park, Portland

     Because my bike is dismantled, I have to rely on my feet for exercise. Today I took an amazing hike with my buddy, Adrienne. We went to Forest Park in Portland, Oregon.  
     We had a wonderful time hiking up the West Hills looking at all of the old, beautiful houses and hiking through the trails in search of the Witch's Castle.
    We did find the castle. It was originally built in the 1930's as a pit stop, and yes, it is just as romantic, and creepy, and overgrown as the name suggests. I went psycho and took tons of pictures.
     Funny thing about those photos. In several of the pictures, you can see smokey looking swirls. I have no idea what caused those swirls. They would be in one photo, but not the next, even though I took them only seconds apart. Of course the story-teller inside me insists that it must be a ghost; because with a name like the Witch's Castle, it must be haunted.
     Here are some of my lovely photos. Have fun speculating about the "spirits".

 

Big Bummed Boot Camp Week 5

     Wow, that week  was a complete loss. I exercised Monday only. At least I ran on that day. Then I got sick--really, really sick. The kind of sick that makes you not want to get out of bed for days on end.
     Needless to say, I was celebrating Saturday when I finally got to move around again without worrying that my head would fall off. So, for all of those days when I wasn't exercising, just lying in bed bemoaning my fate, I made plans. Lots of plans.
    First off, I decided to stick to a calorie counting diet. It worked for me before, I'll do it again. I thought about doing the Weight Watcher thing, but honestly, it seemed just like more work trying to figure out the whole points thing. I'm a simple person, I hate figuring things out. Calories are easy, I can do that. 
    Now, I will be a good girl and try to still eat more veggies and less carbs. I know my weaknesses, carbs adore me, they cling to my thighs.
     Ooh, another thing. I got my running shoes. Aren't they spiffy.

You will be able to see them a mile away. I hope the pain in the side of my legs will go away now that I have these puppies.

     Another exciting thing to mention. Hubby has started dismantling my bike. He is stripping it all down so it can be painted. I am leaning towards a peach color. Here is what my bike looks like right now. Isn't that pathetic looking.

     I can't wait to see what the finished product will look like!

     I am eager to work hard this next week and make up for my non-exercise icky week. Take care everyone, and get moving.

 

Big Bummed Boot Camp week 4

Okay, I admit it, I hit the wall this week. My legs were dying from bad shoes. I couldn't finish one of my runs. I didn't lose a pound. And I wanted to burst into tears.
     So here I will evaluate everything, and see where I went wrong. First, the good:  I did exercise 4 days out of the week. Three of those days I did run. I wasn't able to do the full run on the last day because my legs were screaming in agony.
    As far as eating, well that didn't go so well. I decided to not do low carb because it was making me a crabby wench and I  wasn't losing weight. I'm still trying to decide what I want to do. I was contemplating either weight watchers or basic watching my calories. No matter what, I need to do something because it is too easy to eat bad stuff when I don't have a plan.
     New shoes will be here on Thursday, that should help with the leg pain. I have high arches and overpronate. My old running shoes no longer cut it. So I am really hoping to be able to run without the side shin pains after that.
     This week isn't starting well either. I am sick so no exercising today. Will make a plan tonight about my eating. Expect a well defined goal by the next post  :D

Check out these author pages for books that are wonderful reads.

• Deborah Camp (A mix of contemporary and Old West Historical romances...over 40 coming in the near future, but here is a list of 10 or so available now)
• Lorena Dureau (Historical Romance: American Colonial South and West. Very Sexy)
• Dan Streib (thrillers with a James-Bond-meets-Anderson-Cooper main character)
• Barbara Keesling (her too-hot-to-blog nonfiction is here, here, and here)