Kathy - A Cold and Clear Night

This evening FL had a meeting so we detained the tromp until he got home.  Besides, the moon was full tonight and the later we waited the better it promised to be.  We had supper, FL left for his meeting, and I attended to various domestic tasks - dishes, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, etc.  We have rather an enormous old house and there is always cleaning to do - seems like I never catch up.  I was in a good cleaning rhythm this evening and getting a lot accomplished - enjoying the warmth of the house and the lazy companionship of the dogs as I went about my tasks - so much to do, so little time!  Then FL got home and it was time to tromp. 

We bundled up and stepped out into the crisp, cold, moonlit night.  Magic.  As we stepped away from the clamoring tasks of the house it seemed like the right and fitting thing to do.  It was so bright the moon cast shadows and we could easily see our way up the hill without our trusty headlamps.  Climbing the hill generated enough warmth that we were able to comfortably sit for a short while at the top of the snowy, stubbly field.  We were instantly surrounded - a huddled mass of man and beast.  (Or is that massive huddle?).  The Huntress soon spied an enemy in the distance, barked an alarm and they were off to defend us from a fat, black tire.  We crunched home across the fields - delighted to have had this peaceful interlude to our evening. 

Kathy - The Year in Review

This fall we had such stunningly beautiful tromps that I decided to add photos to the blog - and promptly stopped posting.  Don't know what that means exactly - perhaps I was put off by the technical difficulty that posed for my limited skills. 

At any rate it was just a little over a year ago that we started tromping regularly.  With the adoption of the Beast tromping became part of the fabric of our lives and now a year later we are still at it.  The two pups we adopted this summer have grown into beasts in their own rights.  Chubs is now larger than the Beast and has become the King - he rules the roost of the dogs.  Charger has become a swift and skilled hunter and is always coming up with some proof of her skill - she shall be known as the Huntress. 

Without a doubt all this tromping has impacted my level of fitness and health.  I am about 10 lbs lighter than I was a year ago and have about 6 more to lose  to reach my goal.  I have added a 2-mile run/walk during my 30 minute lunch break and have been enjoying that for a couple of weeks now.  Don't know if that will lead to more serious running, depends on how these older bones and joints hold up. I am definitely stronger and have more stamina that I did this time last year.  As far as KBs go...I have every intention of adding those back in to my fitness plan, but just haven't yet.  We are also always striving to easy less refined foods and it is always an adventure to find healthy food that tastes yummy as well. 

So....hopefully you all have made some progress this past year.  I would love to hear about it. 

Kathy - The Hilltop again!

Neither we nor the beasts (as evidenced by...well, never mind) can stomach the poo pasture any more.  In contemplating options until the hillside wheat is harvested, FL suggested driving up and trying the hilltop tromp again - "If we stay on the west side of the field and hillside we should be able to avoid most of the cheat grass and the puppies are bigger now so they should be able to see over the other grasses".  He was right about the cheat grass - most of it is located on the opposite side of the hill and we are able to avoid it almost completely - hurray!

But the grass!  Ah, the grass...the BEAST can't see over it and even I get lost sometimes!  Tall, golden, grass.  The grass has lots of grasshoppers - which are oh so enticing to the beast.She bounces and pounces after them in reckless abandon (picture Tigger here).  The smaller (slightly) beasts seem to enjoy the change of scenery - from green tunnels to golden tunnels. 

The temperature was just right, the sunset brilliant red, the moon full - we wished we would have brought our headlamps so we could have stayed out longer.

I have been feeling a bit pudgy lately so I welcomed the longer tromp and the hill climbing - gotta whip this adipose into shape to get ready for the onslaught of goodies to be had at the upcoming VegFest this weekend....

Kathy - Tromp Variations

And so it is September....still tromping.  We have been keeping our eye on the wheat at the top of our hill - it looks so close to being ready for harvest!  Then, then - the hill tromp!  We have been making do with various pastures around our place for the past few weeks.  First there was the pasture across the road - the field of death.  Lately the farmer has been irrigating it - different sections at a time so the tromp has become the tromp and slosh.  We were getting ready for our tromp and slosh a few nights ago and realized that cows have returned to the pasture -hmmm.  We checked the long field at the intersection - no cows!  New tromp.  No water.  But it is quite evident that cows have been in the field very recently.  The beasts think this is wonderful - they think it is a feast - yuck!  When we first enter the field it is the worst - the cows must have gathered along that side of the field to do their elimination thing.  It is like running the gauntlet trying to get the beasts through there as fast as possible - the goal is to allow no time for loitering, which would lead to snuffling, which would lead to sampling....shudder. I have taken to playing the 'NO' game with them...the Beast thinks this is wonderful fun and gets quite excited about it - leaping around crazily whenever I bellow out 'NO'. Anything to keep them distracted! So there we have it - the field of death and the field of poo.  Please harvest the wheat!

