Success - 1st Phase Completed

 

Song:  Peace Train

Artist:  Cat Stevens (Yusuf)

(I was in junior high school when this song came out.

It reminds me of an innocent...

and very happy time in my life)

The other day...

my elder sister had asked me why I hadn't used a bolt cutter 

to sever the extra thick buried wires...

of which had dramatically slowed my digging progress.

I hadn't even thought about it...

but when she mentioned it to me...

I decided to get one the next day.

The following day...

I drove to Walmart in Woodland Park to pick one up.

Walmart is just one mile beyond Safeway...

another favorite food shopping place of mine.

Pikes Peak's peak is covered by the clouds.

I love driving to and from Woodland Park...

and Colorado Springs.

The drive is just so beautiful...

and I drive with all of the windows open...

with my hair being tussled by the wind...

and with me singing to my playlist...

not only for my pleasure...

but for Bandi's

(well, okay...maybe Bandi doesn't like my singing...

come to think of it...

perhaps that is why she likes sticking her head out of the window  :)

The temperature was in the mid to high 60s F (18-20 C).

The air was so fresh...

and as usual...

I put on my playlist and sang the whole way there and back.

I had also stopped by Arby's once again.

I got two Gyros.

They are just so good.

I love this Walmart.

It is very clean and organized.

The staff and the other people who shop there are polite and friendly.

As I drove home...

I just had to take more photos.

I have such a good time driving through the countryside...

I just love the ever changing clouds.

The Cripple Creek Mountain Community Center is pictured here to the left of center.

It is three miles from home..

down the mountainside.

Just behind it in the open field...

is where the music video was filmed

(Four articles prior to this one).

The clouds began to darken the nearer I got to home.

Later that evening...

there was a large and voluminous thunder storm.

It had rained into part of the night as well.

I so loved the Pad Thai that I had made a couple of days ago...

that I had again made some (before it stormed that night)...

but this time...

I doubled the amount made.

It tastes just as good warmed up later.

This morning I began digging once again.

This is the bolt cutter I had bought the day before.

It had clipped right through the wire with hardly any effort.

I positively zoomed through all of the wire...

and I was able to dig out the tree stump without further frustration.

Finally!

The heavy rain the previous night had proved to be fortuitous.

It had not only greatly softened the ground...

but it had demonstrated that the dug out portion had lots of drainage.

(although I will still provide other means of drainage...

as Japanese Maples need extra drainage).

Tomorrow morning...

I will go to phase II.

I am going to use the hand drill auger 

to provide vertical and horizontal holes...

to not only ensure plenty of drainage...

but to provide places for the tree roots to easily take hold.

Phase III will be filling the hole with a combination 

of pebbles, humus rich soil, and backfilling with the previous soil...

all mixed together...

 planting the Japanese Maple...

and then...

topping it off with a thick layer of mulch.

Phase IV will be the winterization of the tree.

But...

that will be in a month or two...

depending upon the extent of the night time temperature drop here.

What a hassle! 

But...

I feel so good having finally completed 

the most difficult portion of the planting preparation. 

After the tree is finally planted...

I am going to resume my weeding.

All of the bushes and the remaining weeds along the walkway will soon be gone.

Before I got sunburned...

I sat in the shade on the second deck to catch my breath...

and admire the views...

before calling it a day.

My view from the computer station in the loft...

as I began typing up this article.

Later on...

for lunch...

I am going to warm up a large helping of Pad Thai.

Next month...

I am going to order a plentiful amount of Thai Green Curry paste.

I will be adding a large amount of chicken and shrimp to the dish...

along with Shiitake and tofu.

I will then never have need to go to another Thai restaurant again.

----------------------

Pretty soon...

the Aspens all around the mountain will be a luminescent yellow.

Once the colors become vibrant...

I am going to take a video of a long trike ride I will undertake with Bandi running alongside

(I have a special 360 degree video camera which I will attach to a long pole...

of which will be attached vertically on the top horizontal pole of my trike seat).

I will...

of course...

be taking photos as well.

--------------

My 9' tall Christmas Tree arrived last week.

For this year...

and this year only...

I am going to put it up for my first year anniversary of my moving here.

September 17th...

that is when I will put up the Christmas Tree and light it up.

For all of the other years...

I will wait until the end of October or November...

depending on when the first heavy snows begin.

---------------

I have spoken so much before of placing carrots in life...

short...medium...and long term.

Life...

for me...

is so wonderful.

I love each day...

only because I have always placed carrots before me.

There is always so much in which to look forwards.

I love eating...

and so, I am gradually improving my cooking skills.

I love improving my surroundings...

and so...

I make progress in my home projects a little each day.

I love exercise...

and so...

I do so on a regular basis.

I love pursuing my personal passions and hobbies...

and so...

I make progress in those...

 a little each day.

I love being surrounded by nature...

and so...

