Ice Age Trail - Springfield Hill Trail and our first Connecting Route

 

Tuesday, October 7, 2021 - Sue and I choose to bite off a segment we thought we could succeed at. 

So far, 5 - 6 miles is about what we expect to do, and hope to build on that. Since we are hiking together, we parked one car at Indian Lake, and then drove to the Springfield Hill Trail and did that loop first, and then worked our way south back to Indian Lake. We drove the route ahead of time to determine if we would walk the connecting route north to south or south to north. We have both, at different times in our lives, done hiking in other places, but Springfield Hill was a new place for both of us. It has some inclines, but the 1.6 miles seemed to go pretty fast, even for a couple of Wandering Nana's (one of which - me - is a slow walker). We enjoyed the boardwalk and the historic barn that actually had a sign explaining its' history.

One thing I had not taken into consideration before deciding to do the Ice Age trail is the connecting routes. The trail includes many actual trails through parks, woodlands, and private land but they are not all connected, so there are "connecting routes" that involve walking along roadsides. The connecting route between Springfield Hill and Indian Lake goes along Hwy 12 in Dane County for a short ways, which can be quite busy at times. We are pretty green when it comes to figuring out how best to navigate these connecting routes, so we ended up walking along Hwy 12 until we could cross the road to get to Matz Road. We stayed several feet off the road, which meant wading through some knee-high grass in places. When we reached to point where we needed to cross the road, it looked like there was a mown trail to that point, but we didn't see the start of the trail earlier, so not sure if it is part of the connecting route. The benefit of moving slower was enjoying the panoramic scenery as well as the asters along the stone ditch. Matz road took us most of the way to Indian Lake. It was a lovely walk, but definitely hills to navigate. The trees in south-central Wisconsin are starting to turn colors, so we got to enjoy that, as well. The cows even cheered us on to "moooo-ve" along, which we happily did.

After our walk, I spent some time meditating on what God might have for me, and the scripture that immediately came to mind is Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." I have no illusions that God is going to miraculously turn all of the curves (and hills!) on the Ice Age trail into straight paths though it seems reasonable to me to believe a God that is powerful enough to create the universe can do that. However, I also believe that He is the one who is ultimately in control of the path of my life. That path has not always been pleasant, but some of the hardest times have also been the times when I have experienced the most growth. Sometimes it is spiritual growth and sometimes emotional or mental growth. I believe all are necessary if we are to live lives worth living.

Hi! It's me, again! On to a new adventure!

 Life in the past few years has taking some twists and turns that included another hiatus from blogging, but, here I am, again, and excited to be here! I am probably stating the obvious when I say that 2020 brought a lot of unexpected changes - and that probably is true for many of you, as well. After three years of serving as Airbnb hosts, the pandemic brought that to an abrupt halt. Shortly after that, Norm and I looked at each other and said, "I think it's time to sell the house." That was the sum total of the conversation that led to selling our house and buying a condo in a nearby small town. It is a great fit for us at this time in our lives, and we're very happy about it. 

I've written before about dealing with my health journey. This has included efforts at different times to get a grip on weight-gain. After four Whole30's, which dealt with non-scale victories but weight loss that never exceeded 4 pounds, I determined that I was finished with the Whole30 journey. However, this last March I reached a breaking point. I couldn't find one pair of pants in my closet that I could comfortably button. One prayer I prayed at that time was that God would give me the victory over a spirit of gluttony that I seemed unable to control. Proverbs 23:1-2 says, "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony." It seems apparent to me that if we should exercise self-control in this area before rulers (or those in charge of leading us), that it would be good practice when we are in any other circumstances, as well. Also, I wanted to eat as healthy and as much whole foods as possible, as well. With a health history that includes diabetes and heart disease, I chose to give JJ Virgins Sugar Impact Diet a try. For the first time in 20 years - and having tried many other "diets" - I finally found an eating program that works for me. Notice, I did NOT use the word "diet", as that suggests something temporary that is not sustainable. I need to find a way of eating that I can sustain over the long haul. I can't say that I will continue with this forever, as I also took a break from this for 4 weeks in July and switch gears to do Dr. Alan Christianson's Metabolism Reset Diet, which is essentially a liver detox program, and is not recommended for more that 4 weeks in a 3-month period. I also started walking. If you've read any of my earlier blog posts, you know I have a dog, Nala. She and I have walked at least 15 minutes most days since I got her 13 years ago. That has led to some "non-scale" victories, but not to weight-loss. Since April 2021, she and I have upped our game, so now we walk at least a mile a day, and I walk at other times without her, too. (She is 13 years old, after all!)

The Wandering Nana's

One thing I have sensed lately is the Lord leading me to take on hiking the Ice Age trail here in Wisconsin. I have often considered the Christian life a journey, and this seems to be the next step in my life's journey. A recent scripture I read confirmed that to me. Psalm 84:5 says "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." Just as I have learned some things about the relationship with God as my father/parent by raising children, I believe God has something to show me about my spiritual journey with Him by taking a physical journey. I mentioned my plan to walk the Ice Age trail to Sue, my friend and walking buddy, and asked if she would consider joining me. My initial goal was to start in April 2022, with the thought that I would have time to build up my hiking endurance, but our recent walks have increased in length so that we walked 5 miles on a recent hike. As a result, we decided that  Monday, September 27, 2021, would be our inaugural hike of the Ice Age Trail.

We walked the 2.9 mile segment at Indian Lake, near where we live. It was a gorgeous day - sunshine and a perfect 73°. The hike is considered "intermediate level" with inclines to navigate, and  I found myself huffing and puffing, but I did it, and it felt great! We did the 2.9 mile segment through the park, and then took a trail along the edge of the lake to return to the parking area, so ended up walking nearly 5 miles. We came up with a "trail name", as that seemed like a cool thing to do, so if you see us on the trail, we are the "Wandering Nana's". We are looking forward to adventuring together and meeting fellow travelers!

