I generally wear my Fitbit tracker all day with the exception of showers and when it is charging. It keeps me motivated to increase my steps and walking distance.
Here are my statistics for the year so far:
Steps taken 1,401,627
miles walked 615
calories burned 813,599
I only average 2-3 miles a day now thanks to some extra pounds and aging hips. (Check out Shakira's video, "Hips Don't Lie" for some real motivation).
Jack and I played golf with Mike and Patty C. Monday and my ever-reliable Cobra driver put the ball on the green on hole #6. It went downhill from there on. My nickname should be "no par Powell".
We binge watched the rest of Part 1 Season 4 of Ozark and highly recommend the series if you get a chance to watch it. No spoiler here, but after every episode we comment "Things can't get much worse". Oh, but they can.
The best news today is the return of Javier the cat after a 5-day absence. I was afraid a coyote had taken her. Clipper the Queen Bee did another walk through of the house. She is becoming quite comfortable with us and will let me pet her.
Salem is almost 18 years old. Look at those paws.
We feed four cats every day. They are wild, feral, and most feral cats never become socialized or domesticated. Their basic need is food, water and survival. They generally have miserable lives trying to survive. We have suspected that one of the cats, Clipper, is not actually feral, but was dumped in the neighborhood, probably pregnant, and suddenly had to fend for herself. She has been a talkative cat exploring the garage and the house. This morning, while I was feeding them, she rubbed up against my arm and then let me pet her. Truly a sign of her trust. Jack and I have learned so much in the past year about the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) programs nationwide and are so happy we can provide a better life for at least four of these guys.
I'll end this sharing that the L.A. Zoo received $90,000 in donations in Betty Whites name. That is amazing.
We made it to Arizona this time with no traffic issues like the mess we encountered in November.
Spent the night at Gary and Suzy's gorgeous, huge new home and had a great dinner at their club house. Lots of laughs and adult beverages. Jack helped Gary install the new TV in his Man Cave while Aisha, the pup supervised. Suzy had a dish of flavorful strawberries and chocolate waiting next to our bed. Gary had fresh brewed coffee waiting for us this morning. I rate this a 5-star accommodation!
I had to take a picture of something I'd never seen before, but think is an excellent idea. Underground garbage cans! No worries about racoons or the wind.
After dinner...where is Gary?
The underground garbage can. What a great idea!
Some really rough weather in the Pacific NW as many of you reading this are well aware of. I keep tabs on the weather in Tacoma, Shelton and Palm Desert. I occasionally peek at the weather in Montana and Idaho just to see what I'm missing.
The picture here of the huge crack in the road on Highway 302 is near Victor, Mason County. It is what we call the scenic route to the Shelton cabin and runs along the water.
This morning, we had a shock when Queen Bee Clipper the Cat strolled through the garage into the house and proceeded to investigate every room. Of the four cats, she is the most socialized, curious, and definitely the in-charge boss of the group. Best news of the day was getting a message from our friend/neighbor Brenda that she would continue to feed the cats next Summer.
The weather is warming up. Suppose to be 80 on Friday, and upper 70's all next week.
Fourteen years ago, Jack flew up to Seattle and we hitched my little Ford Ranger to a U Haul and headed South. We were reminiscing that we didn't hit any bad weather on that trip to California. Giant tumbleweeds flying by on I-5 were another issue, but we avoided any accidents. Quitting a job and leaving family and friends behind in Washington was a major leap of faith for me but I have no regrets. Life is good.
Today we'll be heading to Agua Caliente Casino Sports Bar to watch the Seahawks play the Arizona Cardinals.
