New Times Two

I had agreed to go take some photos where the railroad that is behind my house goes under the freeway. This is for the Mason County Non-Motorized Trail Commitee I'm on.

Just for the record, here's what that looks like. Not too exciting.

But there are some new things to show you. I did walk this section of tracks once long ago, but I wasn't taking pictures. It was so long ago, the freeway wasn't finished, although it was under construction.

There is another Saginaw distance marker. This one is 134 miles. The one behind my house is 130 miles. I'm sort of surprised these are being kept up because the current line, Marquette Rail, no longer connects to Saginaw. Those markers are from when this was main line of the Pere Marquette Railway which was in operation from 1900- 1947.

But far and away, the most interesting thing is those brown lines beside the tracks you can see in the first picture. Here they are again.

This is welded rail sections laid out, I assume for replacement of the regular track. Now this is extremely interesting! I've seen it being laid in New York, but couldn't get pictures as we were going by in a car.

I paced out the sections of rail and they seemed to be about a quarter-mile long. I have looked this up, and that is accurate. But how did they get those long pieces here? They are transported on specially connected flatcars. I'm not sure why they were dropped in bundles of 8.

Anyway, traditional rails are about 39 feet long and are bolted together. Those joints are what makes the "clickity-clack" of the train. However, for heavy loads or high-speed travel, the longer sections are the way to go. These are welded together in place.

Here's a video that shows the whole process of laying these and repairing the track. It's long. But if you just want to see the cars that unload the long rail sections watch from minute 6 to 10.



I sure hope I manage to catch some of the actual work when they put this down.

The other "new" thing is that I am going to switch out my current Scripture verse to keep in mind for my life. My most recent one was for the big NCT hike, and it was II Samuel 22:37- "You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way."

But I'm going to concentrate on keeping this one in mind now. Isaiah 43:18- “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

I love to learn new things. I don't want to get stuck in a rut just because I am getting older. I don't want to let the mistakes of the past weigh me down. I'm going to look forward to however many more years I have to see what new things God has in store for me!

I edited and worked on projects in the morning. The afternoon was filled with errands and bell choir. I did get in some miles with the walk beside the tracks and then all the trails at the Methodist Church and some in the School Forest.

Miles walked in 2026: 96.3

Beside the tracks, then Methodist and School Forest trails, 3.4 miles.

See Marquette Rail

The Skeleton of a Plot

Subtitle: Unlikely Plot, or Not?

This could also be titled, is truth stranger than fiction? Tonight you get some more of my thoughts about writing mysteries.

We've often heard someone disparage a fictional plot as so unbelievable it ruined the story for them. But, I'm here to tell you that there are plenty of strange stories out there that are absolutely true.

The mug shot is Herbert Mullin. He was aprehended in 1973 after killing thirteen people. He claimed to be following the voice of God who told him that human sacrifices would save California from the big earthquake. He claimed the victims volunteered to die for the cause. He was diagnosed as schizophrenic and insane.

I tend to think that insanity is a cop-out for a writer to use as a motive, however, I did use it in one short story.

Here is a true tale from Texas in 2018. Someone was placing flyers laced with fentanyl on windshields of law enforcement vehicles. They warned of "satellite microwave weapons." There were no deaths- one officer became ill, but fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin, and can be fatal. That would be a great basis for a plot.

Another true story is the possibly unbelievably simple means by which a woman realized there was an intruder in her house. The toilet seat was up, and there was no male who lived with her. If that were put in a book, readers would say, "No burgler would be that stupid." Guess again.

Recently, there have been two Michigan scenes that seem to stretch the limits of belief. The first one, very local to me, wouldn't serve as a basis for an entire plot, but as a scene it would be great. But again, people would think it too outlandish. A driver took off as police attempted a traffic stop and led law enforcement on a 4-county chase.

The most gruesome is this story, and it has been in the news a lot in Michigan. The mother and step-father of a girl who was nine-months pregnant apparrently killed the girl and cut the baby out of her body. The baby has not yet been found. I have to use the word "apparently," because this one has not been through the courts yet, it's so recent. Even in a thriller, can you imagine trying to put that one in a book?

Anyway, I guess my point is that various implausible plots can work if the writing is good.

Here's a fictional example. I have mentioned that I'm re-reading the Joe Pickett books. My least favorite in the series is Trophy Hunt because it wanders heavily into a paranormal cause for part of what happens. I'm not a big fan of paranormal stories. However, in the notes at the end, I learned that the weird part of the book is based on real circumstances that happened in Montana in 2000 and have never been explained. Huh.

