Biking the Birdy Loop Trail...then WHAMM!!!

I never, in my 60 years, have been in any accident where injury is involved.  Twice I have been rear-ended while waiting at a stop light but both were mild, didn't even made a scratch on my vehicle.  Once on our way home from a debate tournament, a deer jumped in front of our van but we were all safe, although the van was totaled.

Then last Saturday, June 6, that changed.  While camping at Wilson Lake, we found some biking/hiking trails for all levels.  There was a children's trail and also for both the novice and advanced.  The trails for the advanced/pro take you to some craggy mountain trails but you will be rewarded with the breathtaking view of the lake and surrounding landscape of limestone and rock formations.

The Friday of our camp-out we meandered through a pretty wooded trail called "Birdy Loop Trail."  We saw some wildlife and plenty of birds.  While taking a break along the trail, a cottontail bunny hopped along the path where we were.  We didn't move a muscle and just watched him.  Bunnies here must be used to people already because he was bold enough to go past Michael and inched closer to JJ and when he looked at me I greeted him with a "good afternoon, Mr. Bunny' and he scampered away.  We had a hoot from that encounter.  I wished I had my GoPro with me, it would have been very cool recording that scene.  I love that trail so I asked Michael if we can come back again in the morning, which we did.

After breakfast we headed for the trail with the GoPro.  I wanted to share it with you all, how the loop twists through a clearing and then the trail takes you in to a wooded area where we saw the bunny the afternoon before.  Along the wooded trail we saw a handful of big trees felled by beavers.  I'm amazed at how precisely the beavers made uniform cuts around the trunks of the felled trees.  I know they could do that, but big trunks?? no way!  I was impressed, and images of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver from "The Book of Narnia" series came to mind :) I guess they can fell huge trees down with their teeth, but I digress.

Now where was I?  Oh yeah and then, too, there is this mysterious feeling when you are biking in a wooded trail where the towering trees create dappled lights all around you.  You can pretend you are part of a movie like "Jurassic Park" where a meat eater is stalking you and you have to pedal really fast or else....ok I'm getting off topic again.  Anyway, Mike and JJ were already ahead of me by 10 minutes.  I stopped at the entrance of the loop to record the intro for my intended video before proceeding.

As I approached the wooded part of the trail, I rounded a U turn.  The next turn after that was a sharp turn and by the time I realized it was a sharp turn, it was too late to hit the brake, my bike slid sideways and BAM!  The next thing I know I was on the ground.  I didn't move for I don't know how long - I was assessing my situation.  My right thumb started to swell right away and when I slowly lifted the bike off my left leg, I was able to slowly stand up.  Good, right?  When I took a step I realized I could not move my left foot so I dragged myself and the bike to the side of the trail.  Good thing it was a little early so nobody was out biking yet except us.  And then as I was standing on the side of the trail, I realized my ankle started swelling.  I let the bike fall in the bushes and I slowly lowered myself down to the ground and waited for Mike and JJ to come back for me.

Michael went back to camp to get some ice for my foot.  Then I straddled on JJ's bike, the height was just right for me to sit and "ride" it back to camp.  We stopped a lot to apply ice on my foot.  It was a long, hot, painful walk/ride getting back to the campsite with the 11 o'clock sun beating down on us.  When we made it back, I laid down and applied more ice to the injured foot while Michael and JJ broke down camp.  While I was fussing about getting comfortable in my mat inside the tent, I noticed a bump on the ground next to my mat.  That's strange I thought, why is there a rock all of a sudden in the middle of the tent floor.   Anyway, when they were ready take the tent down Mike moved me to the back seat of the Subaru where he made a comfortable spot for me.  After the tent was folded they found a turtle under it, no wonder there was a bump in the middle of our tent floor.  It must have decided to hide under the tent.

The silly, pretty turtle -- probably wondering where he was...........

...he looked so lost.

Stopping once for gas and pizza for lunch around 2, we made it back home around 4 o'clock.  It had been a very long month of June and probably July....we'll see.

Thank you all for following.  Have a great summer.  Spend as much time as you can with your family specially the little ones for, my goodness, they grow up so fast.  Love you all...Shalom!

Mid-life Wanderings: Garden of Eden Found

Mid-life Wanderings: Garden of Eden Found: I've heard about the Garden of Eden years ago and from stories I gathered, it sounded very interesting.  Finally last Friday I got to vi...



Their website is www.gardenofedenlucas.org

Garden of Eden Found

I've heard about the Garden of Eden years ago and from stories I gathered, it sounded very interesting.  Finally last Friday I got to visit the place.  It was not what I had in mind.  I was thinking of beautiful, colorful sculptures made from different mediums like metals or wood perhaps.  My disappointment, however, was changed to that of curiosity.  The sculptures were a jumble of images that at first doesn't made sense but I know there's got to be a story line in all of them.

