A Homer's Travels Look Back At 2016

2016 ... What a crappy year.  After a long battle with heart disease, the Father-in-Law passed away.  A very close friend was diagnosed with cancer and passed away a couple months later.  Too many famous people died.  I had minor medical issues most of the summer and the Wife hurt her shoulder.  Oh yeah, the election sucked too.  I have never wanted a year to end so soon.

Not that everything was bad, mind you.  I got my Scuba certification (yes ... I consider this a positive even though I didn't like the experience so much) and our Cuba and South America trips were incredible.   Oh, and the Cubs won the World Series - the Father-in-Law would have loved that. 

Let's look back at 2016, shall we:

• January:  The new year started in an uninspiring way.  I postponed my book reading and dove into the pile of magazines teetering on the edge of my nightstand.  I ended my six month obsession with The Game.  I re-immersed myself into the forces of Duh ... err I mean politics.
  
  
• February:  I spent time catching up on new shows uses various types of media outlets.  One of the Wife's nieces joined me for Trek up the Tower - I came up two seconds short.  Our showing at the Wife's school's trivia contest was ... bad.  Very bad.  Terrible even.  Not sure there will be a fourth time for us.
  
  
• March:  I dived into scuba by taking an introductory class followed with enrollment into a scuba certification class.  During the Wife's spring break we spent three wonderful days in Cuba.  My Google doppelganger passed away this month.
  
  
• April:  The sun came out and my mood lifted a bit as I went out for my first bike ride of the year.  A windy April would keep me off the bike trails for most of the rest of the month.  I finished my class/pool portion of my scuba certification classes and discovered I wasn't that fond of scuba (this will surely change once I get to dive in the real world someday).  I enjoyed going out to a local tapas bar with the Wife.  The anticipation for our South America trip began to build in earnest for me.  I enjoyed an Amy Schumer comedy routine.
  
  
• May:  I asked people to give me a name for the Appalachian Trail (AT) and received a few suggestions.  I celebrated my five year Caminoversary.  The Wife and I went to Minneapolis to celebrate both the GodSon's graduation and family.  I saw my picture during one of my walks.  I mourned a Little Free Library.  The month ended with my Mom's Birthday and Memorial Day celebrations.
  
  
• June:  The Father-in-Law, after fighting heart disease, passed away.  After receiving suggestions for an Appalachian Trail name I put up a poll to pick the most popular one.  The rest of the month we spent traveling with Snuggle Bear around South America (which I documented in July).
  
  
• July:  Was a slow month.  I was suffering from some intestinal leftovers from our South American trip and my final scuba certification was postponed.  It was too hot to do much of anything though I did try to train for my AT hike ... but didn't really do much training at all.  At the end of the month we returned Snuggle Bear to his bestest friend.
  
  
• August:  The presidential election became real with a rare Homer's Travels political post.  I announced the winner of the Appalachian Trail name poll.  The winner is Shuffle Monkey.  Not sure if I will actually use that name.  A tornado (actually it was a waterspout over a lake) made a close visit.  After a couple of postponements I finally completed my scuba certification dive making me a Certified Open Water Diver.  Doubts abounded concerning my Appalachian Trail hike and my preparedness or lack thereof.  I received my Appalachian Trail passport which reminds me of my Camino passport.  Homer's travels celebrated its ten year anniversary.
  
  
• September:  I suffered the wrath of Rapa Nui but finally got it fixed.  I used a newer AT Guide to update my Appalachian Trail hiking plan.  We commemorated the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11.  I tested my new tent and backpack on my tenth camping trip.
  
  
• October:  This month was dominated by sad news about my Camino Angel G_v which prompted me to fly to Montreal to visit her.  Unwanted changes from Google meant saying goodbye to my travel magnet slideshow.  The Wife and I took advantage of early voting - sadly the political campaigns did not end after we voted.  I compared my two tents and looked at my new backpack.  I commemorated the three year anniversary of the end of my second Camino.  I went camping in Preparation Canyon and enjoyed both the sunset and the sunrise.  I posted a few of my fall photographs this month as well.
  
  
• November:  Unable to clear G_v from my head, I decided to distract myself by starting a post-a-day challenge.  This meant lots of picture posts.  We celebrated the birthday/anniversary of the Wife's brother and Sister-in-Law.  This involved lots of cupcakes.  The election ... happened.  The results were met with chagrin.  I tried to distract myself from the elections results (and other things) by going camping.  In a moment of distraction I had a close shave.  Another supermoon occurred this month (they seem to be happening more often).  We began planning for our next adventure in 2018.  I decorated the house for Christmas ... a bit early this year.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the Wife's niece's home.  I took a walk through melancholy spaces on black Friday.  I decorated the outside of our house for Christmas followed by picking up all the decorations that were blown out of the tree.  The month ended on a very sad note when we lost G_v to cancer.
  