Hey! All this to say that I've outlined the rest of Vacation from Dead Mule Swamp (mostly... I'm still searching my brain for the details of one scene, but I have all the connecting parts of the plot). Although the setting for the story is unusual, I'll confess that the motive is one of the usual four: Lust, Love, Lucre, Loathing. So when I get it finished you won't have to wonder if the reason for the crime is going to be too outlandish.

I also worked some more on the prayer shawl and did some editing.

See The Thickening of the Plot

More About Me

Since I previously shared a couple of cartoons that describe me quite accurately, Nathan Pyle has come out with a couple more about hiking. Can't leave these out. The concept of the first one always makes me chuckle.

This one is marginally true. Actually, I don't like sweet cushions all that much, but what happens in the first 2 panels coupled with the scent of balsam is sort of like catnip to a cat for me.

It's a good day to hunker down. Actual temp -2° outside. We have the bathroom faucet dripping just in case. I did two rows on the afghan, but still have 6 to go because there were actually 8 to finish when I said 6. I really want to get this one done (so I can start a different one!). And then I have to do the edge.

I wrote 770 words in Vacation from Dead Mule Swamp. I edited a little, but I am waiting for responses.

See These Are Me

Thickening of the Plot

A little philosphy on the topic of writing today.

I'm working my way through re-reading the Joe Pickett novels by C.J. Box. I picked one of them for my top 10 reads of 2025. But, honestly, I could have picked them all. I really like this series. Why? And why am I re-reading them so soon?

I'll answer the second question first. I'm doing them again because I didn't actually READ them the first time through. I listened to the audiobooks while I was down with shingles. First of all, audio is my weakest input channel. Secondly, I usually fell asleep listening and had to go back and figure out where I had "lost it." This may have resulted in missing some things. Third, highly related to the first reason, I take in much more when I see the print, when I can flip back through pages to check something. I'm highly visual.

Why do I like this series? I like the (mostly) outdoor setting, even though it's set in the West which I understand much less than the eastern forests. The characters are a little bit larger than life, but not excessivley so. Joe is (mostly) a little too good. Nate is (mostly) a little too feral. Joe's family is spot-on, except his mother-in-law, who is a little too grasping. Law enforcement at every level is a little too corrupt. But like the Jack Reacher books, sometimes you just want to see justice being done, even if it's not exactly legal.

The writing is good. Here's a sample that's not part of the high-tension plot. "The moon was a perfect thin slice of ice-white in a thick soup of stars that hardened as the temperature dropped near freezing."

Dialog is crisp and is fitted to the character, not generic and stilted.

Here's what got me thinking today. I just finished Free Fire, where the story is set in Yellowstone National Park. Parts of the plot are somewhat believable; the motivations for the crime(s) are solid as eventually revealed. Four people are slaughtered in a remote section of the park that, because of the wording of the law, turns out to be a place where one can commit a perfect murder. In fact, the killer turns himself in, knowing he can't be prosecuted. The rest of the plot then hinges on what was his motive. No one can find a connection between him and the victims. Except Joe, of course.

Now, if I were to give you a five-sentence syopsis of the rest of the plot, you would probably snort and say, "Ridiculous." And you might be right. But the point is, as the way it's written, it works.

So, where am I going with this? As you may or may not be aware, I am stalled on the plot of Vacation from Dead Mule Swamp. I have A,B, & C written. I know pretty much what E is going to be. Part D has eluded me for months. I've kept writing, hoping the next piece would appear. It has not. I've written some nice stuff in this transitional section. For example: "I heard no deep, even breathing suggesting that anyone was asleep. I certainly wasn’t. Flapping nylon, moaning wind, the uneven percussion of rain falling from branches as well as the sky, and fricative sighs of pajamas against blankets created a muted sound track for our emotional discomfort."

What hit me today was that maybe I don't need part D to be quite as realistic as I've been thinking. The whole story is a bit ridiculous anyway- set against the background of a Live Action Role-Playing Game- Ana, Chad, and Mariah find themselves compelled to play by a sinister stranger. Can it get more goofy than that? (I've warned everyone that this story is "different" - you'll either like it or you won't.)

Maybe I need to just buckle down and outline a scenario skeleton that makes some sense and then put some muscles and flesh on that baby. I've got people who like my characters. I need to run with that and get them through this bizarre, thick, plot

I wrote 182 words today, and they don't move the story along. Got to fix that.