I plant for the future.

I am very much looking forward to watching my trees grow...

year by year.

Yes...

deferred gratification is a necessary part of life

(some things you don't have to like...

you just have to do).

However...

an even greater way to live is to master self-motivation.

To be pulled towards passion...

instead of being pushed by discipline...

is to always be happy.

To be in love with your visions of a better future...

provides you the drive to achieve them...

and...to live a self driven life...

is to truly live.

And most of all...

appreciate what you have...

especially that of all of the great simple pleasures in life.

-----------

Right now...

I am dancing in my chair to the sound of...

'Going To Make You Sweat'

(and no...I will never do such moves in public.

I am an even worse dancer than I am a singer  :)

The smallest things in life make me so happy inside...

only because I realize that optimism and realism are one and the same...

if you but act on the optimism to make it a reality.

Looking at the clouds through the cathedral windows from the loft...

feeling good for having completed phase I...

 looking forwards to eating Pad Thai for lunch...

and depending on the evening weather...

a sunset ride to the top of the mountain.

These are just examples of deeply appreciating 

all of the great simple pleasures of life.

-----------

Blame no one else for your life.

You alone...are responsible for it.

Things you cannot control...

are not your worries or sorrow.

Things you can control...

are yours to dream of...

work towards...

and achieve...

and to then fully enjoy for the rest of your life.

Simplify your life so you may concentrate on your goals.

Rid yourself of all negative influences...

walk bravely through the fires of hell...

knowing all along that the lower the temporary lows of life

(and yes...

they are temporary)...

the higher the highs 

(of which last a lifetime).

Slow down if you must...

but never give up

(know when to shift to a lower gear to prevent stalling).

Create win-win scenarios in life.

Defeat death by living and loving your life fully...

and by leaving behind a few words of wisdom for future generations.

Just Another Day

 

Song:  The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Artist:  Roberta Flack

This is one of my favorite songs for deep reflection.

It is a piece of musical magic.

  In my mind...

Roberta Flack...

is the Queen of Soul.

Yes...

there were many brilliant vocalists...

but no one could sing from the depths of the soul nearly so well...

as could she.

-------------------------

During a normal day...

I usually work on at least one project for the day.

I will then make something to eat.

In the afternoon...

I will sometimes take a nap.

And I will finish up the day...

either with another work project...

or I will exercise...

shower...

and then practice some music.

------------

This morning...

I had awakened shortly after sunrise.

In order to work a little longer in the morning...

I started digging once again...

but this time in the shade of my house before the early morning sun shined down

where I was working.

The air was cool...

but I was soon to get a little heated  :)

I have made little real progress due to another set of buried obstacles.

Buried in the dirt...

completely surrounding the roots of the tree...

is a cage of thick and strong wire.

I can only assume when they had built the home...

and placed many large boulders of granite as a base 

for the inclined walkway to the second floor...

they had put the granite boulders into this strong wire cage

to hold them together as they lowered them down from a loader.

I cannot chop through the tough metal with my axe pick or shovel.

And...

every few inches...

I must reach down into the hole to slowly cut the wire 

through a laborious set of incremental clamp downs.

This vice grip has a wire cutter on the very inside of the jaws.

However...

it is a long and drawn out process to sever just one wire...

and the ground is filled with them.

I have to clamp the jaws down with just enough leeway 

to make an indentation...

and then release the jaws so I may rotate the jaws limiter only about 

one tenth of a turn at a time...

and then repeat this process eight or so times before I can finally get through

just one strand of this particularly thick and hard wire.

I have given more than one tiger roar out of frustration.

I so want to complete this to get my Japanese Maple in the ground...

but...

I must be patient.

I can only proceed a few inches at a time as I dig...

as I try to get the dirt out through only partially filled shovelfuls between 

the frustrating cutting of the wires.

This is going to be even tougher than I had ever imagined.

But...

I also realize that it will make the tree all the more beautiful every time I look at it...

for the rest of my life.

Everything in life that you must really work for...

is much more appreciated.

After getting out of breath...

and reaching my limit of patience...

I called it a day before the sun fully came out.

I will just keep working at it on a daily basis...

sometimes...

twice a day

(Early morning...Late evening).

As I lay in bed catching my breath...

I heard Bandi giving a light growl.

I got up and proceeded to the great room...

whereupon I had seen Bandi staring out one of the windows.

There was this male deer (Buck) just outside

(you can see it just above Bandi's right ear in this photo).

The deer just stared at Bandi for a short while before turning uphill

and trotting away.

Bandi often looks out of the windows at home.

She loves to guard the property.

I then got a cup of coffee and headed up to my usual place to drink it...

at my computer desk up in the loft.

When I do this...

I will then check my email and other websites I frequent...

or I will just listen to music...

and sit back and enjoy the view.