The place is closed and no guided tours are offered because of the Covid19 but we were free to enjoy the artwork at our own leisure outside.  Not knowing where to start, I headed to the west side of the house.  I found I was looking at "Labor" crucified in the middle with four characters "Preacher," "Banker," "Lawyer" and "Politician" on all four sides.  I struggled to think what the creator, Mr. Dinsmoor, must have in mind when he fashioned these sculptures.  I moved on to a huge bird sculpture with the American flag behind it and then to my left was something that looked like a ziggurat and I saw up the tower above it, was some sort of a ritualistic scene.  I can't make it out from where I was standing. 

As I moved on from sculpture to sculpture, I noticed lots of serpentine images.  Once I got to the other side of the house where the "Garden of Eden" gate was, I was able to weave out a story, mainly, the fall of man but rounding the corner I was lost as to what all the sculptures before me were about.  Mike and JJ helped me out "interpreting" the images before us.  Mr. Dinsmoor tried to express his ideas and ideology through this folk art medium that he had created.  To me, it is like reading an old, old, newsprint, only these are in concrete sculptures.

Apparently, Mr. Dinsmoor dug up his first wife's bones and moved it to the present Dinsmoor "mausoleum" right on the corner of his property where his body is also.  The mausoleum is part of the tour but I probably won't even want to peek.

Anyway, here is the video I uploaded on You Tube of our jaunt last Friday in Lucas, Kansas.  Feel free to drop a comment on what you think of the place, the artwork and the idea behind this labor of love by Mr. Dinsmoor which is considered the 8th Wonder of Kansas.  Enjoy and blessings!

Combining Blogging and Vlogging --- Is It Possible?

Hey all.  I pray everyone is doing fine these days with all that is going on in the midst of this pandemic.  I'm thankful that up to the present, none of my family and friends have been infected with the virus.  I thank God for that everyday.

So the school year ended with a bang (being sarcastic here) hehehe.  Now what?  We wanted to get away one weekend and when I inquired whether pools are open in the hotels I've contacted the answer was no.  All we wanted was to swim in the hotel's pool or soak in the jacuzzi but not one hotel has their pool open.  Amusement parks are still closed so what do we do?  Good thing parks and bike/hiking trails are open so we visit them almost everyday and enjoy the trails and scenery and sweat and huff along the way.

Another thing I tried during this stay-at-home season is learning to use GoPro to film and learning to edit videos using an editing app.  This 60 year old woman is slowly learning some technology - ahem.  It took a while but hey, the lock down gave me all the time I need to scratch the surface - I'm not there yet but I'm slowly getting there.  Then on May 25 I branched out to "vlogging" by launching my first You Tube video - getting brave here LOL.  Last night June 1, I uploaded my fourth You Tube video, I guess I need to keep going since I started this.

Since this blog is about Mike's and my midlife wanderings, I figured we'll wander around Kansas and the Midwest for now since we've moved back from our wanderings in the Philippines a couple of years ago.  I thought about stopping to blog and instead go vlogging but reading our past blogs made me decide I can not possibly do that.  These blogs are our story that we are sharing with you all and a testament to how God had sustained us through the years.  I cry reading some of my past blogs because my heart just overflows with thanksgiving to our LORD.  He has been and always is so, so good to us.  Besides, I love to write....that's the thing.  Writing gives me freedom to express my deepest emotions whereas vlogging does not (that's just my opinion though).

I plan to highlight some hidden gems around Topeka and surrounding areas this summer so I hope you will continue to follow us still.  I will be filming and writing about them as we go along so this should be interesting.  And as soon as the drone I ordered arrives that would even add another excitement to the site.  Yes, I will still need to learn yet another technology....let's see how fast or slow I'll master this drone business but it will be interesting....something new to learn.

Here is my fourth YouTube video uploaded last night --- ENJOY and blessings!

Hey What's Up? Today let's cook Pancit - Filipino noodles

So I'm thinking of transitioning from blogging to vlogging and this is my second You Tube video.  I really don't think I should only concentrate on vlogging because I love to write so much.  What do you think?

Oh, you can find the recipe to the Pancit in the description below the video.  Try it and I hope you like it.  Enjoy!