See Cover of Vacation from Dead Mule Swamp

These Are Me

I have stolen two cartoons to share here. The first one is by Nathan Pyle. It characterizes my attitude perfectly.

This one is, I'm afraid, a bit too true. I do occasionally simply bust out in song while hiking, and it's often this one, "The Happy Wanderer." In fact, I want this sung at my funeral.

It was a gray day. It was still so dark at 8 am, I wasn't sure it was time to get up.

I FINISHED one editing project a couple of days ago, and I FINISHED another one today!

See 2.5 Sloppy Ones

Off and Running Toward the Next Adventure

OK, I'm 77. It's just a number right? Well, pretty much, but I can't get my body to do some of the crazy endurance tests I subjected it to when I was younger.

Nevertheless, life is just not right if I'm not planning another adventure. I've had the resources for this idea for a couple of months, but this holiday I got busy about starting a plan. I've already been talking to several of the usual suspects, and a couple of new ones, about possible participation in all or part.

Yes, I'm looking at the Sheltowee Trace Trail in Kentucky and Tennessee. I first discovered this trail in 2019, and purposely hiked a short section of it January 2024 on my trip south. But I want to do the whole thing. And I think I still can if I stay in shape. Other things that are never under my control could derail plans, but that is true of any hike.

Computer spreadsheet itinerary (will change, but you have to start somewhere), FarOut map guide, paper guidebook, first paper map.

Looking at September/October of 2026. 335 miles. Lots of hills. Almost certainly some backpacking and some slackpacking.

I finished Dale Painter's book about his "hiking life" today. Toward the end, he made himself more vulnerable by sharing things that changed, and how he had to adapt. He told honestly about how he experienced an event on a remote trail out west that shook his confidence to the core.

It made me remember some of my feelings leading up to my NCT hike, 2021-2023, and I thought I'd share those here as well. This kind of stuff did not go on the blog entries for the hike. I learned early on that sounding anything but positive and upbeat there led to lots of reactions like "You need to get off the trail," "What do you think you are doing?" "You need to be more careful," etc. I wasn't going to field all those comments, so I quit sharing most of that sort of thing. But it led to giving the impression that I was so tough there were very few "issues."

So here are a couple of events that happened prior to the big hike that made me wonder if I was being a little too crazy to think I could do it.

You may remeber that in 2018 I set out to follow and map the very poorly marked Midland to Mackinac Trail. My plan was to backpack what I thought was a reasonable 12 miles a day. After countless frustrating hours (in that pack) trying to figure out where the heck the trail was supposed to be, and the final blow, a somewhat dangerous following of the blue blazes into the middle of a thigh-deep marsh only to reach a river I could not cross, and then I had to wade back out again to where I last had been on high ground, I switched to day-hiking and usually 10-mile days. (I found out later they changed the trail because of that marsh, but didn't take out the old blazes!!!!) So, I finished the hike, but much slower than planned and not in the way I had desired.

Then in 2020, I planned a 100-mile hike in southern (hilly) Indiana. Because of Covid, even state land was closed for most of the early season. I was finally able to go in June, but jumped directly from local near-freezing temps to days being in the 90s. My body does not like this at all. A couple of days I only made 6 miles. The defining moment was lying flat in the damp gravel beside a nearly dry stream for an hour trying to cool my core enough to hike on even to a campsite. My plan had been to do 15-mile days to see if I thought I could do a sustained 15/day on the NCT- I had decided by then that I was going to try the NCT hike. I ended up only doing 45 miles of the Indiana plan.

In both cases, I had to request change-of-plan help from the people who were spotting me, etc. I don't like doing this. Backpacking requires flexibility almost above all, but I still don't like imposing on folks.

Anyway... I had now just had what I considered to be two complete failures at planning hikes I would be able to complete. I had quite a lot of angst about the NCT plan. About 60% of me didn't even want to tell people I was doing it. The other 40% reminded me that one of my goals was to educate people as to how every piece of the NCT has something special, and if I were going to do that I couldn't keep it secret. Conflicting goals!

Although it's one of the best media interviews with me, ever, I sort of hated that I was interviewed as I went through Yankee Springs. I'd only been on the NCT hike for 13 days and 185 miles- barely a start- I had no idea if I'd be able to sustain that level of hiking for a year.

And yet, I was allowed to complete that entire hike, (just that disappointing break in the winter- but the western UP is unforgiving, and snow came early- I could not stay ahead of it. But I did complete the hike with a slightly altered plan.

