Category Archives: Scout

Still Here

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Greetings, friends. I just wanted to pop in and say I’m still around even if I haven’t been present here for some time. My days are currently more mentally taxing than normal and the thought of writing even one more paragraph feels like too much most of the time.

This is a season and not a permanent way of life even though it does feel like it will never end.

My No Spend Challenge kept me mostly at home, resting, reading and turning inward this winter. That’s officially done now but I unofficially haven’t changed much. It’s an act of self preservation at this point but Adventure Season will start in about six weeks and I’m looking forward to it. There are several day trips I would like to take, some new-to-me bookstores and diners and maybe some longer adventures too.

Life will eventually return to normal and I’ll get back on some kind of writing schedule here too. I actually have a ton of travel stories to tell you from last fall but simply haven’t had the mental energy to do it.

Last November I announced that I wanted to hike as much as possible this winter. I had big plans for hitting the local trails.

And then reality set in.

The weekends were too harsh for hiking with frigid temperatures, icy trails and hazardous road conditions that kept us away. Then the snow melted into mud and ice. And then the wind moved in, making it unsafe to be under trees where a falling limb could land on your head at anytime. And then the rain came, ushering in a period of flooding.

Such is life in Ohio.

I did get to walk the Moonville Rail Trail a few weekends ago and then made it to a nearby trail at Old Man’s Cave in the Hocking Hills yesterday.

Fresh air and a good stretch of the legs will change your outlook on life.

The wind is back today but it’s about 65 degrees right now so I turned off the heat and opened a few windows to air out the house.

Sunday is always a reset day for me. Laundry, a little food preps and some small chores help to make the week go more smoothly. Some rest, reading and lots of hydration will help me feel like facing it.

I like habit and routine to keep me honest. I like adventure days for keeping me happy and fulfilled. I also believe in listening to my body and mind and in giving them what they need especially when in a season of challenges.

Through it all Scout has remained my steadfast companion and perhaps the only one in my life with no demands other than dinner and no judgement of me except when dinner is late.

We all need someone like that in our lives!

Go forth and adventure when you can. Dream of better days when you can’t and remember that rest is importantly to feeling well enough to face your day.

I’ll be here taking it easy and gearing up for better days!

A Good Supervisor

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Life here has been exhausting lately so I really didn’t welcome the time change and the lost hour that came with it this weekend.

Since I was already tired, yesterday was not the ideal time to rearrange my living room. After all, I had been procrastinating this project for some time. It clearly could have waited one more week but I decided that this was the day.

You don’t realize how much is packed into a room until you have to move it all.

But I wasn’t alone! This guy supervised the entire operation. He kept a watchful eye as I pushed a 150 year old steamer trunk that I use as a coffee table and tugged the couch across the room. He wasn’t sure what was happening at first but quickly discovered there was great fun to be had.

In fact, it is possibly that Scout rode on every single piece of furniture and rolled up area rug as they were dragged, pushed and otherwise forced into position.

He weighs seventeen pounds. I didn’t need the extra weight but who can say no to that face?

He’s a good little supervisor.

Noisy Place

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This world is an awfully noisy place for a quiet soul. I am constantly reminded of this to the point I wonder if the world ever gets tired of its own nonsense.

If you ever wonder how I’m doing there are two ways to tell – the regularity with which I’m writing in my free time and the state of my refrigerator.

If I’m writing every day and my fridge is reasonably clean, I’m doing great. When I go missing from this space and the fridge is out of hand, send help.

There’s nothing wrong other than my inability to time travel or to add hours to most days. Everything is fine but my work and volunteer commitments have been demanding enough that any kind of creativity or even reading has been too much to ask. Even poor Scout has been deprived of attention.

I tell you that to say this.

Life happens in seasons. This part of the year is challenging because it needs to be. Another six weeks or so and life will go back to normal.

Maybe your season is even more challenging than mine. Maybe you don’t know when it will end. Maybe you fear it never will.

I bet it will if you give it time.

Personally, I have shifted out of the winter cocoon of reading and soup into a kind of survival mode where dinner is sometimes cheese and crackers while I watch the Andy Griffith Show. It’s fine. Everything is fine.

