2026 so far...

Some great outings both Down East as well as in the Glen Alpine area:

1/3/26    Upper Creek Falls Loop: 1.89 miles.

1/4/26    Rose Creek dirt road bike ride: 17.65 miles & 2,095' elevation gain.

1/7/26     Big dirt road bike ride. Rose Creek/Steels Creek/Little Fork/Upper Creek/Timbered Branch/Craig Creek/Wilson Creek/John's River/White Mill Creek were all crossed or passed. 37 miles & 3,778' elevation gain.

1/9/26    Jonas Ridge hike: 11 mile & 3,572' elevation gain.

1/10/26    Crowders Mountain State Park hike. Boulders Access: 9 miles & 1,483' elevation gain.

1/12/26    Fonta Flora short bike ride. 4 miles

1/13/26    Kayak Nolichuky River with John E. Calhoun. 9.5 miles.

1/14/26    Shortoff approach hike: 10 miles& 2,328' elevation gain

1/17/26    Devil's Cliff and Gingercake hike with Noel. 4.4 miles & 1,555' elevation gain.

1/23/26    Flanner's Beach fast track: 8 miles

1/29/26    Fort Macon trail jog and beach walk: 8.3 miles

2/2/26:     Shoveling now for 5 hours and 23 minutes. 16.5" of snow!

2/3/26     More shoveling for 52 minutes.

2/7/26    Saluda River Walk: 3.8 miles.

2/8/26    Lake Murry, Lakemont Drive walk: 3.1 miles.

2/9/26    Dreher Island walk at Lake Murry: 3 miles.

2/10/26    (2) Congaree National Park hikes and North Fork of Edisto River walk in Orangeburg.

2/12/26    Fort Macon fast track: 5.5 miles.

2/14/26    Flanner's Beach trail run & beach walk: 7.75 miles.

2/16/26    New Bern waterfront walk: 6.4 miles.

2/17/26    Skateboard Ketner Heights: 8 miles.

2/24/26    Catawba Falls walk with John E. Calhoun: 4.5 miles.

2/25/26    Rose Creek dirt road ride: 25.75 miles & 3,032' elevation gain.

2/26, 2/27, 2/28     Food running at Treat.

3/4/26    Table Rock Gap, Chimneys and Little Table Rock: 9 miles.

3/5/26    Rose Creek to Table Rock Gap bike ride: 26 miles & 2,938' elevation gain.

3/6/26    Table Rock Gap, Chimneys and Little TR backtrack. 9 miles

3/12/26    Morganton walk with Di: 4 miles

3/13/26    Upper Creek Falls Loop with Di: 2 miles

3/14/26    Fish Hatchery walk and Downtown Morganton with Di.

3/15/26    Oak Hill Park walk with Di: 4.1 miles.

3/20/26    Kayaking Hancock Creek to Neuse river: 10.1 miles

3/24/26    Dirt road ride: 30.78 miles.

3/26/26    Kayaking North River: 8.3 miles.

4/3/26    New Bern walk: 5.1 miles.

4/7/26    Skateboard Ketner Heights: 10.5 miles.

4/8/26    Flanner's Beach walk: 6.4 miles.

4/15/26    Bike Ride from Wilson Creek Gage up Adako Rd>Murphy Place>Maple Sally Rd>Maple Grove Church Rd>90 to Mortimer>Brown Mountain Beach Rd>Wilson Creek. 34 miles & 3,562' elevation gain.

4/20/26    Jonas Ridge Hike: 10 miles & 2,619' elevation gain. New trail.

4/22/26    Fonta Flora walk from Harris Whisnant trailhead: 6.24 miles.

4/23/26    Bike ride from home to Fonta Flora at Harris Whisnant trailhead: 31miles & 2,506' elevation gain.

4/24/26    Disc Golf at Catawba Meadows then lunch at Treat with Hans. 2.4 miles.

Life Rolls Onward

 3/3/2026

The Things I Want to Give You

I want to give you what no one else can give you.

What I want to give you can't be bought, sold or traded. Only lived and gifted.

What I want to give you is a glimpse into my memories, my feelings, and my heart.

Not the dark memories, we all have our own that we struggle with on our own. Just the beautiful ones.

Views of Oceans, Seas, Mountain Ranges, Deserts, land that goes on forever, Meteor Showers, and Stars.

Feelings of rainfall pelting your skin and snow melting on your face.

Joy of skipping school and going swimming in a pond the color green from minerals.

Rush of standing next to a cliff with wind gusts so strong that you need to lean away from the edge.

The rejuvenation your body gets when jumping into a cold mountain creek when exhausted after a hot day of play.

Wind so strong on your face that you instinctively squint your eyes to keep debris from hitting them.

Joy of being able to walk, jog, or run because you know it is a gift that can be taken away in a heartbeat.

Love of seeing your child take her first steps and to hear her voice talking to you in complete sentences.

Pride you get when your children find their way in life and acknowledge your guidance.

Satisfaction of living our lives on our own terms and realization that we don't always get it right every time but we can have a "do-over" most of the time.