Summer Stuff and Some Encouragement

A little over a week ago we had the summer solstice on June 21. This was the longest day of the year; now the days are getting shorter in the northern hemisphere where I live. Onward toward fall! I've included a picture of the sun peeking up over the trees in my backyard, taken that Saturday morning about 7:30. That's the farthest northeast it will rise for a good while. 

We've already established that I'm a nerd about these things. On to other things.

The week of June 15th was unbearably hot, getting to the low 90s in the afternoon. I walked mornings when I could, but even then it was in the low 80s. I've included some pictures of the campus, up by the buildings, and the more wooded trail at ASU, which was a little cooler on those days because it was shadier.

Last week we started having more rain again, so at least it cooled off some. I had to walk at Cooper Park several days because they were getting the ASU campus ready for the annual Red, White, and Blue celebration, held on June 28 and 29. I really missed my familiar trails, but it was good to have somewhere else to walk. 

We had a fireworks display Saturday night, and it was magnificent as usual. Pictures don't do it justice, but I will include some. (All the rest of the pictures will be at the end).

I have pretty much finished the front "porch" refresh. I will eventually buy an outdoor rug, and I am considering painting the front door, but for now I'm content with what it is. It's the best I can do right now, considering it's a rental. I like it. I feel like I'm sitting in a little garden when I am having my morning coffee. I especially like the blue wind chimes with the copper bells.

I'll leave you with some encouragement.

I'm still reading the Bible Recap reading plan for the year, and the passage in yesterday's reading is one of my favorites. In 2 Chronicles 20, where 3 surrounding enemy countries were coming against Judah and King Jehoshaphat, the Spirit of the Lord spoke through Jahaziel and told the king and all the people that this battle was not theirs, but God's. He told them to simply stand and watch the way the Lord came to their rescue. 

They watched as all their enemies turned on each other, and their enemies all killed each other. Every one of their enemies was dead, and it took them 3 days to carry the spoils of war back home.

This is really encouraging to me. Not only did God destroy their enemies, He did it knowing that Jehoshaphat would make a wicked alliance in the future that would displease Him. 

It's so hard to get my head around the love of God. He is kind and good to us even when we aren't. We certainly don't deserve how good He is to His children. We can never earn His love. 

Read 2 Chronicles 20 and the following chapter or 2. It's an amazing account.

Blessings to you all! 

"'You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you."

2 Chronicles 20:17 NASB

Rainy with a Chance of Walking

In my most recent post, I wrote about how my walks were in May and was thinking that we were probably headed into the dry, hot summer I've been dreading. That's not how the month of June has been playing out, though.

June kicked off for me with a concert by our wonderful Mountain Home Symphony on the afternoon of June 1. It was a blazing hot afternoon when I stepped out of the coolness of the Vada Sheid auditorium into a "sauna," a normal summer afternoon in Arkansas. I didn't walk that day because I couldn't bear the heat.

The next day I was back out there, determined to walk in the mornings when it wasn't cool but it was better than the evenings. I've attached some pictures of the beautiful days we had the first week of June. I think we had some showers here and there, but we had some nice days, too. I laughed at the "Happy Dog" art exhibit on the trail because someone had put a stick in his mouth, as you'll see in one of the pictures I took.

The rain intensified, and we had 3-4 inches over this last weekend. You can see in the pictures how high the water was on the trails; debris and tree branches were on the bridges over Dodd Creek. I still managed to get a walk in, every day but Sunday, June 15. The rain just never let up enough to get out there.

Yesterday morning, parts of the trail were completely covered in water, and you can tell by the way the grass is flattened how far out of its banks the creek was. It was still misting rain when I went yesterday; I knew it would get hot once it stopped raining. I was right; it was unbearable before my walk was over.

This morning was much better, though; 72 degrees when I started at 9:00. I walked as far as the "sitting dog" artwork today, which happened to be .86 of a mile. This was my turning around place. I'm still walking in the range of 1.5 miles daily, but occasionally I have good day where my back doesn't hurt, and my stamina holds out. I walked 1.72 miles total today without even meaning to. I praise the Lord for giving me not only the determination to continue my daily walks, but the physical strength to accomplish what He put in my heart to do. 

I am beyond blessed! I've included some pictures and tried to caption them so you know what they are. I've even put in a quick picture of my front porch refresh I'm working on. (It's not finished yet). I took this Sunday evening coming home from my daughter's in the rain. It had rained so much yesterday that some roads were impassable, but I found a way home.

Hope this is encouraging to someone who might need it. I know there have been many times I was grasping for something to lift my spirit. 

Be blessed, friends!

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 NLT

One Step at a Time

This post is just a look at what I saw and experienced on the trails on several days in late May; mostly so I can see this in a year or two or five and see how I was doing in May of 2025.

