It's such a beautiful, wonderful place. The news can be so ugly, so awful, so depressing that it becomes easy to forget the beauty of this place.
For this Sunday morning......
Nebraska from above. The video continues after the first one, the highlights.
And Montana from above.
Blessings of the day to you.
21 comments:
Those two videos were very enjoyable. There are some beautiful places in this country once you get off of the beaten track.
Haz...of course the video of Montana is my favorite. As many times as I've spent 2-3 weeks there wandering around I never fail to find new wonders. A state with a wide variation in terrain, parts of it plain (literally) and others with awesome mountain formations. I see the pulmonary folks Monday, as well as the oncologists, and my first question will be is the remaining COPD reduced enough to make spending time from 5,000 to 10,000 feet manageable without stupid risk? I just need to get back there sooner than later. The whole point of electing for stereotactic radiation
treatment was to retain as much lung as possible. Had I elected for surgery, after the second go round I'd be missing an entire lung and that would end those trips.
Footnote: Somehow (uh, why just me?) I made the local newspapers for the treatment I received....so I posted one as a link to show others that there are viable options for facing cancer. I'm very pleased they did not show the photographs of the treatment in progress with my white fish belly body on full display :-) Really irritating to lose on average 2 inches from shoulders, arms, legs, etc. to cancer effects, and have the weight return as a pot belly. Soon it is off to the gym for me....if I can conquer the "lazy."
The mountains are calling and I must go.
--John Muir
Beautiful! Montana in the summer - where I'd like to be...
@Aridog - That's all very good news! And the article was no doubt encouraging for others who have a cancer diagnosis. Nice to see a photo of you, as well.
We did a two-up motorcycle ride in the Rockies a few years ago. Someone suggested we buy an inexpensive O2 bottle to refresh us at upper altitudes. It worked well. We took a few brief breaks for O2, and didn't get the usual headaches at higher elevation.
Clearly inspired by Disney's "Soarin' Over California" ride. Jump to the 2 min mark for the ride. Disney did a good job on the walls along the queues, honoring the men and women who pioneered mechanized flight. We never miss this ride at California Adventure when we go.
And Haz, the "Cars" Route 66 ride was designed with you in mind.
@Haz: Clearly, one of these is needed at the summit of every well-travelled mountain.
Business opportunity?
Great news, Aridog. These battles come and go, so always stay a happy warrior. It all makes life a little sweeter. The primary battle is just keeping that idea strong in your soul.
I didn't realize Nebraska had that much verticality. I thought it was was all flat.
Montana is amazing, and I always wanted to go there, if not live there. I just need that global warming to kick in.
I'm gonna make a point of getting there for a while in 2015, one way or another.
Keep the faith, Aridog.
I've been to Montana once. Years ago I worked for a small commercial office store in Denver as a designer and they sent me and another to the Air Force base in Great Falls. We were given clearance to be on the base but reminded that if anyone actually broke in that they end up with a boot on their neck and a gun in their face. I liked that story. Next day we had spaghetti dinner with the fire crew. It was an odd trip.
Anyway, Great Falls isn't very pretty at all, but the thing I remember most after stepping out of the airport was that the sky really IS big in Montana. BIG.
I'm glad you're in such good hands, Ari. Take care and small steps.
Haz, One of the qualities we share is we are glass half full dudes.
I'll be in Omaha tomorrow. Last year when I was there heading west the lead story on the local news was Peyton Manning using the audible "Omaha" 31 times in a game the day prior.
Ari, You are in my daily prayers. Thanks for the update. You too are a positive man.
God's country, pilgrim.
The glass must always be "half full" as bagoh20 knows (from a tougher deal than I've had), as well as AllenS (who has faced tougher conditions back in the day than I did), and Nick, Haz, April and everyone else here.
A glass half full coupled with hard work can make all the difference. It always does...
The opening scene - wow what mountain is that? As an mountain geek myself, I need to know. The ridge at about:35 reminds me of Scarp Ridge outside of Crested Butte CO.
Here's some great footage on the top of the trail to scarp. Nice payoff and the waterfalls along the way are killer. (not shown - but some other waterfall on the other side are fantastic as well.) amazing what the rocky mountains can do for your spirits.
Haz, One of the qualities we share is we are glass half full dudes.
Thanks for that, but I'm not a "glass is half full" guy. I think the glass is always full, no matter what. Part of it may be filled with liquid and part may be filled with air, but the glass is always full, at least that's how I see it.
I may not like the ratio sometimes, but nevertheless, the glass is full.
Haz...thinking about it, in retrospect, I agree with you. Full is in the yey of the beholder. Bagoh20 & AllenS have it right...loose faith in yourself and you are toast.
PS: I do think you are parsing the term at bit, but positively. Nothing wrong with that.
For the record, both of my follow up appointments went very well today. Lesion is turning in to a simple scar. Some pulmonary improvement as well...and more anticipated. That glass is now more than half full with a prospect of being completely full sooner than later. I suspect the Rx I got today for pulmonary rehab, in the Sports Medicine Clinic, will "cure" my lazy. I've been to Sports Med therapy before, for sports injuries,...those suckers don't take excuses. Well, that and Judi made it v-e-r-y she was going to be pushy about it as well.
Just for the record, I need also to add that I appreciate the good wishes of everyone here. I'd normally not talk much about my stuff, but her it seems rather safe. Thanks for that.
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