The Prodigy Returns.....

The Prodigy Returns.....

Wow! Two years? That long since I graced the pages of The Briars. That's just not right. Must do better. In fact, I intend to do better... and for good reason. A lot has changed in my world over the past two years. I took up playing golf, back to running for the first time in more than a decade, joined some new, fabulous organizations, doing volunteer work over at the VA; training for a SIXTY Mile... that's right, count 'em..... 60 miles RUCK, back east, come May. Harpers Ferry, W. Virginia to Arlington National Cemetery, on Memorial Day 2015;  I have taken up bike riding. Not the bike riding we did as kids. Real bike riding... but I'll get into that later. And, last but not least, I am revisiting my photography hobby with a vengeance.

So.... as you can tell from the photo up in the right hand corner, I have taken up golf. I actually started playing in March of 2013 down in Mesa, Arizona. I took it a step further when I returned to Puyallup, WA and joined the Golf Club at American Lake Veteran Golf Course, on the American Lake VA Campus, in Lakewood. And to put an accent on my arrival to the sport... I hit my first Hole-in-One during a Club Tournament, on a Par 4. How about that! While that does give me something to brag about, I have a long way to go before I will be an adequate golfer; at least adequate enough to my satisfaction. After my first two years, I am a steady 17 handicapper.... looking to settle around 12-14 in the next couple of years.

Another new activity taking a hunk of my time is running. Yeah... that's what I said.... running. Something I did a lot of as a kid and high schooler..... having run Cross country and the mile; and carried the torch on the USA Olympic Torch Relay Team, back in 1960. I took up running again in the mid 70s and, after moving to Florida, made it a habit of running the Tampa Bay Gasparilla 10K, every year until I reach 58 and said enough was enough.

While not usually much of a joiner, I've joined a great club.... TEAM RWB, which accommodates my new found love for running, as well as other activities. You might want to look us up online. There is sure to be a RWB Chapter near you and you'll be glad you did.

Add to the golf and running.... hiking. Now, wait a minute..... you say? Actually it's good exercise, and not always difficult. Although, on occasion, when I combine hiking with my photography and want a particular photo, hiking can get challenging. Ahhh... but hey, once you get the picture it not that bad. Usually. Sometimes I manage to get up some place without considering I need to come back down. Part of the challenge.

A couple of weeks ago, I went up on the mountain... that's Mt. Rainier for you non Great NorthWesterners; anyway, I went up there chasing down some photo ops at Reflection Lake, and hoping to capture some waterfalls. Well, I did get a few waterfalls pics, although I wasn't real happy with them, but aside from that, my biggest accomplishment was building a snowman.

Up around Paradise, the snow started getting deep and I wasn't prepared. But all was not lost. While visiting with some other hikers, I had an opportunity to use a pair of snowshoes, for the very first time. After shuffling up the trail a couple of hundred yards and back, I found a "new love".... dang, am I fickle or what? Hah! Anyway, I loved it and after discussing it with my lovely wife, I am now the proud owner of a great pair of snowshoes, which she gave me for my 70th birthday.

Yeah... I celebrated my 70th birthday this past weekend. Ran a 5K over at Joint Base Lewis / McChord, along with some others from RWB. Didn't do too bad for an old fart. Ran it in 33 minutes and 38 seconds, which is a personal best for me since I started back and erases that dastardly 52 minutes plus, I ran last year. I've heard it said that 70 is the new 30.... my grandson reminded me of that. They may be right because I am feeling great and energetic.

Oh... and then there is this thing about biking. Remember way, way back when we used to put bikes together from collected spare parts, with those long goose-neck handlebars? Well that was kid stuff and pretty easy. Today's mountain bikes and road bikes are specialized cycles that take some knowledge... and some skill to ride. I got a new road bike for my birthday.... my gift to myself; and I'm doing okay. Nothing to brag about. I mean, I can ride 20 miles or so with no problem. Back some years ago, I rode my Schwinn road bike to Tampa and back, on the bike trail. That was a 100 miles round trip... and it took the best part of the day and moved into dark. I'm not fast. And I don't particularly know much about the gears. But I'll learn. Biking is another RWB activity. We have experts who will show us the ropes. Meanwhile, I try to keep my legs strong and figure the rest will come over time. 

There is a bit of a price to pay, being involved in all these active activities. The body and limbs are not as fluid and strong as they used to be. Lots of pain requires attention after running, biking hiking, and the like. But, I get through it. And the accomplishments feel good. The thing to keep in mind is that, it's not about being the best, or the fastest. It's about doing your best and reaching to complete what you start. It's about knowing your limitations and staying active, physically and mentally. It's about living!

So, here's to new beginnings. Hope you stop by often. And, if you find that I am getting lax on my posting, drop me a note to give me a nudge. As always, your comments are welcome.