Feeling better

The pain in my derriere has finally gone away.  It is nice to sit and sleep without the pain!  I am still baffled as to what it could have been.  I have been riding my bicycle regularly and lifting weights a few times weekly.  I have logged 130 miles in the past six days and can feel it in my legs.

I have noticed that movement helps with minor pains and stiffness as I age.  I get stiff when I go days without working out, making it difficult to get moving.  I am sure there is science behind the experience, yet I am still determining the reason.  

I will be spending the entire month of November in Cary, NC.  My son and his fiance plan a three-week trip, and I will take care of their child (a dog named Lulu).  Lulu really likes me for some reason, so she will be okay with spending time with me.  I will also miss the first part of Minnesota's cold weather.  There was snow last week, yet it has already melted.  Yet, I am not missing the lows in the 20's and highs in the 40's.  When I finally get back, it will be 8 weeks away with my trips and babysitting times.

During this trip, my favorite camera, the Nikon D810, finally ceased working.  That is a long story, and replacement cost is about the same as repairs.  The repairs required are questionable at best.  Therefore, I have been looking at mirrorless options for a few years.  I have the crop sensor Fuji X-T2, which isn't even sold anymore!  Switching camera brands, yet the camera is not the a is not most expensive part of photography; it is the glass (lens). 

I have some quality Nikon lenses, including the Nikkor AF-S 14-24 F2.8D ED, Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR, Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR, and the Nikkon AF-S 50 mm F/1.4G.  Those alone are over $7,000 in quality lenses.  I also have the Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2, yet I use it very little.

Therefore, I researched for several weeks and was interested in the Nikon Z 8.  Yet the price was $4,000 with an occasional sale for $3,500.  All the literature and videos emphasized that the picture quality of the Nikon Z7ii was the same.  The Z8 offers much better focus speed.  The Z7ii retails at $3,000, however, I found it on a pre black Friday sale for $1,899!  I did need to spring an extra $250 for the FTZii mount for the old lenses, but that was necessary for the Z8 as well.  That helped me make my upgrade decision.  The focus speed requirement is less of an issue for what I do, and both are worth $1,600!

So now I will learn the new camera.  The initial images appear better than my D810.  The Z7ii DxOMark score is slightly higher, and Camera Decision scores the Z7ii at 78 and the D810 at 59.  I thought I may upgrade in 2025, so it was close to the planned change.

Carry on my friends, Carry on!

Gluteus Maximus Pain

I am not sure how, yet for the past two days, there has been intense pain in the right Gluteus Maximus. I can't lay on the right side; it is hard to sit, and walking is painful. There is no other pain in the leg, so I doubt it is Sciatica. It has been two days, and I am resting. My only strenuous workout was a challenging 26-mile bicycle ride with my son on Tuesday. The pain started on Thursday night.  Therefore, I need clarification on the cause.

I have limited my activity to short walks with Lulu. I am dog-sitting LuLu, and she is active. I feel bad I cannot give her the long walks she needs, but she seems to be satisfied and happy, so I am not concerned.

Lulu - Australian Shepherd

Tomorrow, I will pack for the next sightseeing trip. I will leave on Monday and travel the open portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway for a week. I hope I am timing the fall colors perfectly. Based on the estimates, I will see some magnificent colors.

Carry on my Friends, Carry on!

Vacation

I have been in the Smokey Mountains for the past week. Originally, I planned a two-week excursion traveling the entire Blue Ridge Parkway, but the Hurricane shut down the parkway and the planned trip. The hurricane spared the Tennessee side and a small portion of western North Carolina, so I had a shorter trip than anticipated. This week, I camped at Indian Creek Campground in Cherokee, NC. I stumbled upon the campground when my Blue Ridge Parkway Park Service sites were canceled.

The hiking was brutal at times. My legs screamed in pain through the night, yet I seemed to recover well. There were several hikes to the waterfalls. I also had the LONG uphill hike to Clingmans Dome! It was worth the hike, but I had breathing difficulty and leg pains! No regrets!

Although the colors could be better, I have had many photo opportunities.  (See below) 

I learned the first 200 miles of the Blueridge Parkway will be open.  So, I will visit my son for a few days before heading out for another week of sightseeing.

Until then, Carry on!

Voted

Shelley has been healing well and is primarily independent.  There are still some struggles, and things are slower, yet she is stable enough for me to head out on my planned vacation.  Therefore, I will be heading out next week for 55 days away.  As a result, I had to vote early. 

I was surprised but had no issue with the requirement to vote early.  I needed my driver's license on the application for the absentee voting process, and the worker verified the information.  Then, when I voted, I had to add my driver's license number on another document and provide it to the worker.  When I vote on election day, I say my name and address and sign a form to vote.  All this complaining by the GOP about early voting fraud, if there is a chance there was such an issue, no way would it be early voting, based on my experience!

Shelley cannot do much of the fall chores to prepare the home for winter.  So, I am completing all the tasks a few weeks early.  One activity is rodent (mouse) protection.  Over the years, we have struggled to solve the issue.  We use traps, yet the mouse is sometimes half-dead and suffers.  We use poison, but then they die and smell as they rot.  I found a new option on the web to be VERY SUCCESSFUL.  I set up two homemade devices and had over 10 mice the first night.  I have them set up in the garage and back patio.  It is simple, with a ramp and a can that rotates in the middle.  Lace the can with peanut butter and put a few morsels on the rail; it works GREAT!  One side of me said drowning is not a great way, but it seems better than poison and traps?

DIY Mousetrap

My foot is finally feeling a little better, with only occasional pain.  When I return, I will have a physician review the pain, but my tendonitis diagnosis seems accurate.  

Carry on my friends, Carry on!

Busy is nice

The past week was filled. Beyond caring for Shelley and my mom as needed, I had lunch with two past co-workers on the 25th. We went to Perk-Up Kitchen in Bloomington. I rode my bicycle to the restaurant and was happy to complete the 30-mile ride. This was my second visit, and I enjoyed the meal fully. I had the Chicken Pot Pie and then the BLAT Wrap. The prices are a little more, at $15-$18, but the food is well worth it!

Shelley had her surgery follow-up, and things are healing well.  She is walking with crutches and a boot.  She has completed one physical therapy session in which she focused on stairs.  She is happy she does not need to crawl up or slide down on the backside.  Her mobility is getting better quickly.

On the 28th, we took our mother to Applewood Orchard. She really seemed to enjoy the outing. However, when I saw her on the 30th, she had no clue we went to the orchard.  I had ridden the 34-mile round trip to visit her.  It was sweltering and windy, so it was a hard ride!

Today, since Shelley is doing better, I was able to take some photos.  The birds are migrating, and there may be a great opportunity.  Images are below:

Until next time, Carry on my friends, carry on!