I tell Marie that I'm doing denial about ageing. And I pretty much am! But I'm determined to keep hiking at some level for as long as I can walk. However, those of you who call me amazing should realize that I'm no more amazing than you are. I have an Amazing God who lets me take on some big adventures, and lets me complete most of them.

Did some regular work, and worked on this plan in the afternoon. Plus some MORE kitchen cleanup.

See the short hike at the southern terminus of the Sheltowee

Name a Movie that Changed Your Life

This morning something caught my attention - conversation starter: "Name a movie that changed your life." I had to think about that.

One of the most memorable was the missionary film Through Gates of Splendor. Although it was remade in 1967, the first version came out in 1961 just five years after five missionaries were killed by the Auca indians in Equador.

Of course I had been raised with a succession of missionary speakers who brought slides showing pictures of smiling dark-skinned people. I understood that the message of love and forgiveness had changed them, but it was somehow rather fakey.

But this movie was the real deal. I was in junior high, a time of life when everyone makes some important decisions about the kind of person they are going to be.

Here was real movie footage of naked people (we could hardly believe the church allowed this to be shown, right?) interacting with foreigners for the first time in their lives. It is not a fictionalized account. The camera was recovered and film salvaged from the actual initial encounter.

Here were young husbands and wives with children putting their lives on the line to bring caring and hope to a tribe who had an astronomical murder rate. Other tribes wouldn't even go near them. And the missionaries paid the ultimate price. After the initial friendly contact, the next day the Aucas killed the five men: Jim Eliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youderain and Pete Fleming. This wasn't the kind of happy missionary story we were used to. This was brutal and demanded that I think about what I was going to be willing to do if God asked something like this of me.

Here's the original movie. It was remade in 1967 with some small additions. You can watch it for free (only 35 minutes long). It is age restricted. I'm including a still shot from the film so there is an image in this post.

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Some of you may know the end of the story. Surviving wife Elisabeth Eliot with young daughter Valerie, and Rachel Saint (sister of Nate) went back to the Auca and in just a few months, God changed their entire culture from one of constant murder to caring and helping.

Two more movies were later made with more of the story. They can both be found on YouTube.

One is Beyond the Gates of Splendor, narrated by Nate Saint's son, Steve.

The other is The End of the Spear, also narrated by Steve Saint. The title has a double meaning, as Steve learns the identity of the tribesman who had killed his father. Mincaye demands that Steve spear him to avenge his father, but Steve forgives the man. This is the dramtic "end of the spear," as the solution to disagreement.

Elisabeth Eliot became noted as a Christian author, often taking a hard stance on obedience and morality. I've always thought she had every right in the world to take such a view, having been "tried in the fire" of personal experience, and she found God's strength sufficient. In the cultures of "Prosperity Gospel" and "God wants us to be happy," she was a voice for higher standards.

Name a movie that changed your life.

See The Staircase

Fencing: Good, Bad, Philosophy

Good: the nylon mesh fencing keeps most of the critters out of my flower beds.

Bad:
#1- I keep tripping on it myself, but have only done one acrobatic fall down the rock garden as a result (one bruise).

#2- It doesn't keep all the animals out. Something grazed its way through the front flower bed two days ago eating half the painted fern and several hostas, including the 'Mouse Ears' that was going to bloom. I suspect a woodchuck found my little opening that allows me access. There is a chipmunk that goes in and out all the time, but it hasn't eaten stuff yet.

#3- Sometimes it catches wildlife that I only wish to deter, not harm. Last week, a 13-lined ground squirrel was caught in it. It was still alive, and I freed it by wrapping it in a towel so I wouldn't get bitten. It "thanked" me by running right back under the fence into the rock garden.

#3 part two- Today, another blue racer (see link below from last year) tried to get through the fence around the front bed. This one was much more unhappy than last year's. It was smaller and feisty. I did get bitten for my troubles before I managed to catch hold of it and snip the nylon.

Doesn't it just look annoyed? Of course this is anthropomorphizing.

It roughed itself up quite a bit, but no blood, so I think it will be OK.

Philosophy: I don't talk about my faith much on this blog, but this opportunity is too good to pass up.

Yes, the snake bit me before I got hold of it (no big deal- no venom, I cleaned it up afterwards). Snakes have good eyesight, and may even see some colors. They smell with their tongues. You have to wonder what I smelled like to it. It probably had never encountered a human that close before.

To me, it smelled like a stressed snake. We used to have pet snakes, and they have a distinctive odor when they are frightened or overheated (this one was probably both).