The last few weeks have been full of ups and downs, both in the weather and in my emotional state. The exercise and sunshine have done me good and yet I still have bouts of feeling almost depressed. I have managed to push through, but it has been tough at times. I think the key for me has been to keep going whether I feel like it or not. I'm not saying this is the answer, I'm just saying what has been my experience. I truly believe that God put the desire in me to do a daily walk for my health, and HE has given me the physical strength to do it. It's the only explanation, because I'm by nature a couch potato.

Before you start to tell me that in a state of depression a person sometimes is literally too tired to do anything, I know. I have been that person. That has been addressed in some of my earlier blogposts when I was just coming out of depression. It's a real thing, and I'm posting because God has brought me out of that state. I took antidepressants for many years and also had counseling. If you are suffering with depression, I get it. It is a real battle. Hang in there and keep on going. Pray, and God will help you.  

I've mostly been walking the path which goes under the bypass and eventually over to a small lake. I had not been going that far, though, until very recently. A couple of weeks ago I finally made it all the way to the lake, and it was 2.33 miles round trip (I turn around at some point when I walk this path; most times I don't go nearly this far before I turn around).

Love Birds

Small lake

The next day I thought I might be ready to do the "through the woods" trail (not really woods, but a substantial stand of mature trees), which is longer, so I set off for it by going up through the part of the campus where all the buildings are first and entering the woods through the entrance off Hwy. 62. I've included some pictures mixed in with the text. 

Entering the "woods"

Very hilly woods trail

This trail is a LOT of hills, up and down, both ways. According to the report from my watch, I climbed up and down 70 feet in elevation on this day. I wasn't really ready for this walk; it was an exhausting 1.76 miles.

I took pictures most days to keep track of how high the creek still was, because I'm a nerd and that fascinates me. On the May 21st walk, the creek was very robust, but the video won't post to the blog. Here is a photo of how it looked on May 25; still high.

Dodd Creek

I'm comfortably (somewhat) walking 1.5 miles a day as of the last couple of weeks. Occasionally I'll walk 1.6 or 1.7, but I'm not ready to commit to doing more than 1.5 for the next little while. I do intend to try the more elevated path again when I'm more conditioned to my current walking distance. In my defense, 1.5 miles a day is about 3 or 4 times what I used to walk in a day.

The problem now is, it is summer, darn it, which is not my favorite at all! I'm bathed in sweat no matter if I walk early morning or wait until almost sunset. I hate sweating, which is why I hate summer and am counting the days until fall. Only 2 weeks until the longest day, then we start getting shorter (and eventually cooler) days again, finally!

I have tried morning and evening, and I will try to walk in the morning whenever possible. It is much hotter and more humid in the evenings, and the mosquitoes have me on their menu as their favorite appetizer as sunset approaches.

So, that is how it is going. I'm trying to learn contentment, so I can enjoy all the seasons whether they are my favorite or not. I'm aiming for what Paul said: "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." Philippians 4:11 NASB. 

Notice I said "trying." I have not achieved it, but I want to be content. It's a lifelong process. Maybe this is not an entirely encouraging post; maybe it's more of a progress report. I'm improving, slowly. One step at a time.

Blessings, my friends.

The Art Trail

It was 69 degrees when I hit the trail this morning at about 7:30. The sun was shining, even though clouds were trying to cover it up, and it looked like it was going to be a nice day. 

I missed walking yesterday, due first to rain and then thunderstorms. I'm not afraid of rain, but I'm not going to chance being struck by lightning. So, I was determined to get out there today. I decided today I would take pictures of the artwork along the trail. I've posted some of them, but today I hoped to get them all, and I did, except for one that was too far off the trail to get a good picture. They are at the end of the blog and posted with the text on Facebook. 

It took a little longer to get to the end of the trail because I was stopping here and there to take a quick photo along the way, but today I got there! From where I generally start, by the north end of the parking lots off South College, I discovered that it is 1.1 miles to the little park and small lake, and apparently, the end of the trail. Then, I turn around and go back the way I came. There is another path that splits off the main one and seems to go to the other side of the lake. I will try that path next time.

There are other trails to take, too. I can walk up around the college buildings and through a wooded area as an alternative walking path. Getting to the end of the art trail was a goal for me, though.

Today, a new record for me: 2.2 miles! I was not even out of breath. 

As I have said before, I'm writing this to encourage others and to give the glory to God!  I'm NOT trying to brag on myself. If He had not enabled me, I would not have been able to start this walking journey. In fact, He even put the determination in me to do this! Back in March, when I was so defeated because I couldn't walk more than maybe a quarter mile without sitting down due to back spasms, something shifted in my thought processes. I suddenly knew that I had to change my habits of vegging out in my recliner if I had any hopes of retaining my mobility and independence as I age.

The clouds finally won and now we are expecting strong thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. I really do hate Spring because of the possibility of tornados. I'm praying we all stay safe today.

As promised, the pictures are posted here. I tried to caption them all, on Facebook, at least. It's harder and more time-consuming on Blogspot.

Be blessed, my friends!

"Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul." Psalm 54:4 NASB*

*Maybe the psalmist didn't have getting help from God to take care of his health better, but I think the Lord cares about my health, and He does help me.