----------------

If you will notice the brown rolled up object on the blue cloth in the previous photo 

(it is a rolled up sheet of thick un-dyed water buffalo hide).

It may sound crazy...

but...

it plays an important role in dental health.

Now...

let me explain...

bones...

no matter where in the body...

must have periodic stress in order to keep them strong.

The bones of the lower and upper jaws

are what hold the teeth in place.

Many seniors start losing their teeth...

not only because of poor dental hygiene

(you must brush and floss after each meal or snack)...

but because of a lack of bone stimulation.

Most of modern day foods are too soft.

Our facial bones don't get enough stimulation to keep strong.

And so...

I periodically bite down on this rolled up water buffalo hide...

and shake it around by pulling out on it...

pushing in on it...

and then rapidly shaking it from side to side.

Yes...

it is exactly what you are picturing in your head.

It is just as if I were a dog bitting down on a rawhide chew as its owner

plays with it by trying to pull it from its mouth as the dog's head moves about...

up and down and side to side and all the while growling playfully...

while using its full body weight as it pulls rearwards...

as they play tug of war.

This human 'rawhide chew' is shaped in such a way

as to provide a full and even bite of all the teeth at once

(bite down on one end).

However...

the goal is to not repeatedly bite down on it...

but to securely bite down once...

and hold on to it with the force of your bite

as you waggle it using one or two hands forcefully around...

as if you were playing tug of war with someone else on the other end.

And...

yes...

if I am feeling frustrated...

or just feeling playful...

I will repeatedly arrr...arrr...arrr...

just as a dog would...

while I pull and waggle it about as I bite down on the hide :)

If you have loose teeth...

just proceed gently at first.

Eventually...

your teeth will tighten up as the bone fills in...

and the ligaments tighten up

(it is not just the vertical force...

but the lateral forces which will strengthen the teeth 

and the supporting structures).

This is what the body does...

it adapts to stressors.

Do not use dog rawhide chews.

They are too hard and can damage your teeth.

Un-dyed water buffalo hides are soft enough to bite down hard...

and sink your teeth into...

for a firm and even grip.

They sell these hides at hobby stores or online.

Be sure to get the un-dyed ones.

And...

most importantly...

always remember...

if it is good for your body...

you are not wrong in doing it...

the world is wrong for not doing it.

(and conversely...

if it is unhealthful...

it is wrong to do...

no matter what the world tells others.

It is not beautiful...it is not hip...

it is simply wrong to do).

-----------------

Bandi and I then lay down on my bed for a while.

I then got up and made another batch of yogurt.

I use one serving of the previous batch as a starter for the new batch.

After thoroughly mixing everything together...

I stage the empty containers to be filled.

I turn on the yogurt maker to 100 degrees F...

and set the timer for 40 hours.

The whole process takes less than 15 minutes...

from first mixing the milk...to filling the yogurt maker...

and then cleaning up.

I usually do this once a week.

As I was getting hungry...

I decided to make Pad Thai for lunch.

I made 3 servings using half a pound of cooked and shredded chicken...

and one pound of shrimp.

I then stir fried them.

As I was boiling the water...

I added dehydrated onions.

After the water started to boil...

I added the rice noodles.

After a few minutes...

I strained them.

And added the noodles...

...and the sauce packets.

I then stirred them together and fried them some more.

I then added some spicy peanut sauce and ate a large helping.

This was the first time I had made Pad Thai.

Although it wasn't so good as at a quality restaurant...

it was still very good...

and quite filling.

I then rested in bed until near sunset.

I took Bandi running as I triked to the top of the mountain.

From across the street...

I saw that the cloud cover went to the horizon...

and so...

the sunset would not be particularly beautiful...

but...

Bandi and I still went just for the exercise.

There are some major forest fires a few hours west of here...

and the smoke from there filled the air.

On the way back...

I saw some Aspens starting to turn colors already.

At night...

the air cools down to the 40s.

The full colors from a majority of trees still shouldn't turn for another month or so.

I took a hot shower at home...

and I then practiced some guitar.

This was just a sample of a day at home.

There are some days I will take Bandi out for a country drive...

or I will do some shopping...

or...

on some days...

I will work all day on projects.

But...

for the most part...

many days are like this one.

I will do a variety of things throughout the day.

I usually keep the projects spread out...

so I don't become burned out on them.

I keep them short enough so as to keep them fun to do.

If I get tired...

I will just take a nap.

On some days...

I will just binge watch a favorite TV show...

or watch some movies.

But...

I try to work on at least one project a day.

------------

As it is getting late...

I will now go off to bed...

and watch a show until I get sleepy.

Tomorrow...

I hope to work on digging a lot more...

however...

we are supposed to have some late afternoon showers...

and whenever that happens...

I usually just take a nap to the sound of the rain...

even though the showers only last an hour or so.

But...

as always...

I work at my own pace...

and I always keep it fun.