  
• December:  I decided to continue the post-a-day challenge into December while trying to Love Life.  The laser Christmas decorations made cool patterns during our first snow.  I saw an unwelcome sign of our times.  I purchased six pairs of shoes in preparation for my AT adventure.  Some socks came soon after.  Christmas started with the first bloom of the Christmas cactus.  I had a nice walk on a newish trail before I came down with a cold.  I managed to do a tiny bit of AT training.  G_v was remembered at her memorial.  I joined one of the Wife's nieces on a Star Wars adventure.  Christmas was nice to me.  I ended the month with several photograph posts when words didn't come so easily.
  
  
• Walking was a bit disappointing this year.  I meant to walk a lot more than I did.  I ended up walking thirty-eight times for a total of 484.5 miles (779.7 km).  This wasn't totally bad as it was more than the previous two years but I thought the AT would motivate me to push farther ... and it didn't.
  
  
• Biking, like walking, was a bit of a disappointment for me this year.  Like my walking, I'd hoped to get a lot of riding in as part of my AT training but I only managed 220.3 miles (354.5 km) with another 526.6 miles (847.4 km) on the trainer in the basement. These are the lowest numbers since 2013 and are pretty pathetic ... and no one's fault but my own.
  
  
• I set a goal to read thirteen books this year and, like 2015, came up one book short.  I had a tough time getting interested in reading this year.  I didn't read any bad books.  Over three quarters of the books I read I gave at least four stars on Goodreads.  I think external factors just sapped my interest in reading.  The book I enjoyed the most this year was "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail" which I gave five stars.
  
  
• We went to two concerts this year.  The first was Mumford & Sons which was pretty good.  The second was Journey and the Doobie Brothers which I considered to be so-so.
  
  
• I posted 143 times this year.  This was more than last year and the highest since 2011.  It was high because I tried, successfully, to post every day in November and December.  Many of these posts were posts of pictures and not very wordy so quantity does not always equal quality.  Then again, nothing wrong with doing a photoblog.  Next year my posts should drop off sharply when I'm on the AT.
  

Last year I really didn't have many expectations for 2016.  I expected it to be dominated by AT training which was not nearly the case.  The whole political mess was not on my radar and I never saw the sadness and heartache that were to come.

I'm not sure what 2017 will bring for me.  It will surely be dominated by my Appalachian Trail adventure that will occupy five to six months of the year.  That I am looking forward to.  It's the stuff happening off the trail that has me a tad concerned.  The nation may be aboil this coming year.  Being out on the trail with limited contact with the outside world may be a blessing but I will always be worried about the Wife holding the fort back home.

I've always ended my Look Back posts with the same sign off.  I will do it again despite not being so hopeful this time around. 

Here's to a Happy and Prosperous New Year for all.

May all your dreams come true in 2017.

Photograph: "Train Cars And Lodges"

My last photograph post of the year.  Coal carrier train cars juxtaposed with beaver lodges on a frozen lake.  This was taken two weeks ago at Big Lake Park, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

"Train cars and lodges"

by Bruce H.

Photograph: "Wasting Away"

Another picture from my walk yesterday.  The remains of a drowned tree, with it's arms raised in the air, wasting away.  It won't be long before it falls over.  There may be a metaphor there somewhere.

"Wasting away"

by Bruce H.

Photograph: "Sinking Into The Ice"

I went for another training walk today making my way to Shadow Lake shopping center, over to the Walnut Creek Recreational Area, and back home.  The walk was 15 miles (24.1 km).

Along the way I saw geese, a swastika rendered in shaving cream along with a self-portrait of the artist also in shaving cream (i.e. a Dick Pic), and a patchy blue sky that lifted my spirits a bit.

Here is one of my more interesting pictures that I took on the walk.  A leaf is sinking into the ice.  It looks like concrete but it is actually ice on the surface of Walnut Creek Lake.

"Sinking into the ice"

by Bruce H.

Photograph: "20th & S"

The corner of a bakery ... now closed ... in South Omaha.

"20th & S"

by Bruce H.

Was Christmas Good To You?

We had a very nice Christmas weekend.  On Saturday we had a ham and pork loin lunch with the In-Laws followed by our usual gift exchange.  On Sunday we had a turkey lunch at my Mom's followed by more gifts.  By the end of the day on Sunday I was packed full of food and felt a bit disgusted with myself.

Christmas Laser Light Rays.

