It’s a rainy day in Southern California, so I decided to go for my walk at the mall. Continue reading
Exercising at the Mall
2
Tag Archives: exercise
Hiking Black Star Canyon
This morning we decided we wanted to do something different, a hike, so we drove to Cleveland National Forest at the end of Silverado Canyon, one of our favorite routes when riding our scooters. We were surprised to find the trail head there closed to the public because of dry brush and fire danger. (You may see my Sept 13, 2014 posting about a major fire in that area of Silverado Canyon.) Disappointed and wondering where else we could go, we spoke to a woman cyclist and told her of our dilemma. She told us of another hiking trail in nearby Black Star Canyon. We’ve lived in this area of Southern California since 1977, but had never been to that particular canyon. Before long we were on our hike there. It was wonderful. Above you can see my husband, Martin, thoroughly enjoying the surroundings. 
We saw the above Mountain Lion warning as we started up the trail, but we’re used to seeing such signage in the more open and uninhabited areas of California. There were quite a few hikers on the trail, plus mountain bikers, so chances were slim that we would encounter a mountain lion. Plus there were two of us, an added safety benefit. 
Here I’m enjoying a bit of shade and a drink of water. We had started out later than planned, and it was getting quite warm. We hiked inland for just over an hour, but it took less time to hike back because it was mostly downhill. We were glad we had taken plenty of water with us, had applied sun screen, and were wearing wide brimmed hats!
I want to share one more photo with you, so you can see just how dry the brush is on the both sides of the trail. Black Star Canyon was truly a find, and we plan to go back again soon, but next time we’ll start out earlier in the day and go a little farther up the trail.
Another Great Reason to Exercise
On my morning bike ride through our neighborhood I spotted this gorgeous tree. As usual I was carrying my camera and just had to get off my bike and take a photo. I know most of the country is still in the middle of winter, but we are having spring like weather, and our trees and plants are blossoming a little earlier than usual. I’m not fooling myself though, because it is only February and we might still be in for more rain and cooler days, but for now I’ll hang on to this beautiful weather.
This photo of the nearby playground was taken early in the day during one of my walks. It was so quiet and as you can see, I was the only one there. Exercise is wonderful for our health and well-being, but also a great excuse to get out and take some photos.
A Healthy New Year’s Resolution
My New Year’s resolution includes my mountain bike which has been in our garage unused, for a very long time. I can’t even tell you when I last rode it. At one time I competed in sprint triathlons, and enjoyed training six out of seven days a week. Each training session was different. I either swam, ran, or rode my bike, and because of the variety, it was never boring. Six years ago I had a serious bicycle accident, and if I hadn’t been wearing a helmet, I would not be here now writing this post. So, first of all, if cycling, please wear a helmet. I wasn’t a novice to the world of cycling, but a small dip in the bike trail sent me flying. That was the end of my days as a triathlete. It took months to work up the nerve to get on my bicycle again, and when I did it was on my wide tired mountain bike. No more skinny tires, or racing for me. At the time of my fall, I was in great physical condition, which helped me to heal quickly, but since then I’ve been unable to stay with an exercise routine. I belonged to a very nice gym, but could not drag myself there and on top of everything else, I felt guilty wasting the monthly dues, so I quit, even though I knew how important exercise is for everyone. Those of you who read my blog, know that I have been a motor scooter rider for two years, and now, ride a can-am Spyder 3-wheeler motorcycle, but neither gives me any real exercise, and when I pass cyclists going up hill, I feel a little sad about the work- out I’m missing. Recently I was out on my scooter and saw a woman riding her bicycle and I knew then and there that I was going to get my bike out of its corner in the garage. Next, I had to locate my bicycle helmet and other bicycle gear that was stored away. When I found my helmet I was surprised to feel how light it was. I am used to wearing a motorcycle helmet now, and the bicycle helmet felt rather flimsy in comparison, even though my bicycle helmet is sturdy and covers more of the head than most. Here you can see my two helmets, side by side. Continue reading
A Photographic Adventure
I’ve mentioned before that I’m taking beginning digital photography. The day before yesterday, a friend from class and I hiked a near by trail with our cameras. The weather is still unseasonably warm, so we started our hike early in the day. The scenery was gorgeous and we had a great time walking, talking, and taking photos, using different shutter speeds. Shutter speed is something I knew nothing about only a few weeks ago. One of the things I love about digital photography, is that I can take dozens of photographs, knowing that I will probably delete most, but there is always the anticipation of that perfect shot. Before I owned a digital camera I was overly cautious about taking photos, and I’m sure I missed many good opportunities as I over analysed a subject. The digital camera gives me such a sense of freedom when taking photographs. My camera is basic and was not terribly expensive, but thanks to the class I have learned what my camera can and will do. I’m so glad that I registered for the class given through our local community college. It is a perfect example of why we as adults should never be afraid to go back to school. There is always something new and exciting to learn.