Never Quit on a Bad Day

Today, the photography landscape was rich with opportunities.  It just goes to show that the Universe is always preparing the next great thing for your life.  It’s a reminder to me to be just a little patient and give the Universe room to work her magic.

When transiting cities, I always have my eye out for interesting art, and today was no exception.  On our way through South Buffalo, I happened to glance to the right, and this beauty of a mural caught my eye.  I asked Dad if he minded a quick one block detour, and that little side trip ended up being the highlight of the day!

As I was working out the details on how best to capture the sweep and colors of this mural on the side of the Irish Cultural Center in the heart of the South Buffalo Irish Cultural District, Dad popped into the Tara Gift Shoppe across the street in search of some postcards to mail.

While he didn’t find any postcards, he met some new people, made some new friends, and was able to share his pride in his grandson’s accomplishments in competition Irish Dancing.  Outside guarding the packs, I stumbled upon this Claddagh Mailbox that seemed to capture the character of the neighborhood….steeped in history, beautiful, vibrant, and welcoming.

Just  little farther down the path, we came across acres and acres of fields exploding with dandelions.  I know I’ve thought of these beauties as weeds in the past, but the sheer scope of the yellow blankets of blossoms challenges that characterization.

I’m reminded by a friend that dandelion greens are edible, and they’re actually being sold at Whole Foods.  She suggested those facts were a good reason to forage in your yard, and I wholeheartedly agree. Foraging in the yard will be far more economical than foraging at Whole Foods.

After the rains and wind in the face all day yesterday, today’s experiences proved the wisdom of never quitting a quest on a “bad” day.  A good day is right around the corner, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity. Keep grinding.

Jay -- May 11, 2019

We've now walked 5 days straight, total of 75+ miles since my "list" corretive actions in Rochester.  No evidence of the "list" has been observed: either posture or discomfort.  Our total mileage since leaving Newport RI exceeds 520 miles.   That is important to me because while working with my fitness  "guru"
Josh M (for several months) prior to starting this adventure I advised him I had/have 3 objectives to which he was/is a contributer:   to become fit enough to  1)  initiate a 3200 mile walk;  2)  complete a 3200 mile walk; and  3)  live to reach 120 years with fitness.   I think our 500+ miles walked is evidence that Josh M and I have achieved objective 1) -- fit enough to initiate a 3200 mile walk.  We're now working toward objective 2).  While it remains to be seen, early indications are that it is realizeable.  Less I be remiss in giving credit where it is due,  I also engaged in yin yoga as part of the preparation -- that under tutelage of Deana O.  This training has also been a major contributer to the measure of success I've experienced.  THANK YOU, Josh and Deana

Rain, Wind, and Lunch

Between the rain in the morning that lasted till about ten am, the west wind that picked up just after the rain and blew in our face for the rest of the afternoon, and the long march through the industrial suburbs of Buffalo, NY, there weren’t too many stunning opportunities for great photographs today.

The one notable exception was this gem that I caught at Two Guys Pizza on Walden Avenue in Lancaster, NY.

I like to think Dad is saying to himself, “Did I order THAT?”  Whatever he’s thinking he seems to b contemplating the advisability of ordering a pulled pork pizza with a topping of coleslaw!  I can tll you with certainty that I didn’t read the menu very carefully when asked if I thought this was a good idea.

“Sure.  Sounds great!”

Truth be told, this ugly pizza was really quite tasty.  I’m still gonna pay much closer attention to what Dad recommends for lunch from here on out.

Truckin' Along

Today we followed up yesterday’s twenty mile effort with a seventeen mile effort.  My new shoes that I bought at REI are breaking in, and my feet feel pretty good.

We traveled from Batavia to a little campground just outside of Corfu, NY.  On the way into town we came across an electric line servicing company with a painted line reel out at the front of their drive for decoration.

I really love the creativity of my fellow humands.

I’m going to wrap things up early tonight.  I’m pretty tired, and we have amptjersolid day tomorrow planned.  We’re aiming to be out of New York and finally into Pennsylvania no later than a week fom now.  We’ve got some miles to cover to make that vision a reality.

Dad’s tilt has not returned.  If we make it tomorrow without issue, I’ll be prepared to say that we’ve solved the problem.  More to follow, of course, but we’re on track and picking up momentum.

A Good Test of the Solution to Tilt

We covered a little over twenty miles today between Caledonia and Batavia, New York.  The work that John did with Dad at the REI in Rochester seems to have been quite effective at banishing the demons of tilt.  We’ve got a sixteen or seventeen mile trek tomorrow, and if that works out alright, I’ll be prepared to declare the tilt issue with Dad resolved.  Once again, we’re optimistic, but we’ve got evidence to back our optimism this time.

Dad and I stopped by the JELL-O museum and gallery in Leroy, NY to take in a little bit of JELL-O and Americana history.

