Lesson From Our Trekking Poles

Photo of MJ and Rog admiring the rugged face of a cliff at Grandview State Park in West Virginia, circa 2007, courtesy of MJ

In the years before hubby Rog and I entered the exciting, crazy busy world of parenthood, we spent many a weekend hiking and exploring several state parks and popular hiking trails in West Virginia.

We were quite the impulsive, rather reckless adventurers back then. Anytime the urge to hit the rugged trail struck, we would lace up our hiking shoes, throw some snacks and a few bottles of water into back packs, jump in the car and zoom on down the road to the hiking destination. We didn't care about compasses, flashlights, GPS units or even trekking poles. All we cared about back then was that we got to the trail as fast as we could! Then we would walk briskly, single file down the rocky, sometimes dusty path, telling stories and laughing as we went, drinking in the beauty of nature like bumblebees savoring sweet nectar from flowers. Forget all the important hiking equipment! We were two young people simply thrilled to be hiking in the great outdoors! That's all that mattered to us back then.  

Photo of MJ and Rog at Sandstone Falls, courtesy of MJ

Well, one day, while hiking the Forks of Cranberry trail in Monongahela County, West Virginia, I lost my balance while Rog and I were speedily making our way through the first part of the trail - a very rocky section. Without a trekking pole or even a simple, makeshift hiking stick to help stabilize my footing, I fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, twisting my left ankle in the process. Rog was by my side in a flash. As he helped me sit up, I remember a streak of pain shooting up my leg. I groaned as we inspected my injury. The ankle was starting to swell and turn colors. There was no way we could finish the hike, we decided with heavy hearts. Thankfully, we were just minutes away from the beginning of the trail, where we had parked. I was able to hobble back to the car with Rog's help.

Photo of rhododendrons, state flower of West Virginia, along Forks of Cranberry trail, courtesy of MJ 

That incident served as a wake up call for us. I realized, during the time it took my sprain to heal, that if I had been firmly holding a trekking pole in my hand the moment my foot rolled on that rock, I would at least have had some kind of support, something to hold on to. And even if I had fallen, I would most likely not have fallen as hard. Or I might not even have fallen at all. 

So off we marched to Wal-Mart to buy our first trekking poles. And let me tell you, they made all the difference the next time we took a hike! I noticed our trekking poles helped us establish a walking rhythm, they cut the amount of stress on our legs and joints, specially on downhill hikes, and they definitely gave us better balance and footing! Those trekking poles made crossing creeks and rivers so much easier and safer. We would use them to push back briers and clear overhanging vegetation from the trail. Once, Rog even used his trekking pole to poke a black snake laying in our path! It took off in a hurry, and we were able to resume our hike. Today, we couldn't imagine hitting the trail without our trekking poles!

Photo of 6-month pregnant MJ hiking at Brushfork Falls, courtesy of MJ

Sometimes I think buying a house is a lot like taking a hike in the great outdoors, in terms of the thrill. I'm talking about the excitement of having YOUR VERY OWN PLACE. The joy of turning the key in the lock, flinging the door open and saying to yourself, "Yes! This is MY home!"  

Many active duty soldiers and prior service veterans enjoy the benefit of living in their own homes through a VA loan. But the reality is, a lot of them have to deal with high interest rates and monthly payments, things that throw a damper on the thrill of being a homeowner - much like those rocks that littered our path at Forks of Cranberry, that caused my little injury and put an end to our hiking escapade that day. 

Now, the Streamline Refinance Program offers these veterans and active duty personnel fast, simple, hassle-free refinancing SUPPORT, which brings to mind the support trekking poles offer us during hikes. See, Streamline Refinance, a government-backed mortgage loan, assists countless people in saving thousands of dollars a year! Anyone who has an FHA loan or VA home loan is automatically approved! 

VA Streamline Refinance supports homeowners in  refinancing their current VA home loan, allowing them to take advantage of reduced interest rates. And who wouldn't want lower interest rates and monthly payments nowadays? 