It certainly saw me as large and threatening as I repeatedly tried to grab it. It couldn't possibly understand that I wanted to help it. Yes, I know there have been stories of sea mammals and other woodland creatures seeking out help from a human, but I doubt that a reptile that isn't a pet could possibly conceive of this scenario.

It knew it was in trouble. It had tried to get through the netting and had, of course, only gotten more tangled. But it did not see me as the solution to the problem. It had only limited understanding of the kind of being I was (warm blooded, but too large to eat- beyond that, who knows?)

From its perspective, this large thing grabbed its neck and prevented it from doing what it wanted to, pressed something cold (but smooth) into the places where it was hurting (which did then stop hurting), lifted it off the safe ground, TALKED to it- what on earth did those noises mean?, and (gently) threw it far away from where it had been trying to go. None of these things could have been processed by a snake as part of its daily survival goals.

Seems like this is a lot like how we sometimes react to God's intervention in our lives. We can't perceive God in any but the foggiest of ways. We don't like it when our attention is diverted from what we think the problem is. We can't understand much of anything God might try to actually say to us. We are livid when our personal plans and goals are altered unexpectedly.

Maybe, just maybe, there is a Being on a level much higher than our own who wants to extricate us from entanglements we can't understand, but we only get frightened and angry when we are "saved" from a danger we weren't fully aware of and sent on a different path.

OK, enough of that. But perhaps you see my point. I did a lot of computer work and editing with some outside tasks. But then it got pretty hot, so I came back to the computer.

See A Welcome Visitor

My End-of-Year Blessing

  I've shared a few times that I like to make a donation to World Vision each year. Some of you sponsored me when I did a 20-mile hike to raise money for them in May of 2020.

This year, I donated to the fund that adds an extra layer to the effort to bring clean water to villages, and through solar or generator power actually pipes the water closer to the communities and makes it available through a spigot.

This is from their website: "One tap from a mechanized water system reliably delivers clean water to an average of 85 people! Your gift helps to drill for water, install a pump, provide generator or solar power, lay a piping network, and finally, provide a tap where families can get sparkling clean water close to home. You’ll help kids and families stay protected from disease by ensuring they have clean water for drinking, handwashing, cooking, watering crops, and more."

I don't tell you about this to toot my own horn. I'm sure almost all of us have causes we like to support. I do think this is a good one. World Vision gets very high ratings as to how much of the money donated actually ends up helping people as they claim.

I like to shop the Gift Catalog.

One of the items on my "Quality Day" list (see What Is My Quality Day?" is to do a service. This is one of these events.

I didn't accomplish much today. Maybe tomorrow I'll kick it back into gear.

See 20 Miles for World Vision

I'm Out!

 My big accomplishment for the day is that I got the driveway clear enough to get out and in. I may be getting a little old for that much shoveling, but I got 'er done. Not much contrast, but I hope you can see the open lane.

There is a Scout song. "God had created a new day. Silver,

and green,

and gold. (this morning's sunrise)

Live that the sunset may find us worthy His gifts to hold."

Don't worry... this song isn't saying that we become acceptable to God because of what we can do. It's not in opposition to GRACE.

However, it's almost a direct quote from several places in the New Testament, like Colossians 1:10- "live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." We do have a responsibility, once we've accepted God's grace to "walk worthy."

In other news: I edited, I formatted, as mentioned... I shoveled. Then I was tired. Snowblower should be picked up tomorrow for repair.

See Driveway 2014

Repeating a Thought

 I had two Zoom interviews today and worked on other stuff. Nothing of interest to share.

But I will post this again because it seems so important to me. Almost everyone in this country is currently angry at half the population. Many people are feeling pushed to the point where they don't see how they can even be friends with certain other people. I'm sure we all tend to categorize groups as people who all think alike, and perhaps even supposedly embrace the extremes of each position.

But I think there's a lot of characterization of others going on that isn't valid.

Here are the words of this benediction in case the graphic doesn't load. "May the quiet fire of God's love arise within you. May its flames of joy and peace enlighten your steps in this world, and may you be like the burning bush, the presence of God for each other, that holy healing light of love, the breath of God made manifest in you." I did not write this, but I wish I had. Peace and healing.

Edited, wrote 824 words- Chapter 37 in Vacation from DMS, did other minor stuff in addition to the interviews.

See The Final Steps

Thinking about Adoption

A former President of Youth for Christ, Dan Wolgemuth, writes an essay every Friday that is always thoughtful and interesting. His father was President when we were with YFC, and I went to college with most of his siblings. His mother and I were good friends.

