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Not really SAD, but

A lot of people are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder in Wisconsin.  We have many, many days without sun during the winter months.  This year, we've had a string of days with heavy fog and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 30's and 40's.   Personally, I can't claim that I've ever really felt the effects of SAD, but this year, knowing that we are likely moving west later next year, I've been very impatient and annoyed with Wisconsin weather.   Sun trying to fight through the clouds It hasn't helped that my daily routine involves looking at the weather in Fort Collins and Tucson.  Their weather has been spectacularly sunny and more pleasant this time of year.   So, I haven't been blogging much because not much is going on. I've substituted indoor pickleball for hiking. The trails have been muddy and not much fun. For Christmas, we had my mother, Julia's brother and Allie here.  I went and retrieved my mother from Cedar Rapids a...
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Winter comes to the Ice Age Trail


Due to my frugal/cheap nature, I was one of the last humans to give up my dumb phone from Tracfone in favor of a smart phone  I still cheaped out, buying the least expensive iPhone, an SE (small edition).  I justified my lesser spending on the basis that it fits better in my hand and pocket (which it does).  Even I have to admit, however, that I really like some of my apps that were not previously available to me with the old flip phone.

One of the features that I recently discovered was the default “health” app, which combines with the pedometer app to keep track of my steps/mileage.  I don’t believe the pedometer is completely accurate, but it’s close enough.  What I immediately determined was that there were quite a few days when I just wasn’t getting off my butt.  As a result, I set 10,000 steps per day as a goal. 

That works out to be about 4-5 miles, and I frequently exceed that by quite a bit.  The major benefit to me is that I no longer have very many days when I don’t get in the 10,000 steps.  If it’s 3 pm., and I’m still “in the red”, I make every effort to get enough steps in to get “into the green” and make the confetti rain in the app.  Kind of silly, I know, but the app keeps me from sedentary days, especially helpful when it’s wet or cold.

The main gun deer hunting season is over, so I am back at my regular hikes on the Ice Age Trail.  Today, I ambled from the the Lodi Cannery property off Hwy 113 to the bluff overlooking the Lodi Marsh.






I don’t generally hike with a hiking stick or poles, but I change that up during the winter when the trail is snowy or icy.  I use a pair of cross-country ski poles that I kept after giving up cross-country skiing.  The poles definitely give me more of an upper body workout on the uphills and provide balance for moving more rapidly on the downhills.

Frankly, I love this time of year for hiking. There are so many positives.  I rarely see anyone else hiking.  No bugs.  I don’t get too hot or cold.  I burn lots of calories.  Plus, cold air is so wonderful to breathe.  There is a freshness to the air that one doesn’t encounter in the summer.  The dry prairie winter colors are amazing to me.


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