The colors are just starting to turn.

Quilt Square on a shed

Part of the trail at Indian Lake

Another Great Day!

I'm sitting in the Gaither's Special Country concert, and thinking what a fantastic day it has been, and how fast the week seems to be flying by. The fiddler just played "The Orange Blossom Special" and burned it up. Joyce Martin sang "Nine to Five", and could easily give Dolly a run for her money. Levi Bowman, son of Becky Isaacs Bowman had the crowd as singing along on "Back Home, Again". Adam Crabb could make you cry when he croons Hank Williams "Whippoorwill".

This is the icing on the cake on a day that has already been filled with sea kayaking, fudge that was made here in Alaska, another afternoon, concert, and another excellent dinner in the main dining room. Like I said, "such a great day."

Cruising the Tracy Arm Fjord

Here is a small taste of some of the grandeur we have witnessed on this trip. This is Sawyer Glacier. On Tuesday we cruised into Tracy Arm, and this is a part of what we saw. The landscape here in Alaska is quite rugged, and stunning scenery abounds. Yesterday we got off the ship in Juneau and took the Glacier Express bus up to Mendenhall Glacier. The first thing we saw was a mama black bear with her cub, fishing for salmon. Then we walked up to Nugget Falls and spent a couple of hours soaking in the beauty and taking pictures. After that we hiked back down to the Visitors Center where Norm was happy to be able to purchase His senior Federal Park pass. We saw a short movie that described details about the Mendenhall Glacier, and viewed a few dioramas with the same theme. By then we were getting tired and hungry, so we went back to the drop point and caught the next Glacier Express bus back to the dock.

Lunch was found at Tracy's Crab Shack, and was a fun experience, if pricey. We shared a "number 1" which included a king crab leg, an order of crab cakes, and crab bisque. We were both pretty hungry, so we took the option of adding a second leg to the order. The crab was succulent, and nearly melted in our mouths. After we were done, Norm agreed that it was worth the cost.

Last night was not a music night, but Andy Andrews was the featured guest speaker, and he had some good things to say. Stay tuned...more to come, later.

Gaither Cruise - It's more awesome than we could have imagined!

We are into the second full day of cruising, and it has been amazing! We have already had four concerts, and each one is better than the one before. We've seen the Gaither Vocal Band, The Martins, The Isaacs, Charlotte Ritchie, Wesley Pritchard, Gene MacDonald, Buddy Green, Reggie and Ladylove Smith, Russ Taff, Angela Primm and motivational speaker Andy Andrews. All of the artists are so personable. I've had personal conversations with Ladylove Smith, Angela Primm, and Jonathan Martin and enjoyed having an opportunity to talk to them a little bit. I also shook hands with Adam Crabb (GVB), and said "hi" to Becky Isaac Bowman - who I saw on the Lido deck the very first day of the cruise.


Our staterooms seem spacious, and the food is wonderful. Last night was our first Gala night, and it was fun to see all of the ladies and gentlemen dressed up in their finest. We have another concert early this afternoon noon, and then this afternoon around 3:00 pm we should enter the Tracy Arm. We're hoping for more photo op's. Lunch will be a salmon bake by the Lido pool, today.


Tomorrow, Wednesday, will be our first port day, when we pull into Juneau. Norm and I are planning to hop on a shuttle and go up to Mendenhall Glacier and take pictures (you're all so surprised, right?).


This had definitely been the trip of a lifetime, so far. Will try and report in, again, later in the week.


Blessings to all!

Gaither Alaskan Cruise - 48 hours and counting!

It's almost here, and I am so excited, I can hardly stand it. Planning has been going on for months, and to have the countdown down to 48 hours seems unbelievable. I have my checklist for what to pack finely tuned, and started putting clothes in the suitcase last night. Just a few things left to pickup at the local discount store, and the shopping will be done. It's going to be great! Can't wait!

Quinoa and Tofu One-Pan dinner

So - no excuses - just haven't been here in a while. But - I have a recipe request, and this is the best place for me to share it. This is one of my original recipes, though I'm sure you can find similar ones elsewhere on the internet. This one is customized for my families preference. So - here goes:

Quinoa and Tofu One-Pan dinner

3 T coconut oil or olive oil (most recipes call for 2 T, but that is never quite enough for me when I'm cooking)
2 cloves garlic, chopped or put through a garlic press
1 med/lg onion, chopped
1 lb firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 C Quinoa (if you don't buy clean quinoa, make sure you clean it before using. The brand I buy comes already cleaned)
1 whole tomato, chopped
1 T curry powder
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t garlic powder or granulated garlic
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
4 C chicken broth or water, or a combination of the 2 (I used 3 cups home-made chicken broth and 1 cup water)
2 C fresh spinach, stems removed and chopped

Using medium high heat and an extra deep 12-inch frying pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic and onion until the onion turns translucent. Add the tofu and seasonings. Continue frying until the tofu just starts to turn brown. Add the quinoa, broth, and tomato. When the broth starts to bubble, turn the heat under the pan down to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the spinach, and simmer 5 minutes more. Serve! This recipe lends itself to all sorts of variations, especially changing the seasonings. If you're not a fan of curry, but like italian, use oregano and sweet basil in place of the curry powder, coriander, and cumin. If Mexican is more your style, leave out the curry powder and coriander. Increase the cumin to 1 teaspoon and add a quarter teaspoon chili powder. At the end of the cooking time, stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Have fun coming up with your own combinations. Enjoy!