Yesterday, Dan wrote about Joseph. Joseph of the Christmas story. He points out that we are told very little about Joseph. The lineage of Joseph back to King David is given. Even though Joseph was the adoptive father, that heritage was important enough to include in Scripture. In these days of easy DNA testing, perhaps we focus too much on the biological.

Dan makes some interesting statements. He points out that Joseph was the "non-biological father to the son of the most high. He was the bread winner to the bread of life." These statements echo the mystical thoughts in the song "Mary Did You Know?" For example, "This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you." (Also resonating in my thoughts is C.S. Lewis' stable scene in The Last Battle. It's a bunny trail here, but it's in Chapter 13 "How the Dwarves Refused to be Taken In" if you are curious.)

I have no idea about legal documentation in the Roman Empire, but Joseph functionally adopted Jesus. I'm sure the baby was counted in the census which they went to Bethlehem to fulfill. Adoption has a good reputation in the Bible. In fact, there are five times in the New Testament when we are told that we have the status of being adopted by God. In context, these adoptions are contrasted to being slaves and to being "stuck" in physical bodies (perhaps a reference to the fact that as children of God we are spiritual not physical beings). Also, the Jews are promised that they will be redeemed from the law and be adopted. The most general reference is Ephesians 1:5 where we are told that before the foundation of the world we were chosen to be adopted!

I think adoption is one of the ultimate ways in which we are given the opportunity to live in the image of God. God does things that are counter to our human nature. He forgives. He loves with genuine altruism (our love is usually tainted with a least partially selfish motives). He adopts. He elevates us to sons and daughters the second we agree to accept that arrangement. Of course, we can also reject that offer.

I'm not in any way attempting to elevate our family's journey to the same plane as God's adoption. But yet, chosing to become a functional parent, to love a child who does not carry my DNA is one of the ways I've learned so much more about how God loves me.

Before baby Steve joined us, we had this glimpse.



Two years later, we received one bad Polariod picture of Joshua (and his cat) to see what our middle son would look like.

We later received a few pictures of Josh taken in Vietnam.

Dan points out that Joseph was called to live in humility, to be courageous and offer selfless support. Not the role we often desire.

But Dan's phrase that will stick with me the longest is, "None of us will be like Mary. But we can all be like Joseph."

See My Little Squirt is 39 See Joshua Turns 40

Food for Thoughts

When I'm with Marie, I always go to church with her. She is Catholic and I am Protestant. This is a problem for some people. We've joked about each branch of the church condemning the other. I'm not here to start arguments about what people believe, but I am going to tell you how I increasingly react to services of the many varieties.

Here is the church we attended this morning.

As modern churches become more and more utilitarian, I am drawn to the beauty and ornate character of many of the older churches. I find myself feeling more worshipful in an artistic atmosphere. True, God will accept our worship offered from a concrete block building or a dirt basement in hiding from repressive authorities, but the harmony of the decor helps set a tone for me. After all, the first tabernacle was decreed to be ornamented in various ways as an offering of the talents of the artists.

Also, I appreciate how much of the service is readings from Scripture. Frequent reading of the guidebook is sure to help one find the right path. The sermon (homily) is always short- fittingly for most attention spans- and the Nicene Creed is accepted by almost all flavors of Christians.

I nearly always come from these services (mass) calmed, and usually with some thought from the homily to ponder.

Later in the afternoon, we went to another Veteran's dinner. This one had a place set for the Missing Man, to honor either those who died or MIA/POWs. Ed really likes socializing with other Veterans. We all enjoy getting together with people who share common experiences. Marie and I will soon be heading for the trail Celebration, my annual socializing with my own "tribe."

My final thought isn't too deep. Marie and I did another 300-piece puzzle. This one took 1 hr 20 minutes. It might have been a little harder, or I might not have counted the time to get the pieces out of the box and right side up last night. This one is Purrfectly Adorable.

Who knows why jigsaw puzzles are so satisfying? They have been around since the 1700s when maps were cut into country shapes to use as educational tools. In the late 1800s they became more recreational in nature, and lots of people like them, including me, as you well know. They are supposed to help you keep your brain functioning well!

I also found a block of time to do some editing. It rained all day, so there was no outside activity.

