Currents of Gold in Them There Hills

It was clearly time to ditch the Valley Floor and widen my lens. Heading for the richness of a cleaner mountain atmosphere was on the docket. The western haze from all the smoke/fires ran me off and a little opportunity for manual labor awaited me. Not Complaining 

$450.oo of raw rough cut lumber was in need of an oil base stain and I was that guy for the job. What is Rough Cut?? If you have ever shopped lumber at Home Depot, True Value, etc, a majority of those boards have been plained down to a perfectly consistent thickness and a rather smooth surface as well. Rough Cut is exactly that, rough. The saw blade indentations along the sides are machine chewed. Absolutely nothing smooth about these boards. Before I could even start, every board needed a sweeping from being subjected to the California Ash and Soot. The Ponderosa Pine soaked up the first coat of oil in no time. Like Bone Dry

The Blue Spruce was dry as well but the soaking in factor was about an hour longer. Ether way, the boards are gorgeous and will become an intricate siding for a building. The Broad-&-Batten hanging process will begin soon and I am looking forward to bringing out my craftsmanship skills. Six outside walls, five windows to trim around, one door jam, and then a second of stain is all in the mix for my future endeavors. Hope they come up with an endless well of dollars before the snow begins falling. Wish Me Luck 

SWIMMING:

Only twice this week but damn fine for me. One day I had the entire pool to myself. Zero echoes of carrying voices, any lane I so choose, and underwater stillness. That morning was intended for some seriously deep pulls. As aero as can be for my age, strong push off the wall, breast stroke pulls with one kick, and then freestyle when I broke surface. Effortlessly breathing until a smooth flip turn commenced the whole process over. I just love that feeling of slicing through the water like a hot knife peals off a hunk of butter for grandmas fresh baked sourdough loaf.  

CYCLING:

Has been on the back burner, get it??? The West Coast is still burning and our air quality hasn't been the best. Now, there were a couple of days that I could have casually rode but no thanx. Still on my commuter bike daily and some of those hazy days sucked horribly. Riding around town, paying bills, and general necessities from the grocery store were all completed on the old trusty Cannondale Commuter. Yes, Ringing The Bell Just Because 

GYM:

Finally working out with weights again. And talk about weak as can be!! The upper body strength, or lack of, is truly pathetic and boarder line embarrassing. Am I worried, nope. Not In The Least! Just like swimming, focusing on ROM is key. Playing it safe for this week and lifting with lighter free weights. Stretching a lot more and holding those poses until my breath comes around. Takes me a few altering positions until I am able to fully breathe into a stretch. Like A Good Stretch 

I Have A Gorgeous Video From This Location - Totally Mesmerizing 

Goals:

1. For Sure, Solid Form Lifting, Be Present  
2. No Cycling Goals Because Captain Obvious 
3. Lifting With Confidence & Controlling My Coordination 
4. Smile And Compliment Others 
5. Get My A$$ Back Up In The Mountains Before The Leaves Fall From The Trees 

Stay Strong & Think Of Others First,

Cheers