I decided to work some of Christmas off by going for a walk.  I dropped off my car at the shop to get serviced and headed out for a long walk.  My legs were a bit more sore this morning than usual.  I ended up only walking 13.8 miles (22.2 km) which was about three miles shorter than I'd planned.  I will save the longer walks for later this week.

Most of my gifts were in the form of food or funds.  Twizzlers, caramels, and chocolate bars should keep me supplied for at least a few days.  The funds will be going towards equipment needed for my Appalachian Trail (AT) hike and for hotel rooms during my AT breaks.

Thank you for everyone for the gifts and the Christmas wishes.  It gave this lackluster year a bright spot.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Wishing all my family and friends a very Merry Christmas.

Je souhaite à tous ma famille et mes amis un Joyeux Noël.

Volendo tutta la mia famiglia e gli amici un Buon Natale.

Ich wünsche allen meine Familie und Freunde eine sehr frohe Weihnachten.

Ik wens al mijn familie en vrienden zeer Vrolijke Kerstmis.

Ar mian leo go léir mo theaghlach agus lena chairde ar na Nollag an-Merry.

Deseando a toda mi familia y amigos una muy Feliz Navidad.

Desejo a todos os meus familiares e amigos um Feliz Natal.

すべての私の家族や友人にメリークリスマスを祈っています。

ขออวยพรให้ทุกคนในครอบครัวและเพื่อนมากสุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาสของฉัน

Christmas Is Almost Here!

It's Christmas Eve.  Watch out for flying reindeer!

Rudolph Crossing!

Photograph: "Candle Wax"

I use a candle warmer in the den during the holiday season.  I like the long lasting smell of cinnamon, holly berry, or pine to fill the room while I'm writing or surfing the net.  I also like the strange patterns the wax makes as it hardens.

"Candle wax"

by Bruce H.

The Second Annual Star Wars Viewing ... With Lunch

Today I went to see Rogue One - A Star Wars Story in 3D IMAX with the Wife's niece.  Last year we went to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Rogue One is a much better movie than The Force Awakens, in my opinion.  The characters are interesting, there are some funny bits, and the action is top notch.  Unlike The Force Awakens, the story felt fresh and original and not another retread.

It was interesting to see two Computer Generated 'human' actors done so well.  If I hadn't known that Peter Cushing had died years ago I would have never guessed it was not 'real'.  Well done.

After the movie we continued our new tradition of going to the 11-Worth cafe for lunch.  We talked about movies and television and other geeky stuff.  I gave her a Star Wars themed birthday card (it was her birthday yesterday) that included a band that lit up and made Wookie and battle noises.

It was a fun time and, since the next Star Wars movie is expected to come out next December, it will be a tradition that will surely continue on.

And Winter Begins

Today is the first day of Winter so I celebrated with a nice walk in South Omaha and Bellevue.  Over the five and a half hours and 16.1 miles (25.9 km) of the walk I tried to find a picture that would illustrate the first day of winter but, since the temperatures went over 50℉ (10℃) there was nary a lick of snow to be found (except pathetic little patches in the shady spots).  So to illustrate the first day of winter, I will have to resort to using a picture I took a week ago.

Ice floes on the Missouri River taken from the Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge.

This is an oddly warm Christmas week and the weather for Christmas day - 60℉ (15.5℃), 60 mph (96.5 km/hr) winds, and rain - is even farther from normal.  Damn 'Jyna' hoax!!!

I hope everyone had/is having a great Winter Solstice!

A Day To Remember

Today is Geneviève's memorial.  Friends and Family will gather to share stories.  I regret to say I will not be attending.  I will miss the funny stories, the smiles, the laughter, and the inevitable tears.  I will have to be satisfied with the memories I shared with Gen.

Gen's family welcomed all to share their stories either in person or via e-mail to be read during the memorial.  I've already shared many stories of our Caminos together in Homer's Travels.  They are all there for anyone to read.  (Our 2011 Camino was documented from August through October 2011 and our 2013 Camino was documented  from November 2013 through February 2014.  I refer to Gen as G_v.)

We all mourn ...

We all mourn in our own way.  I realize now that I began mourning the day Gen told the world of her diagnosis and her chance of survival.  I spent the next eight weeks grieving and sinking into depression.  I went through most of the stages of grief ... a few of them several times over.  It came to a crescendo on the day of her passing.  I woke up on the first of December and I felt the depression lifting.  Things that once reminded me of sadness now brought a smile to my face. Instead of wandering melancholy spaces I explore galleries of our happy times on the Camino.

I would like to share one thing.  During one of our chats in November I told her:

"I always felt you there along the edges of my life.  I don't want that feeling to go away but I know it will."

