Walking SAD Away

It's that time of the year again when temperatures get cooler/ colder and the bed feels even more comfy. Time to take it easy and snuggle up with a hot cup of tea, some cookies and a good movie. Right?
Wrong. I am affected by the change of season. I think if I lived in a colder place with less sunlight I could become deeply affected by S.A.D.- Seasonal Affective Disorder. Fortunately, while I live in a cold place, Flagstaff is sunny and warm weather(Phoenix)is only two hours away. That really helps me through the deepest part of winter. But I still get a little down over the winter. I recently read a blog, Fresh Living, on how to prevent S.A.D. I will let you read the whole post yourself but the first item on their list is "Exercise more frequently and vigorously."
Why, to me, that sounds like a challenge. Now is the time to step up walking distances, find new paths and pick up speed. I think I will give it a try.

Walks for All

Walk Into Fall, Make a Difference Day, Walk the Walk
from Jack Welch

FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER
Walk Into Fall
Start Location: Peaks Ranger Station
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3.5 miles of walking as we explore the lower half of Fatman's Loop and the Christmas Tree Trail.
Everybody Welcome! Please do bring a friend!

SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER
Make A Difference Day
Clean up/Rio de Flag
Start Location: Footbridge in Wheeler Park
Time: 9:00 AM
Pick up trash along the Rio de Flag from City Hall to the Francis Short Pond
Bring a lunch

SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER - Walk the second half of the Highland Trail
Walk The Walk
Highland Trail - Kachina Wetlands half
Start Location: Raymond County Park
We'll convoy from there over to the Wetlands parking area
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
About 6 miles (I'm not kidding) on this out and back route that will take us
from the Wetlands down to the gate on Highway 89A and back. Hopefully we
will have time left to walk over to the lake and see how the ducks are doing.

TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER
Walk Into Fall
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood
Fast and Slow Pace
Bring a Friend

Walking in Austin

On Sunday, I got back from a trip to Austin, Texas and have been "running" ever since. I attended the National Association of Science Writers annual conference. I met lots of great people and went to some wonderful talks. I didn't get to see as much of Austin as I had planned but I saw a little bit. On Saturday I got to see some of downtown at night and on Sunday I had a little bit more time to get to the airport so I took the long way to the bus stop.
Here's a good restaurant:
Here's a great blue's bar:
Here's the tower and horse statue at Univ of Texas:
Yup, the Lone Star state. This was in front of the Texas State Museum.
The capitol building:
Here's another statue, this time at the state capitol. This is in honor of volunteer firemen. This fireman apparently lost his life to save a child.


A lot of walking potential in this town- many trails that are around town that I didn't get to explore. I guess I will need to visit again.

Musings

There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like
a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. Even a bicycle goes too fast.
- Paul Scott Mowrer

I have been in Austin, sans computer. I am waiting for my camera battery to reload and then I will share some of what I saw.

Walk More, Drive Less- Blog Action Day 2009

Hey, this is what this blog is all about- getting the word out that we need to do something about how we live on this planet. Currently our habits seem to be setting things off kilter and one way or another we, or rather our children and grandchildren, will suffer the consequences. So again since I truly believe that while one person's actions might seem like a drop in the bucket when it comes to helping the environment, if everyone who needed to changed their behavior then things would start to happen. With that out of the way, here's my contribution to Blog Action Day 2009:
Walk (bike, take the bus) more, drive less.

Also, since you have more time to think during your walks, come up with a letter for your representatives, senators, President Obama and anyone else you can think of, about how important it is that a dramatic lifestyle change begin now.

Here's a blurb from Blog Action Day:
"More than any other country, action taken by the United States to limit greenhouse gases and build a clean energy economy is needed to achieve a sustainable solution to our global climate crisis.

This December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to negotiate a global response to climate change. As a world leader in greenhouse gas pollution as well as clean energy technology, the United States needs to take bold action by implementing comprehensive clean energy policies to curb emissions.

President Barack Obama has said that climate change is an urgent threat, and that he wants to restore America's responsible leadership in the world.

This is a chance for people around the world and in the United States to join together in telling President Obama that we want him to lead the United States in taking bold and significant action to reduce greenhouse gasses.

Time is running out, and our planet can't afford to wait."

Coool Walkin's

from Jack Welch

THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER

Flagstaff 15 Minute Makeover - Second Annual

Start Location: Outside the door of what ever location you happen to be occupying

Time: 10:15 AM

Just carry a litter bag outside any door you happen to be near and pick up all the trash you can in 15 minutes

Please register to participate at: www.Flagstaff.az.gov/15

or

Call Tom Boughner at: 213 3607

There will be a drawing for some nice prizes - but you must register to win anything!

Let's break last year's record of over 4,000 participants!

FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER

Walk Into Fall

Start Location: Peaks Ranger Station across from Marketplace Drive at the Flagstaff Mall

Time: 9:00 AM

About 3 total miles of walking

SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER

Flag Biking Trail Work Day

Check out the Flag Biking web site for details

Ft Valley Trail System (Off Schultz Pass Road)

Time: 8:14 5 AM

SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER

Walk The Walk

New McMillan Mesa FUTS

Start Location: Buffalo Park

Time: 3:00 PM

About 4 total miles of walking on the newly constructed FUTS on

McMillan Mesa. Expect a few hills

SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER

Walk The Walk

First Half of the Highland Trail (Ft Tuthill to Kachina Wetlands) hike

Start Location: Cochise Ramada next to the Tennis Courts at Ft Tuthill

Time: 3:00 PM

About 6 total miles of a loop that will begin at the Cochise Ramada - access

the Highland Trail down to the gate at Highway 89a and then finish the loop

back to the Cochise Ramada. Expect a few hills.

The second half of the Highland Trail (Raymond Park to Highway 89A) will be hiked on

Sunday 25 October with a start at Raymond County Park at 3:00 PM

TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER (morning)

Walk Into Fall

Start Location: Adult Center

Time: 9:00 AM

About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

Fast and Slow Pace

Everybody Welcome! Please do bring a friend!

TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER (evening)

Discussion of outdoor equipment - Mainly Snow Shoe - With Cuyler Boughner

Location: Adult Center

Time: 6:30 PM

Great opportunity to get some good information on outdoor equipment.

Cuyler is an outstanding source for this kind of knowledge.

I'll bring the store bought cookies!

WEDENSDAY 21 OCTOBER

Flagstaff Trails Talk

P.O.S.T. - Adopt-An-Avenue Information -

Plus the latest on local trails and entry forms to become a part of

the Aerobic Winter Challenge (see below for details)

Location: Adult Center

Time: 6:30 PM

You bring the questions and interest and we'll do our best to

provide the information.

Cookies on had to be eaten!

Everybody Welcome! Please do bring a friend!

I hope to see you all soon!

Jack Welch

IT"S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN - FOR THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

AEROBIC WINTER CHALLENGE.

Do you have trouble doing enough exercise during the winter months? Problems

with sticking to an exercise schedule? Then this is the program for you!

November through February -

A log based program to keep you moving throughout the winter months.

Prizes if you participate.

To get more information attend one of the Adult Center Meetings on

Tuesday 20 October or Wednesday 21 October at 6:30 PM

Don't miss this window of opportunity to get it done this winter. The window

closes on Friday 23 October - last day to register to become a part of one of

our three Scalawag Teams.

The Navajo's Long Walk

Last weekend we went camping at Canyon de Chelly. The weather was lovely, the cottonwoods were changing, the rocks were warm. Sleep? Not so much. One night it was the dogs barking, owls serenading (okay this was pretty cool), temperature dropping, gotta go pee night. But that's camping. And camping is a lot easier since we have a pop-up, which I love- kind of like a portable hotel room sans bathroom.

If you don't know about Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "shay")it is located on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona. It is a national monument but Navajo families still live there. I spoke with one Navajo jeweler/artist, in the visitor center, whose family had lived there for generations. Ansel Adams had taken a photo of his mom in the canyon. He was able to recreate the shot with his elderly mom. He mentioned that many families now lived elsewhere, to work, go to school, etc. and just came back on weekends or other times.

We walked down to the White House Ruins. We all commented on how blue the sky was- as blue as a fall sky can be. On the canyon floor we could see sheep and fields where crops had been planted and family hogans. From viewpoints above we could see how cottonwoods traced a dry streambed, along with tamarisk and Russian olive. This streambed meandered around huge thousand foot tall rock fins.

We went here over Columbus Day weekend. Kind of ironic. Information signs along the lookout points talked of how the Navajo fought with the Spanish in the late 1700s, early 1800s, and of how Canyon de Chelly served as a type of fortress. During one Spanish raid the young Navajo men were gone leaving the old, infirm, women and children. History reports that 115 people were massacred that day and more taken prisoner. Massacre Cave Overlook shows the location of that battle and talks of one brave Navajo woman who sacrificed her life in battling with a Spanish soldier, taking him with her as they toppled over the cliff.

Canyon de Chelly was also the site of the last standoff for the Navajos in a battle to preserve their property. In 1864 the Navajos surrendered to Kit Carson and were ordered on the "Long Walk to Bosque Redondo" in New Mexico. About 200 Navajo died during this forced march. Bosque Redondo was a desolate place for the Navajo and the people suffered with disease and hunger. In 1868 the U.S. Government acknowledged the failure of their plan and granted Navajo sovereignty in the Treaty of 1868.

So much grim history for such a beautiful place. I can tell you now that it seems peaceful and okay.