Summer days

In March? Well, the aspens are budding, the snow is almost all gone, no rain means even the ponds are drying up fast, and it's hot outside.  Today the wind is kicking up and it is cooler than it has been all week.  The marshmallow will like that.  The heat is unpleasant for her.  We've been combing her out along the trail and donating the excess to all the critters building nests for the year.  They should be happy for all that soft fluff to cuddle their young. 

This week is moving week again.  I've repacked a number of things and am ready to get it all into storage.  I've been packing my backpack and it's a bit heavy at 20 pounds and counting.  So I will re-pack that as well and see if I can't get the weight down.  It makes sense to me to go light but how light can one get when it has to last for 3 full months!  I'm sure the technology is the worst weight abuser but I have to have that to be able to work on my classes.  I'm getting awful excited though and counting the days.  Soon me and the marshmallow and uncle will take a trip to the old country to clear my technology through customs before I fly outta here.  Then it will hardly be any time before I leave.  More excitement....

Every Day

I've arrived at a point in which it feels necessary to walk every day.  I hoped to get to this point all along.  I've been there before and I know how good it feels to do something physical every day.  If I don't get to go my body misses something and it is harder to feel the energy the next day.  That is not to say there are no rest days, but the rest days become fewer in a week's time.  I averaged 7 miles a day last week despite my shoes being worn out and causing my feet to be sore most of the time.  I'm hoping to increase that this week.  My new shoes came in and were too big - a funny thing since they were the same size as my other pair, just a different style. So I'm making my way in my worn out shoes and loving it every step of the way. 

Perhaps the nicer temperatures helps a bit.  It's been in the 50's to 60's as I am walking. The giant marshmallow and her excitement daily has pulled my right shoulder muscles so we are working on walking on the left and not pulling, but that is a hard habit for her to break.  I've stopped carrying a backpack for a while, till my shoulder feels better.  It is as likely that the walking is causing part of the pain also.  I've been stretching in the mornings again, and that seems to help.  The workout my legs get seems to affect my back all the way up and hence, latent shoulder problems from my rock climbing days is probably irritated, muscles are tensing up, and I have a great deal of pain after a day out on the road.  I'm trying to think of it all as an adjustment to this new lifestyle that will be part of my daily life for the next 5 months, at least.