Easy and gentle, steady as it goes. The only way out is through. This season won’t last forever. Last night I cleaned out the fridge. Today I write. Tomorrow maybe I’ll read. In a month or so I’ll start planning some spring adventures.

Difficult seasons won’t last forever. Give yourself some grace and do what you can. Everything is going to be fine.

And when the world is too noisy, be sure to protect your quiet soul.

Around Here- February Edition

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Around here, we are solidly in winter and it’s a real winter unlike some recent ones where there’s been little snow. It’s cold AND snowy right now. I like the snow but dislike waking up on these subzero nights to run water so it doesn’t freeze. Keeping the bird feeders full has been something of a project as well. My feathered friends are desperate for nourishment in our frozen world.

Around here, work is keeping me occupied and is occupying my thoughts outside of work hours too. It’s that time of year and I have to remind myself that this too shall pass. Consequently, I’m throwing all my energy into protecting my own mental health.

To that end, I’m spending a lot of time curled up with a blanket and a book. In fact, I’m about six books ahead toward meeting this year’s reading goal. Don’t be impressed though. I’ll soon start falling behind. When the weather warms up, I’ll be out adventuring instead of home reading. I’m savoring every word and every page right now, grateful there are so many smart people out there who write good books.

I am thoroughly enjoying my reading and quiet as I chip away at the book stack that’s now occupying a good chunk of my dining room table. It’s a visual reminder of all the amazing books awaiting my attention and a reminder of how much I enjoy the written word.

Around here, I’m also enjoying the sixth season of All Creatures Great and Small. This is not a reboot of the original tv show but a reimagining of the amazing stories written by author James Herriot. Set in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales in the years leading up to (and now at the end of) World War II, this show is quite literally the only thing I look forward to seeing. It is a tragically short season of just seven episodes. It’s one of those shows that I will watch and rewatch because it’s simply that well done. I once heard a critic refer to it as slow tv, an annoying but apt description as the show focuses on the people and animals rather than explosive one-upmanship like so many other modern tv shows.

Around here, slow tv is a welcome part of my attempts at slow living. Those slow living efforts are made easier by the continuation of my No Spend Challenge. This continues to go well and be fun but I’m suddenly very tired of deciding what to cook and feeling like doing dishes is my full time job. I know this is just a phase but I sometimes think how delightful it would be to just order pizza.

Around here, Scout has been cozying up in the strangest places, finding warmth and comfort wherever he can. He’s a funny guy and a good little companion who is thrilled to have me home more this winter.

Around here, I’m snug and happy in my snow globe world, thankful for my job and all the comforts it brings to my life -even if I’m in the midst of a rough patch.

And as always, I believe that having things to look forward to is a key to happiness so I’m working on making sure that I have plenty to anticipate including a weekend away with my Pittsburgh pal this spring.

Around here, life is pretty good.

Sleeping Late

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I slept late this morning.

Yesterday started in Colorado at 3:30 am. One short car ride, a flight, airport train ride, another flight, airport shuttle, and rides in two more cars brought me to my Ohio home on the ridge by about 8:30 pm.

Easy peasy!

As I turned down the bed, I couldn’t shake the sensation I was still in motion. Luckily, Scout curled up next to me and I was out like a light, sleeping through the night for the first time in longer than I can remember.

When I awoke this morning, I knew I was home before opening my eyes. The sound of the heat pump and even the feel of the bedding are unmistakable elements of home.

And when I opened my eyes, Scout was sitting at my right arm, staring at me. It’s hard to tell how long he was there. He didn’t make a noise and wasn’t asking for anything.

He just sat there watching me as though confirming I was really there. I scratched his ears and he settled in next to me for a nap.

I tried to go back to sleep but the dry nose I always bring home high western elevations made that impossible. But I have stayed in this spot, hurkle durkling for a while and luxuriating in the solace of my own home.

This is partly for me and partly for him. While he didn’t go on a journey, he’s had a rough week too. My parents take good care of him but that’s not the same as having me there and he doesn’t understand where I go or why I would want to leave him.

Our pets are our family but we sometimes have to leave them. Whether it’s for a few hours or a few days, they are left alone and wondering why you left in the first place.

They miss us. He misses me. It doesn’t hurt me to lie here with a stuffy nose for a while longer just so he can luxuriate in the moment of having his person home.