Another week nearly complete...

Another week is nearly done. They are flying by. 9 months, 19 days until retirement, not like I'm counting it down, ha ha. 

So it has been five weeks since my trip to Big Bend. I finally put together a slide show to post on YouTube of my favorite pictures.  

Big Bend 2025 Video link

I enjoy having these little videos of my adventures to look back on as the years go by. I was able to put the entire trip this time into one video and not multiples like I did after Alaska. I wonder how many I will have after Peru and then Nepal? I'll probably be weeks if not months creating the ones for Nepal after I return. I do plan at some point creating one with photos of my life, something maybe for my Memorial Service when I have passed on from this realm. 

My workouts last weekend were not great. I had spent so much time working in my yard and garden, I was pretty worn out. I did get an hour in each day and 1500 steps on the stair master. I felt it though for the first few days after. I was more exhausted on Sunday than I was after hiking the Pinnacles Trail at Big Bend. I really was not expecting that. But it has been months since I had that much yard work to do. But it is paying off as the yard is looking so much better and spring is making a strong appearance now.

Native Violets

Veg/Herb Garden Makeover

I have planted tomatoes, mixed lettuce, eggplants and peppers, this year. I have onions and asparagus that were already in the ground. Herbs are basil, fennel, sage, oregano and parsley. The black planter has rosemary which I have had since 2020. The hard work is now done so hopefully it will just be maintenance to keep it looking good and I can enjoy the rest of the spring and Summer. It is looking like we will remain in this long drought so that at least cuts back on the mowing. I have given up on having a lawn. It is just to costly and environmentally unhealthy to maintain. I'll be gradually replacing it all with native plants. 

Looking ahead to 2026 trips, in my research for Peru I think I will consider as an alternative to the Inca Trail to do the Lares Trek instead.  It crosses two passes that are higher than Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca trail, but the total elevation gain across the hikes is less and it doesn't have as many stairsteps. It doesn't go all the way to Machu Pichu, but you do continue on by bus to the site after a three day trek. Since I'll be traveling solo I will need to be flexible and join an existing group. I really want to avoid the 4 day Inca trail as I think it is just too intense for me at my age. I still prefer the 5 day Inca Trail, but my goal is to just see and spend some time in the Andes mountains. 
 

Have a good weekend. I am hoping for good weather on Sunday morning so I can get on the trails at Mother Neff State Park. The Wildflowers are starting to make their appearance!