Kathy - Just for Today, Revisited

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?!  I intended to post right away to let you know how much I am enjoying this 'Daily Goal' thing.  Guess I have gotten busy focusing on reaching the goals I set for myself daily...

It got started with Katie suggesting doing an 'accountability partner' thing.  We each set goals for the day and then report in with how we did - it is rather casual.  We don't report in with great regularity and goals are not stated formally every day but there are several things about it I like:

1)  I like actually completing my goals in a day.
2)  If I fail to reach my goals on a particular day, I have only failed for a day.  Tomorrow I start again.
3)  I can tailor my goals to the day.  Of course it is impossible to foresee how a day may go, but if I know I have a meeting scheduled in the evening I can adjust my goals accordingly. 

I have found it helpful for myself to make a list of my goals for the day and check them off as they are completed.  This gives me a great feeling of satisfaction and keeps me focused on accomplishing them.  


After doing this fairly successfully for the last five days.  I have found that it is easy to let several days slide because the 'it is just one day' mentality can add up alarmingly.  Thus, I have an ultimate goal.  My ultimate goal doesn't have a set end point such as losing 10 lbs by Christmas.  It is simply an ultimate goal.  This gives me something to work towards, but I am taking it in totally do-able segments of time.


If was an organized person I would post my daily results and goals on the blog, but that is a goal I am not prepared to set at this time.  I will keep you updated from time to time on how the daily goal thing is going, meanwhile, if anyone wants to have and be an accountability partner let me know and we can do this together. 

Sleep update:  I think the beasts are starting to adjust to the group-sleep arrangement.  They are sleeping much better - and actually made it to 5:00 a.m. the past few night - sleep, glorious sleep!

Kathy - Just for Today

Just for today I am going to walk a mile on my lunch break, tromp with the dogs, do Day One of the Kettlebell 21-day challenge, and not eat dessert.  I will drink plenty of water (at least 2 quarts) and add one packet of Emergen-C to a bit of it.   I will not have dessert.  Just for today. 

Just for tonight I would like to get lots of sleep but there are no guarantees on that one.  (We are still night-training the pups and 3:00 a.m. seems to be a magical and exciting hour wherein dogs must walk around, drink lots of water, bark a bit, throw up, be petted, get into the garbage, and generally live on the wild side). 

Kathy - Fresh Night Air

When talking about fitness the most important components mentioned are generally diet and exercise. There are actually many components to health and fitness as well, such as adequate rest, fresh air, drinking plenty of water, etc.  While FL and I generally open our bedroom windows at night all year long to enjoy the benefits of fresh air, last night we also opened our bedroom door.  Admittedly this was not so we could get more healthy by breathing more fresh air.  The real reason is because all the dogs slept inside last night.  Until now the Beast has had the bedroom floor to herself but last night FL and I decided it was time for Chubs and Charger to join her.  We left the bedroom door wide open so they could get to the backyard should they have the need during the night.  Things started out beautifully - all three animals stretched out blissfully and we all drifted off to sleep.  FL, being the responsible person he is, slept lightly with a flashlight by his side so he could check on things should any situation demand his attention. Chubs left for a brief jaunt to the yard around 11:00 p.m. (according to FL, I did not sleep so lightly).  So far, so good, the night was progressing better than we thought it would - Chubs and Charger were champion sleepers.  The problems began at 3:00 a.m. with the Beast.  She was restless - don't know if she missed her usual amount of floor space or what, but she paced back and forth between FL and my side of the bed shoving her nose into our faces - perhaps trying to tell us that she, for one, did not like this intrusion into her personal sleeping quarters.  When we repeatedly ignored her and whispered sharply for her to "Lay down and go to sleep,"  she decided that since the pups had gotten an upgrade in their sleeping situation she should too - and proceeded to try to crawl in bed with us!  Not once, but twice.  Not terribly amusing at 3:00 a.m.  She obviously did not understand the health concept of adequate rest.

Yes, the pups will sleep inside again tonight and perhaps by the time winter sets in we can shut the bedroom door.  Meanwhile, today we took them all for a 4 mile hike this morning before church, gave them a swim this afternoon, and will take a turn around the Field of Death this evening striving for exhaustion for the Beast so she (and us!) will sleep long and deeply tonight.