I think active duty and prior service veterans who continue to make the same high monthly payments on their homes, with the  sky-high interest rates  (when there are other options), could be likened to hikers attempting to conquer a challenging trail unprepared, with no proper equipment ... with no trekking poles.

I wised up after my little mishap at Forks of Cranberry. We never leave home without our trekking poles now, even for the simplest of hikes. In the same way, I believe homeowners should wise up and check out the Streamline Refinance Program. It's the easiest way to save money on an existing loan! 

Photo of MJ by Little Beaver lake one fall, courtesy of MJ

Visit Streamline Refinance website  to find out how to get DD214 forms. Friendly representatives will provide you with a crystal clear and honest picture of how much you can save.

Swing by their web site and let the savings begin today! 

- by MJ

Ape Cave Lava Tube, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Mt. St. Helens Above Ground, viewpoint from the South

Ape Cave is a 2,00 year old lava tube that was formed by a basalt lava flow from a vent on the southern flank of Mt. St. Helens. From Mt. Rainier, we drove South to Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Coming from the North, the visibility was very poor because of fogs and very clouds. We did not have a glimpse of Mt. St. Helens at all even at their view points from the North and West side of Mt. St. Helens.

@ the mouth of Ape Cave Lava Tube, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic National Monument

If above ground was all foggy, we went below ground then at Ape Cave. Ape Cave Lava Tube is in the south side of Mt. St. Helens. It is the longest lava tube (12,810 ft ) in the contiguous US. Last summer 2009, we also hiked in a similar lava tube cave in California, which is Subway Cave near Lassen Volcanic National Park. 

close to the entrance of Ape Cave

Exploring Ape Cave

It was not only dark inside Ape Cave, but it was also chilly and breezy, with a temperature averaging 42 degrees Fahrenheit ( 5.5 degree Celsius). We went down several flight of stairs inside the cave.

For more about Ape Cave Lava Tube Natural History, please visit the site here.
After Ape Cave, we continued our journey South to Columbia River Gorge. Surprisingly, if we did not get a glimpse of Mt. St. Helens at the North and West side, we finally got a glimpse of Mt. St. Helens when we were further South.

Mt. St. Helens from the South

It was a big treat for us to be able to see a day as clear as this, when the past 2 days where gloomy for us. And if felt so great to be able to see what is underneath Mt. St. Helens as well at Ape Cave Lava Tube.

Stonewall Peak

on top of Stonewall Peak, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, San Diego County, CA

These are some of the pictures from our hike last Sunday at Stonewall Peak. It was a beautiful day, sunny, blue skies, not so cold, not so warm (in the low 60s), just perfect for hiking. The trail meanders through gentle switchbacks, supposedly with old growth black oaks, sycamores and coniferous trees. However, all these were burned in the last 2003 cedar fire, which I mentioned in my Lake Cuyamaca post 2 weekends ago. 

trail meandering through burned forest

Vegetation however is recovering, some new branches are emerging prettily mixing with burned branches.

Life Continues On

The dead trees however for me reveal still a beautiful past, though their limbs barren, but they speak deep character of how life continues leaving us with beautiful images despite it may have passed away.

Completely Barren Trees, however, new life are slowly sprouting around it

The last section of the trail is on an exposed ridge, but it does have steps and a handrail for safety.

Steps To the Peak

For those who may think hiking is boring, climbers may consider rock climbing routes to the summit. At the top, one can take in the rolling topography of San Diego County.

Rolling Topography Seen from the Top of Stonewall Peak

There is no Pacific Ocean view at the top because looking West, the much taller Cuyamaca Peak blocks the line of sight. Below Stonewall Peak is the Lake Cuyamaca.

Lake Cuyamaca

Parking for Stonewall Peak hike is at Paso Piscacho Campround, and had a blast observing the acorn woodpecker making sounds on top of the trees, hiding the acorns on the hole, flying to get more acorns, and flying back to their granary tree.