Geneviève responded:

"I will always be next to you ... I'll be among the stars shining over you."

I couldn't understand it then, I thought they were just words to comfort me, but I feel it now, I feel her next to me as I walk, I understand, and it does gives me comfort and that is how it should be.  Gen had given me a final gift - acceptance.

Photograph: "Winter Creek"

The cold temperatures turn a little creek into a white ribbon running through the trees.

"Winter Creek"

by Bruce H.

Book: Hugh Howey's "Dust"

My twelfth book of the year, and probably my last, was the third book of the Silo trilogy.  Hugh Howey's "Dust" completes the trilogy started in "Wool" and continued in "Shift".

The series is a rather new take on the post-apocalyptic genre which means it's a take I have never seen before.  That said, I'm no expert in post-apocalyptic fiction.  The trilogy explores the life in the Silos, large underground living spaces.  The second book explains how the Silos came to be and why they came to be.  The third book describes the beginning of the end of the Silos.

I found the third book, like the other two, to be interesting but a bit disjointed at times.  The story jumps a bit and some of the parallel stories didn't seem necessary.  Having said this, the fact I read all three books tells you that I did find the story to be, at the very least, intriguing.

I gave "Dust" the same Goodreads score as the others: four stars.  Looking back, if it allowed me, I would have given them all three and a half stars I think.

Photograph: "Sidewalk Philosophy"

An interesting piece of graffiti on the Keystone Trail bike path.  It stood out as it was not political but philosophical ... or maybe physics-al.

"Sidewalk Philosophy"

by Bruce H.

(Original artist unknown)

It's not that easy to read but it says:

"The PAST, PRESENT + Future are all simultaneous and INFINITE."

Photograph: "Reflections In Reflections"

Taken from the Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge over the Missouri river facing west.  The bright spots in the building's reflection is the sun's reflection.  There are also ice flows on the river.

"Reflections in reflections"

by Bruce H.

Photograph: "We All Need Some Magic Juan"

I love stencil art.  It always seems to pop up in the oddest places.  This was on the South Omaha Trail.

"We all need some Magic Juan"

by Bruce H.

(Original artist unknown)

Photograph: "Red Ball Transfer Co."

A picture I took along the South Omaha Trail.

"Red Ball Transfer Co."

by Bruce H.

Sock(s) It To Me

I've purchased one more piece of gear for my Appalachian Trail (AT) adventure.  It's another very important feature of foot maintenance though it's often overlooked as it isn't very exciting.  I'm talking about socks.

After shoes, socks are the most important thing to keep your feet happy.  On the AT I will be using a two sock strategy that I'm sure I've posted about many times over.  As a matter of fact I talked about them in this post from 2014.  I talked about it some more here and here.  No need to rehash I would guess.

I bought nine pairs of Omni·Wool merino wool blend socks yesterday.  I've worn these for years including both of my Caminos.  I will be packing three pairs initially and will switch out with fresh socks every two pairs of shoes.  The socks are durable and warm.  While warm, I have worn them during the heat of summer with little discomfort.  The merino wool also cuts down on the odor.

Most of the above posts talked about my experimentation and experience with toesocks.  I still have to purchase another five pairs of toesocks before my footwear system is complete but I will correct that issue sometimes over the next month or so.

Step by tiny step I am slowly getting my gear together.

Through The Worst Of It ... Time To Get Back To It

Whatever I had last week has seemed to have run its course.  While my nose is still dripping a smidge and I'm hocking up some nasty luggies, my energy level is near normal and I've restarted my stretching/exercising portion of my Appalachian Trail (AT) prep.

I'm planning to get on my bike trainer tonight for a short ride while watching the first episode of the  Mythbusters pseudo-spinoff White Rabbit Project on Netflix.  I hope to do a bike trainer session at least three times this week if not more.  I will also fit in two long walks, hopefully during snow showers forecasted for the end of the week.  Nothing like walking in the falling snow.

Photograph: "Blue Shining Through The Gray"

What we all need at times.

"Blue Shining Through The Gray"

by Bruce H.

(Original artist unknown.)

Photograph: "Flights To Freedom"

I'm feeling a bit better today so I will post an interesting juxtaposition.  A flight of fire escape stairs and an enabler of avian flight.

"Flights to freedom"

by Bruce H.

Chowing Down On The Walking Dead

Well, I hinted in yesterday's post that if I didn't feel well today I would skip the planned walk and catch up on episodes of the Walking Dead.  Last night I felt pretty awful.  I felt better this morning but by noon I could feel that my energy was flagging.  I'm glad I didn't go for a walk.

