Last Saturday recollections.

This is a picture taken a week ago, tomorrow. We went hiking with Steve and Mary in the Wichita Wildlife Reserve. That was the day we called 'Elk Day," even though we also saw buffalo, deer, longhorn, and prairie dogs, not to mention various birds. This particular place is called the 40 foot hole because of the 40 foot drop. It's been a dry year, evidently, because there is normally water flowing here where you see the gray at the bottom. Don and Steve and I hiked around even on the rocks in the bottom of this creek bed. We've never been able to get in this creek bed because the water has always been too deep and rushing. It was cool to hike around down in there. The issue came when I got into position to take this picture. I wanted to go down to the gray rocks where I could easily walk back to the side on the left where we entered this area. Don thought we could go over these pink rocks you see on the front and right and climb down there; then go along the gray rocks to the right until we could cross over the gray rocks in the middle. He really did that. I got to where he went down and got scared because my legs are shorter than his and I didn't think I could make it. I was also squeamish about getting along those gray rocks on the side. Somehow my chemo brain convinced me that I should climb up over the rocks on the right and come back down the grassy part you see up on the right and top. Steve and Mary and Don were all on the left hand side coaching me along the way. Obviously, I made it, but I look back at this picture and know that I suffer from chemo fog. It was sure fun to do. I guess lots of people my age ride motorcycles and I climb around on rocks; we're all crazy.

So, this week the local news ran a piece about how this great weather we've had has been great for hiking in the Reserve, however, 12 people have been killed (from injuries, not shot or anything like that) over the last 24 years and two had to be rescued last Saturday! YIKES! That's when we were there and I was climbing around like an idiot! I thank God that he has protected us all the times that we've hiked at the Reserve. Many times we've been lost, but we always found our way.

Today was another awesome day for walking and sunning. It's great to be outdoors in weather like this.

I'm throwing herbs tonight to get us through another couple of weeks. Soon I'll have to do a bunch to take to Hawaii. Ugh. Right now I'm just doing a couple of weeks at a time.