See Catnip High

Little Treats, Random Thoughts

  I managed to get myself off my rear end today enough to go to Ludington and do some critical errands. You know I absolutelly hate errands on a good day, and they are especially hateful on a day when I'd rather just sit and vegetate. The enticement to actually do them was that I would get to buy my favorite ice cream on the way home.

I did it all.

One of the really hard parts of coming off a hike is that your body thinks it wants enough food to walk 15 miles, but then it's not really walking 15 miles. I'm trying really hard to drop back to real-life calories, but I'm not there yet. I did manage to hold myself to one dish of the ice cream.

What kind? Moose Tracks, and the best one I've found is the Meijer Purple Cow brand. It's creamier than any others. I haven't had this particular ice cream for 13 months. So it's a big deal that I only ate one bowl, OK?

I started reading a book about an Appalachian Trail hike, and it has sparked some thoughts. The story is one of those where a person just decides, out of the blue, to hike the AT. She was a 51-year-old empty nester, and felt compelled, even called to do this.

Comparing her descriptions of the experience to my own hikes is interesting.

For starters, she was not comfortable alone in the outdoors. She tells how she had to get used to the nights, the mice, the snakes, etc. I can't even relate to feelings like that, let alone describe them.

But one of the results of her inexperience was that she probably found even more joy and beauty in the spectacular places along the trail than I do. Not that I don't feel that hitch of breath as I look out over the immense waters of Lake Superior or realize that George Washington really did walk that piece of trail before me. But, at this point, I'm so familiar with the North Country Trail that these encounters are more like re-establishing bonds with old friends than like falling in love at first sight with someone.

She didn't really know how to use her equipment when she started. I don't get that at all. I can understand needing to make adjustments to the details of using something day after day on the trail, but I'm much too persnickety to take off on any kind of trip without understanding what my gear does.

Perhaps what I've thought about most is that I'll never be able to go back and see the NCT through the eyes of a first-time hiker. Sure, there were pieces of new trail, but even where the treadway was new, I usually know the people who built it, maybe even who designed it, what kinds of permissions and political struggles it took to put the trail there, and maybe even conflicts and compromises required to get it on the ground. I often know specifically why maintenance is difficult or lacking in a particular area. Yeah, there are 4800 miles of this trail, but I've come to know them in a truly personal way.

In the early days of my hiking, I just saw the trail and whether it was well-marked and maintained or not. I had some of those knee-jerk reactions we still see from hikers. "Why don't they get this cleaned up?" "Why is this trail still on the road?" "What on earth were they thinking to cross this creek without a bridge?" Etc.

I don't really have any thoughts here with a conclusion. I do know that questions like these are why I chose to get involved with the North Country Trail so many years ago. It's a big trail that may never have enough volunteers to keep things perfect. I felt it was a trail organization where I could make a difference.

It was weird to not go hiking this morning. I'm starting to feel somewhat recovered, although not enough to put a serious dent in my work list. And I needed more books. I came home from the library with six more and 2 DVDs. There seems to be a big book black hole in my system that is sucking in words. Gotta go read some more!

See Heat, Light, Water, Salad

The Mouse and the Dead End

  Several months ago, as I was going into the Post Office, this little one was climbing steadily up the corner by the door. I knew right then, this was how I already felt, and I wasn't even into the final scramble to get ready for this hike. He's got three little feet solidly planted on brick or concrete where he can get a purchase, and the other one is sort of hoping that shiny metal, with nothing to hold on to, isn't going to do him in.

Does he look a little desparate to you? Definitely determined.

But where is he headed? Yeah... toward what one usually finds at the top of an inside corner... a ceiling. And what will he do when he gets there? If he gets there. I didn't stick around to find out.

Right now, even though I've hiked this trail once already and although there are pieces that have changed, there aren't going to be major surprises, I sort of feel like I'm heading with determination toward something that might be a dead end.

Did you know that for months I was telling the few people who knew about this plan that I was going to keep what I was doing a secret until I got at least the first month of the hike done? I don't really like all this publicity when I haven't even done anything yet. What if I'm headed for a dead-end corner, or a bad fall (did the mouse climb down, or did he tumble to injury or death?). A literal bad fall could do in the whole plan. (Nimblewill Nomad, who just completed the AT at age 83 admitted that he fell down a lot, but luckily never hurt himself badly)

So the little mouse has been on my mind since early summer. I know that the trail itself is not a dead end. It's in lots better shape than the last time I walked it. But there are lots of kinds of dead ends one could be traveling toward without knowing it.

On the other hand, I'd rather be traveling than thinking about dead ends.

