Fall is a beautiful time in New Mexico.

Hiking the Sandia's.

Backing in my hiking days, I used to go  up the Sandia's to the TWA crash site. It wasn't an easy hike, filled with slips and going over and under fallen trees along the way. A good 4 to 6 hour hike. I've lead groups up and back. If I'm able to get back in hiking shape again, this is the hike I'm most looking forward to doing. The other hike on my bucket list is to do one more hike down and out of the Grand Canyon. 

I've always considered myself in "good health" when it came to good hard stressful adventures. I never considered myself a wimp, for I loved a good challenge. 

To some, hiking doesn't sound too stressful, or much of challenge to those that haven't done it. That is the way I used to think until I did my first hike down into the Grand Canyon. 

I did it with the wrong size of boots, no pre hike conditioning, and caring 30+ pounds of equipment and food. And not knowing that we'd be hiking for 8 hours just to get down to our campsite. That first hike had me hooked. Hooked so bad that for the next 10 years, whenever I heard of another hike being planned, I was there. 

That was a life so long ago. What we have now seems like a place holder. We do the same things day in and day out. Life goes on, and where it leads us day after day doesn't matter, for we always end up in the place we started from, home. 

Monday

Last night, I tried something new, put her to bed in just pullups. Kind of an experiment to see how she does. Sweetie is and has been for a long time, at a point where clothes don't mean anything to her. Like an outer skin. She walks, talks and sleeps in what she is wearing. Constantly reminding her to take off her shoes before she goes to bed at night. 

She used to get uncomfortable if she wasn't wearing her shoes, now she is adjusting to the point where if she isn't wearing them, it is OK with her. Because she doesn't wear socks, I try to get her out of her shoes as much as I can. I worry about athlete's foot becoming an issue. Funny isn't it, how such small infections become big worries at this stage of life. 

She is up, and dry. Time to get the morning duties out of the way, so into the bathroom we go. Letting her sit on the potty now for about 10 minutes, just sitting. I hope that she will become comfortable there and her body will do what it is meant to do. Only time will tell. Today, we got a small turd out and for me, that is a beginning. 

With fall coming on, I put two shirts on her, one short sleeve, and one long sleeved. Because we are heading out to the golf course, I don't want her to get cold, so the layer dressing is called for. 

On the course, fall is everywhere. Some of the trees have turned gold almost overnight. Fall is a beautiful time in New Mexico. 

The Rio Grande River runs through the town. We have the Bosque that has cottonwoods, willows and olive trees. This is the time when they are showing off their fall fashions. From the westside, we can watch the canopy go from green, to gold, to rust and then brown. Right now it is at its peak of colors and soon will fade away. 

I point them to Sweetie, and she smiles as I tell her that God is doing His painting. Dipping His brush in the gold and then painting the trees. She hasn't forgotten this most beautiful time of year. 

My game started out in my normal fashion, 3 over after the first two. Then came the streak of pars, and a birdy. By the time we came to the ninth hole, I was just three over. If I parred the ninth hole, it would of been my best round ever. 

My pulled my tee shot left, short chipped, yet was still able to putt from the fringe. I can see me bogging the hole with a two putt and save this magnificent round. It wasn't meant to be. Ended with a 7, and all I could do is laugh. So goes life. 

After the game, home for lunch and a nap for Sweetie. Had some bank business to attend to. Adding my name onto our groups account, and removing the last Treasurer's name. It isn't as it sounds. I first phone, got instruction and then got the paper work for my sit down in the bank, ready to get this all over and done when the banker informs me that the last treasurer has to sign the copy of the minutes of our last business meeting. The person on the phone, to my best recollection, never mentioned any signature. Being prepared in my mind that there would be something else todo, I calmly wrote myself some notes, and we departed. More work needs to be done. 

The rest of the day, did some grocery shopping, and home for dinner and then to a meeting. Home again, and went straight to bed.

Ever turn the corner and finding that you're on a straight stretch that seems to go on for along time? What is what it was like this day. Just down the Road to Dementia Town we went. Watching the glory of the trees go by, the soft greens, the bright golds, and some rust. What a day to be on the road today. For it was easy to Keep Our Shiny Side Up. C'ya, Luv Ya, and God Bless.   Arthur.