Acorn Woodpecker with a acorn on his mouth (notice the many acorns on the hole of this

pine )

There were just too many of them, flying back and forth, making sounds as they peck the woods, only that it was so difficult to take them a picture since they were so high up in the tree, the sun was right above, and our lens was not very good for zooming since we don't bring zooming lens when we hike because of the weight. Hopefully when we get a chance to go back there, we will bring the right zoom lens so we can have better picture of these happy birds. Because it was not so easy to take a picture of the woodpeckers, I instead focused on the beautiful sky which seemed to be whipped gently by clouds.

the black dot you can see on the sky is not dirt from lens, it is a flying bird :)

Anyway, we had a beautiful day at the Cuyamaca Mountains, and the day ended beautifully for us as well by the sea.

From the Mountains to the Shining Sea, we had a beautiful day

Happiness in a jar (or tube!)

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

Photo of MJ, Rog and Teyla at Brushfork falls last October, courtesy of MJ

I fell in love with Brushfork falls the first time I laid eyes on it.

No, it wasn't huge and thundering like the mighty Niagara. Brushfork falls in Mercer County, West Virginia, is way, way tinier than that. But there was something about the falls that caught my fancy the first time I quietly sat beside Rog on a huge water-polished rock a few meters from where the water plummeted over the brink into a frothy pool below. Perhaps it was the sweet silence - aside from the rushing sound of the falls - that hovered over the area like a giant, cotton candy cloud blocking out the sun on a blistering hot summer day. Or maybe it was the fact that the miracle of spring was taking place all about us the day Rog and I first visited Brushfork. Green was slowly, magically taking over the landscape. Robins were chirping in delight from the treetops. I was 7 months pregnant with our precious baby girl, Teyla. And it was just me, Rog and the waterfall that day.

"We have gotta come back here someday," I told Rog as we sat on that rock by the falls, the cool mist dampening our faces. "I want our baby girl to see this place." Rog squeezed my hand and nodded in the stillness, "We will, hon," he said softly. "I promise we will."

Fast-forward to fall of 2010. We decided to keep our promise and show our bouncy, bubbly 16-month-old Teyla the magical Brushfork falls one fine Saturday afternoon.

We left our vehicle at a parking area about a thousand feet from the falls, loaded Teyla into her Jeep stroller, then set out pushing her down an old road to the falls. Alas, maneuvering a baby stroller down a rugged path abundant with huge rocks and ruts, loose stones and roots sticking out of the ground proved to be a bigger challenge than Rog and I had anticipated. And what a bumpy ride for poor Teyla! Instead of reaching the falls in just a few minutes - the time it took us to reach it in the spring of 2007- it took us over half an hour! And that was just to get to the top of the hill overlooking the falls. The next challenge was to carry Teyla safely down the hill via a narrow dirt path that the rain had washed out in several places.  

Thankfully, the 3 of us made it to the base of the hill in one piece and breathed a sigh of relief as we took a seat on the old, flat rock Rog and I had sat on in front of the falls the first time we were there. "Look at the falls, Teyla!" we said to her, amused at the way her eyes widened with wonder as the white wall of water roared and crashed from 25 feet to the dark pool in front of us. "Woo! Woo! Woo!," went little Teyla, waving her little arms in delight as a little breeze blew some mist from the falls in our direction. I remember sitting on that rock that fine sunny day with Rog by my side, Teyla in his arms, Brushfork falls doing its thing, the whole place to ourselves, and thinking, "This must be what Heaven's like!"

Some good things never last though. Teyla started to get cranky after only about half an hour by the falls. We tried to cheer her back up by showing her rocks tossed and turned in the river's waters until they were round and smooth, some even flat. Rog took a few and skipped them across the water. Normally, Teyla would have clapped her little hands and laughed out loud. But the spark had disappeared from her eyes and, instead, she fidgeted and pulled at the back part of her pants. After a while, she started to cry. We said goodbye to the falls then, set her in her stroller and pushed her down the bumpy path back to the car, which is where I made an alarming discovery while changing her diaper.