In other news: I've officially dropped 5 BIG ITEMS. There are 3 left. They should all be finished tomorrow. Two are close, but are each missing one piece that will be completed with the errand run. The third item is just a matter of how much more I can get done. So, I'll get to cross it off no matter what. I did 13 small ones today so far. Sue came and helped today. Stacy is coming tomorrow. Monica will stop after work to see if I'm in good shape. ONE more day!

I'm going to say this a couple of times. I have the equipment to blog from the trail when I'm backpacking. However, none of that will work if I don't have a cell signal. There are places in the Manistee National Forest- where I am starting this hike- where there is NO service. If I manage to plop down in one of those, you won't hear from me. DO NOT GET WORRIED. If I can't blog at night, maybe I can at least put something on Facebook the next day. There are people hiking with me each of the first 5 days when I'm backpacking, and after that it's all day hikes through the winter.

See Pre-Hike Supporters

The Call of God

  Here we go with another philosophical post about my quickly approaching attempt to hike the whole North Country Trail. I warned you there would be more posts like this, and this is one of them.

Why am I doing this hike? As a person who puts a lot of mental and spiritual energy into doing what God wants me to do (although I don't talk much about this, it's central to who I am), I have to be honest and say that I don't feel any particular "call" to do this hike. OK, the trail is calling me, and I want to do it. But does God want me to do this specifically? No clue. Being honest here, we humans don't get too many knocks upside the head with God-directed two-by-fours. We ask questions, we pray, we sometimes decide that when "doors are closed" the meaning is that we aren't supposed to do something. Every once in a while God actually reveals some really specific direction to take.

But... no heavenly head smacks about this hike. No voices in the thunder or whispers in the wind. No direction from this bird in North Dakota in 2007 near the end of my last NCT Quest.

But here's what I can tell you. "The call of God is portable." I stole that line from someone within the past month. The problem is that I didn't write down who said it, so I can't credit it. But it's a great line. You don't have to have a specific vocation, avocation, recreation, or spouse to do the will of God.

Micah 6:8 is often quoted-- and with good reason. "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Everything we require to know the will of God is right there. Justice = truth. Mercy = grace. We need to embrace, exhibit and celebrate both. And how should we conduct ourselves while being just and merciful? We aren't to get a big head about it all. The minute we start thinking we are just or merciful or humble... we probably aren't. And walking with God-- like right WITH God-- that's how we stay on track for all of the rest of it.

The song "Somebody Bigger than You and I" says "He lights the way when the road is long, and He'll keep you company. With love to guide you He walks beside you."

So, I'm taking this portable call of God on the trail- 4800 miles. I think that counts as "long." I'll be thinking a lot about walking with God and walking a lot to think about God.

Meanwhile, the sky cleared after some rain this afternoon for a brief October moment of beauty!

In other news: I worked on the trailer ALL DAY because it's the last nice day there will be for a while. (this included a trip to the store with Cathy's vehicle to return some sheets of product that won't work, and get something different that will) Sigh... didn't get as much done as I'd hoped, and I still don't get to cross anything off the list. 34 BIG ITEMS and 23 small ones to go. 41 days left.

See Choices

It's Almost Always the Little Things

 
Had a good sales day at the Shagway Arts Barn vendor event. But I want to tell you one little story. OK, two.

One of the other vendors, Chris, had seen me eyeing little drink cozies that she makes. We met a couple of years ago at Shagway, and have often participated together in work days out there, and sales events.

I don't like drinks in cans, and I don't need more stuff, but not only does the barn motif appeal to me, the colors and everything about it just strikes me as pleasing. Now, these are very reasonable, and I could certainly afford to buy one. I told her I was thinking about buying one to use as a pencil cup. I have been using an old tin can. Well, she gave it to me!



This is the epitome of the saying, "In a world where you can be anything, be kind."

And this inspired me to clean off my little chairside table top, above.

Chris makes lots of nice quality craft items for sale. Here is her booth from last month. She's on the left and her sister, Jan, on the right. Look her up at local craft and vendor events.



My other little story is from the booth on the other side of me. Dixie was lovin' up to her human mama, Amanda. Dixie also gave me plenty of doggie kisses and snuggles. She was a real sweetie.



These are nice reminders that although once in a while there is a big event that makes us joyful, it's usually just some little thing. This is what "My Quality Day" is all about.

Thanks, Christina and Dixie.

PS, and Ellen, because that little patterned towel I have on that table to catch drips or whatever, was a gift from her a couple of years ago.

	See Trail Work Day
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