The ladies running the museum would not let me leave without making sure I was outfitted with a JELL-O baseball cap.  Bright orange for safety, and I absolutely love it.

Dad continues to cut up and play his role as the mad photo bomber.  I messed up his antics in the photo above. Take a look at his face.  That look of surprise. It’s supposed to be there because he’s “accidentally” impaled himself on a big orange road cone.  Unfortunately, I cut the road cone out of the picture, so the full effect of his misbehavior has been lost.

The point is, he’s still being creative and having a great deal of fun with his photo bombing role.

Time to get some rest.  The final test of the back and a long day tomorrow awaits.

Back on the Road - Avon to Caledonia, NY

Not a lot to report today really.  We wrapped up our business in Rochester and headed south to Tom Wahl’s Drive in at Avon, NY to pick up the trail where we left it on Sunday.

We headed west on US 20 and NY 5 in a cool, steady rain and hiked just a little over eight miles to Caldedonia, NY.

Once we arrived in Caledonia, the sky cleared up, the sun came out, and spring revealed herself in all her glory.

First Presbyterian Church - Caledonia, NY

The chiropractor and High Priests of Backpacking at REI seem to have worked their magic.  Dad’s tilt did not return today, and we’re optimistic that we have addressed the issue to the greatest extent possible.

Tomorrow will be the real test.  We’re planning to cover a little over nineteen miles and arrive in Batavia.  We’ll see how it goes.

Getting started again after a day off the trail is a challenge for me.  I’m always restless when we’re idle, but I somehow feel just a little lonely on the first day back on the trail.  It’s a really odd reaction, and I don’t know why it happens. It is pretty consistent.

I’ll be back to my old grouchy self tomorrow, and we’re gonna grind out the distance.  We’re also going to look for interesting things to visit along the way.

Just the Sunset, Man....Just the Sunset

Sometimes you think the conditions are lining up for a truly spectacular sunset, and the clouds roll in and put a damper on your expectations.

Still, a lovely evening.  Temps are finally warming up, and as I was sitting on the edge of the canal, someone on the trail above asked, "Are you catching anything, man."

Erie Canal - Rochester, NY

"Just the sunset.  Just the sunset."

Back to the trail tomorrow.

The Price's in Rochester

As Josh (Benjamin) has mentioned, we diverted to Rochester:  my "list" was becoming more persistent and more severe. It was becoming a problem that needed resolution -- llke many problems, ignoring them and "hoping" they'll get better sometimes just does't work.  In my opionion (I know a few things because I've seen a lot of things), this was /is one of those situations.  About 7-8 miles into the day, it was apparent to me that we needed to address, analyze and resolve an approach to resolution.  I could see several potential causes: 1) physical limitaions of my body's capability;  2)  backpack fit/adjustments;  3) recovery time for major muscles stress.   Or some combination of those, and/or other factors.   So, it was obvious that pressing on was, at best, counter-productive.   Another option was for Rory to "cash it in.".

With REI being present in Rochester, we decided to get professional evaluation of the suitibility and use of the the pack I had purchased at REI in Plano.  John, the REI employee in the backpack section, immediately observed that I had problems with both the "mounting" and adjustent of the pack.  But his initial action was to validate that the pack was indeed sized properly.  It was.  He then proceeded to instruct me land demonsrate how I should be putting it on and adjust it properly.  It appears item 2) has been addressed.  I visited a chiropractor.   He checked and made minor adjustments, determining that alignment was satisfactory, and I had no locked joints, including the load- bearing pelvis.  So, the spinal aspect of item 1) was satisfactorily addressed.  We will have gotten rest for about 30 hours to facilitate muscle recovery, item 3.  Tomorrow we'll undertake an 8-9 mile "test walk" to evaluate my situation...As in much of life:  "C'est le guerre !!"    Jay

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Dad's been having some trouble with his pack that we have been collectively unable to resolve. It has been trying to pitch him over sideways and throw him onto the ground.

Today, after a very tough seven mile hike from Lima to Avon, NY, we cut the walking day short, caught an Uber to Rochester,  and paid a visit the Mecca of Hiking to get some help from the High Priests of Backpacks.

Dad leaving the Temple of All Things Outdoors - The Demons of Tilt Successfully Exorcised

After about thirty minutes of evaluation, assistance with adjustments, packing suggestions, and weighing of the possessed pack, John declared that he'd thoroughly exorcised the demons of tilt.  Balance and uprightness of spirit and walking had been restored.

Dad says the pack feels a lot better, and he suspects this will go a long way toward resolving the issue.  We're going to get some rest before heading back south to pick up where we left off.

Since we found ourselves in Rochester with an afternoon to kill, we visited Qdoba and ate a burrito.  It is Cinco de Mayo, and we have reason to celebrate after all.