The rewards of Spring and Walking!

I've mentioned several times that last year when I started walking (to lose weight), the main thing that kept me going out there every morning was the chance that I might see deer or rabbits or other kinds of wildlife, as well as the beautiful sunrises and sunsets (when I walked in the evening also). 


When I started taking my camera on my walk, it became more like an obsession! I was afraid I would miss something so I kept walking until the snow got so deep that I couldn't make it for a mile and then the ice made it dangerous. I took some wonderful photos and I've posted some of them previously on the blog for you to enjoy.


Now it's Spring again and I'm out there every morning looking for signs of Spring and renewal. It's been a long, cold winter in Michigan and the smallest thing can either make or break my day! The first thing I noticed this morning was that things are starting to fill in...the buds are spreading out and filling the spaces between the twigs that have been bare all winter.

I decided to look more closely for bird nests since in another week they'll be totally hidden. I can't believe how lucky I was today! The first thing I saw was this tiny little nest. I swear I looked inside and didn't see anything, but when you look at the photo, it looks like a little beak at the bottom of the opening, doesn't it?


I may go back later on today just to make sure! It's hard to tell how big (or small) it is so I took a few more to show the comparison with my hand.

I just have to figure out whether this is a new nest and eggs have not been laid yet or an old nest from last year. I've never seen an actual hummingbird nest before (in person). Since I've found live web cams on the internet, I've seen every kind of nest and eggs and new baby birds from  hummers to eagles!

A few more feet down the trail and I saw a bigger nest perfectly encased in a pretty thick overgrown area. It was very difficult to get to, but I finally got my camera up high enough to take a picture. At first I thought it was empty so I continued on my walk, but then on the way back, I saw a robin come out of that thicket so I decided to try again.


The robin stayed close by and was making a single chirping noise instead of the regular beautiful song, so I thought this must be a newly constructed nest and I wanted to get a picture of it. 

This picture shows how thick those branches were and I'm really surprised I even noticed the nest. Of course, to get my camera up high enough to get a shot inside the nest I couldn't see what I was shooting so it took quite a few shots before I got this one. Obviously, it was empty so I don't know what made me keep trying for a new angle! I was standing on a muddy, almost verticle hill and must have looked crazy the way I was trying to get close enough without getting stabbed in the eye with those branches!

Well....I was rewarded for all my efforts! For my eagerness to get out there and walk every day, for making it through a rough winter and not giving up, for slowing down and paying closer attention...AND for remembering to have my camera battery charged!! :) I would be amazed if I'm still able to see the nest once the babies are hatched once the leaves have wrapped the nest in privacy, but for now I am just grateful for today's adventure!

Losing weight is NOT easy at 61!

Back in 2002 when I was 52, I decided to go on the Atkins program to lose weight for the Minnie Pauz Meltdown Cruise. I lost 55 lbs. in about 3 months and felt wonderful! I managed to keep the weight off for about 2 years and then gradually started bringing more carbs into my diet and by 2005 I had gained back about 30 lbs.

Then I quit smoking (on March 1, 2005) and decided it was too hard to try to watch my weight until I was a committed NON-smoker. Well...to make a long story short, the last 4 years have brought me to the point where I know if I don't do something now, I will never get it under control again.

I did manage to cut out sugar and bread for all of March, but I find myself slipping again and having things I shouldn't, because I lost about 2 lbs in the entire month! I have a machine that I use about 3 times a day to get my heart rate up, but what I really need to do is walk, walk, walk!

By the way....the woman in this cartoon is NOT MINNIE! hehehe.....it's one of her friends. No one, not even myself, have ever seen Minnie's face

Since I don't have the self-discipline to do it right, I've decided to sign up for a ZUMBA class. They actually have them for us older gals who may not have done anything strenuous for quite awhile! That's me!! I'm going to blame it on all of you because for 10 years I've been sitting at this computer working on the website and trying to get you all laughing!

The other thing I'm going to try is NutriSystem. Those ads on TV and seeing Marie Osmond looking SO good now has inspired me to give it another try! My son and DIL both lost weight on it and honestly, the pictures of the food (read "ice cream sandwich") has finally gotten to me! :)

If any of you have tried this or any other program, (my final effort will be Weight Watchers) let me know by posting. Everyone is different and I know it's my own fault for letting things slide the last 4 years, but as always, hearing about someone else close to my age who turned it around will inspire me!!

A few years ago I said I was going to be super healthy when I turned 60...hmmm, I'm not there yet! Ihave psoriasis, sleep apnea and psoriatic arthritis, plus I'm overweight and totally out of hormones so I have quite a challenge in front of me to be "the best me I can be"!! But, as I said, I'm not ready to give up. The women in my family live to their mid-nineties so I don't want to be sitting around for the next 30 years and not be able to enjoy it! Wish me luck and give me some encouragement!

Need more traffic!! :)

Hey!! Did you notice I just posted YESTERDAY? See, I'm getting better already and there's still one more day before 2008!

So, I was looking back over my recent posts and now that I'm building momentum, I think I'm ready to tell the world about my blog. I really want some comments on what I'm writing each day!! It's hard to tell if anyone is out there, stopping by, reading my blog? Part of the challenge is to hit on a topic that resonates with one or two people and then have them tell someone else and on and on until it's VIRAL!!!

I realize I have to get focused first though. For the last several years I haven't been able to narrow it down. I've gone from menopause to Minnie Pauz and cartooning, to middle age to being a grandmother, to ...... well, it's just all over the place and until my main voice comes through or I say something really controversal, I'm just going to be another blah blogger.

That's it for today folks. Need to go cook dinner for my son and his oldest son, Tye, who is 12 1/2 and knows EVERYTHING! The one I gave a cell phone to for Christmas and he's since decided it's not what he wants regarding the type of phone or the program. Maybe I'll just put arsenic in his mashed potatoes...the little ungrateful.... Oh well, he's just a product of his environment, isn't he? Kids today feel so entitled.