Her bottom was an angry shade of red. No blisters yet, but it looked like some were on the verge of breaking out. I realized, with a sinking heart, that in our haste to get out of the house that day and make it to the falls before it got chilly, I had failed to apply the diaper rash cream we depend on, Boudreaux's Butt Paste. Extended contact with a soaked diaper during the bumpy trip to and from the falls was what I suspect caused Teyla's rash. I immediately cleaned her up, applied a generous amount of Butt Paste to the inflamed skin, and put a fresh diaper on her. Then I sent a silent prayer up to Heaven for the cream to work wonders on Teyla's discomfort.

Thank God and thank you, Butt Paste! The next morning, I got up to the blessed sounds of Teyla hollering happily from her crib. She was all smiles and bouncing up and down - a tremendous improvement from the fussy, crying baby by the falls the day before. A quick check showed the diaper rash was almost completely gone! Thank you indeed, Butt Paste!

Photo of a diaper-rash free Teyla riding her trike few days later, courtesy of MJ ****

Now, anytime we go out with Teyla (which is pretty much 99 percent of the time), I always make sure and stick a tube of Boudreaux's Butt Paste in my pink diaper bag.

I love Butt Paste for the following reasons: I can buy it in two convenient sizes - a jar, for leaving at Teyla's changing station at home; and a tube, for taking with us when we go out. I like that Butt Paste is easy to apply and easy to clean off, unlike other leading diaper cream brands that almost take an act of Congress to remove. I also love Butt Paste's pleasant scent.

Most importantly, I love Butt Paste and have been a big fan of it for more than a year now because it provides effective diaper rash care for Teyla. At the end of the day, that spells HAPPY BABY! And we all know that a HAPPY BABY equals a HAPPY MOMMY!

Photo of a happy Teyla playing outdoors, courtesy of MJ **** 

Visit their site to receive free samples of Boudreaux's Butt Paste, and know why I always say, "Thank you, Butt Paste." - by MJ

Sandpipers

Sandpiper In Flight

Sandpiper and its Mirror Image

another "kissing its image" shot

Partners

Separate Ways

More Sandpipers

These are shots I took Sunday at San Diego River Estuary near the Dog Beach at Ocean Beach, San Diego. A lot of birds can be seen in this "where the river meets the sea" stretch, most common are the sea gulls, sandpipers, egrets and herons. I however will talk only about sand pipers in this post and save all the other bird pictures later.

Sandpipers are one of the commonly seen birds in San Diego coastlines. It is a joy watching them playing with the water's edge, they tend to play and chase the waves at the beaches. These are migratory birds, however, I see them year round in beaches here, bays, and estuaries. They are very social birds since they tend to really flock together and oftentimes with coordinated movement. Unlike the gulls, they do not attempt to steal your foods :) instead they are so focused on finding their meal underneath the sand and water.

The Prize of Hiking

I love hiking, it is my most favorite form of exercise to stay fit. I am glad to be living here in San Diego where I can hike after work. They are so near, yet they look far. It is within the city but it does not look like part of the city.

Who would think that this sight is part of this city pictured below?

One of the joys of hiking is knowing I am fit to hike. I exercise my heart, my legs, my body, and above all, my mind and spirit. Seeing the beauty of nature reminds me of the wonderful presence and brilliance of our loving God. It is a time for listening to myself, to my breathing, and a very precious time for feeling God's love. Hiking brings us out of the doors to take in fresh air, to breathe in the healing gifts of nature, and breathe out whatever stress we get from our daily work. It is my hope to continue hiking even when I get very old, and hopefully not to rely on simvastatin to keep my health on top of the Healthline.

Hiking releases stress, no material competitiveness, no pretensions, just pure joy in admiring the serenity around you. Hiking is a nice escape after a day's work, or a stress buster during weekends, and a perfect time to feel God's loving presence.