MARGUERITE LEDOUX and Lock Down Syndrome

JJ and I have been reading a Yearling Newberry book titled "Calico Bush" by Rachel Field published in 1931 during this safer-at-home time.  It's a story of a young girl named Marguerite Ledoux, who was left orphaned and alone shortly after her French family arrived in the New World.  The year was 1743, young Marguerite Ledoux has promised to serve a family for six years in return for shelter, food and clothing.  I see a very tender, refined and humble yet very intelligent and determined spirit in "Maggie the Bound-out-Girl."

I like her courage and resourcefulness even though the people of Maine treated her with suspicion because she's a "foreigner."  Life is hard, with the danger of Indians, the bitter, hungry winters and yet I see in her the ability to adapt in spite of circumstances and to hope for better days ahead.  As I pondered about the book I remember another lady named Marguerite Ledoux.

In 1988, Michael and I moved to San Diego, California where he was stationed.  We found a church, Hilltop Baptist Church in Chula Vista.  They became our family support in this new city and for those months we were there, we met and formed kinship with the members.  One of these families were the Ledoux family.  Marguerite Ledoux had 3 little ones, the oldest, Meredith, was about 4 years old.  Her husband, Lance, who was also in the military was always gone.  Marguerite and I became friends fast.  We spent many afternoons just talking about life specially when both our husbands are underway.  I think she became my mentor without her or me knowing it. It was only when we moved back to Kansas did I realize that she was an important part of my walk with the LORD.

Our last Sunday at Hilltop Baptist Church, I was volunteering to work in the nursery during Sunday School.  When Marguerite learned I was in the nursery she came down and we had a very good heart to heart talk.  Her final words to me before we parted was "Treat everyday as if it is a gift.  Open it with great expectations knowing that the Giver wants nothing but the best for you."  Almost always that had been my attitude but lately, I have to admit there are days that I don't even want to open this gift or I do not expect anything good at all.  Lock down syndrome?  Hmm....I think so. 

JJ expresses his emotions about the lock down most days and I catch myself telling him to be thankful instead.  That at least we don't live in big cities like New York; that at least here we can still go somewhere like the grocery stores, or the park, or the lake; and at least we can still ride our bikes along the trails.  Well, I'm telling my son all these - in reality I need to tell ME!  Funny how easy it is to lecture someone when the one talking is the one who needs to hear the message isn't it?  I need to embrace the situation with an attitude that is hopeful and with positive expectations everyday for the sake of JJ knowing that he is watching me every waking moments.  Whew!!!
 
How about y'all?  Are you holding on knowing that change is only a skip away?  Be safe everyone and stay well and let us not forget to pray for each other.   We love you!

CAN I BE QUARANTINED HERE? OH PRETTY PLEASE!!!

I watched the live press conference last night of President Duterte and his cabinet members regarding the ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) or the lock down in the Philippines.  I've been following the developments rather closely because I need to know when we can fly back to the Philippines.  Last night's press con gave my heart a little flutter.  I'm seeing a little ray of hope breaking in the otherwise gloomy state we are all in.

Here's what I've learned:

ECQ until May 15

NCR (National Capital Region) Manila and surrounding areas;
Region 3: Bataan/Bulacan/Nueva Ecija/Pampanga;
Region 4A: Cavite/Laguna/Batangas/Rizal/Quezon (CALABARZON);
Region 4B: Oriental and Occidental Mindoro;
Region 5: Albay/Catanduanes;
Region 1: Benguet/Pangasinan (may change by April 30);
Region 3: Tarlac/Zambales (may change by April 30).

The following are subject for re-check:

Antique/Aklan/Iloilo/Capiz/Cebu/Cebu City/Davao del Norte/Davao City and Davao de Oro (also known as Compostela Valley).

As recent as April 22, I've heard from a vlogger that a barangay in Cebu City is in total lockdown (no one's allowed to get out and no one's allowed to come in).  The whole barangay is considered infected, the reason for the total lock down.

In the meantime, most of the island provinces are all safe, they are declared very low to zero incident, hence, the GCQ - General Community Quarantine which is way better than the ECQ.  In GCQ, the people have a little more freedom and mobility.  Now if the airlines resume their flights, which I hope soon, I'd like to be caught on lock down (if it happens again) here:

or here:

.....where I could sit by the beach on a sunny afternoon and think about .... the Covid19?   Nah!

Or maybe go to Pintuyan, Southern Leyte,  and swim with the gentle giants of the sea.....

 Or spend the day and night in San Pedro Island, Hinunangan, Southern Leyte.  Island hopping should be allowed by then since there is zero incident in my hometown.

Well, well, well.  It's so nice to daydream, BUT....it could happen too since President Duterte has eased the lock down in our parts of the country.  See you soon Southern Leyte..........


You all are in our prayers during this difficult time.  Know that Jehovah is still in control!  Stay safe and well.  We love you so.