Kind of how I feel.

I have six episodes of the Walking dead on the DVR and I've worked my way through half of them but now I'm starting to feel like I should be an extra on the show. 

Before I go lie down I wanted to give props to the Wife who went to work feeling like this for most of the last week.  She's my hero!

The South Omaha Trail - A Nice Newish Trail

I went for a walk on Tuesday.  I decided to follow the newly finished South Omaha Trail.  When I say newly finished I mean it's been finished sometime in the last year ... or two.

Canadian Geese followed me briefly on the Keystone Trail on their way to Papio Creek.

The South Omaha Trail connects the Keystone Trail that runs just east of our home to the Field Club Trail.  The trails runs roughly 3.75 miles (6 km).  It has been half finished for awhile while the city got the necessary federal permits to finish the trail (part of the trail runs along federal highway land).  I'd ridden and walked along the unfinished trail but on Tuesday I walked the whole thing.

The last portion of the trail is awesome.  It is very well done with simulated stone retaining walls and almost wavelike smooth concrete along the edges on some of the downhill sections.  I was impressed by the workmanship of the trail.  Omaha is slowly becoming more and more bikeable which is a step in the right direction.  With this connector finished I could bike the ten or so miles from my house to the city's downtown area.

This short trail was just a portion of the path I walked on Tuesday.  I added a lot of street distance including past a new set of roundabouts at 42^nd and Q.  Roundabouts are fairly rare in Omaha but they are becoming more common ... another positive development in my opinion.  I ended up doing 16 miles (25.75 km) in all.  I was a bit sore when I got home.  This was to be expected since I haven't kept up on my walking as I should have.

I hope to go for another walk on Friday but that all depends on how this cold the Wife passed on to me progresses.  If I feel good I'll walk but if I feel like I'm dieing, then I'll be watching the Walking Dead on the DVR.  Kind of appropriate I would say.

First Bloom

The Christmas cactus has its first bloom today.  By coincidence last year's first bloom was also on the seventh of December.  This is from a clipping of the original 'old lady'.  Sadly the 'ol' lady' did not survive being transplanted into a larger pot.  Not sure what happened since I was very careful with her.  Fortunately this clipping is doing great and a second clipping I have is also going to bloom soon.

2016 First Bloom - the holiday season has officially started.

You Want How Many Pairs?

I made another purchase in preparation for my Appalachian Trail (AT) hike next spring:  Shoes.  I've been wearing Salomon Eskape Aero hiking shoes for a couple years now and I really like them.  They are comfortable, lightweight, and, while not waterproof, dry fast.  I guesstimated that I would need a new pair every five to six hundred miles or five pairs for the entire AT.

My current Salomon Eskape Aeros 

The shoe model is old and I noticed that they are no longer listed on the Solomon website.  Fortunately on Amazon I was able to find three different vendors that still carried them and were selling them at clearance prices.  I order a pair each from two vendors and four pair from a third.

The third vendor, the one I ordered four from, sent me an email asking if I was sure I wanted four pair.  Made me chuckle a bit though it wasn't a laughing matter for him since his shipping charges (Free to me but not for him) would probably wipe out his profit.  I explained that I was hiking the AT next year and I expected to destroy five pairs of these shoes over the 2,200 miles (3,540 km) of the trail.  His response was very nice:

"That's actually really awesome that you are doing that.   I wish you well with your adventure."

Since the shoes were mostly on clearance, the color choices were limited.  Apparently the red ones are the least popular so I ended up with four pair of red shoes.  I'll be styling on the AT. 😆

For those wondering why I ordered a sixth pair, my current shoes are worn out and I need that extra pair.

A Sign Of Our Deplorable Times

I saw this on my walk the other day.  It was painted on the sidewalk across the street from the Ralston Middle School.  Sad 😢

A sad sign of our times.

Christmas Snow Laser Light Show

A bonus post.  It is really cool when the snow falls through the laser light projectors.  You get a glittering green and red light show!

Laser Light Snow Show

I made a video of the snow falling through the laser projectors too but it is not as impressive as the real thing.

Photograph: "First Snow"

I interrupt my brief posting break to announce we received our first snow today.  😊

"First Snow"

by Bruce H.

A Successful But Sad End To NaBloPoMo

I set out to post every day during the month of November and I am proud to say that, despite almost forgetting to post a couple of times, I met the challenge.  The last post of the month was a very sad one for me to write.

I'm planning to continue posting each day for awhile, I think.  As many of my posts last month, they will not all be deep thoughtful dives and I suspect many of them with just be photographs.

Something to remember.

But first I need to take a short break.  I'm going to take a few days off to collect my thoughts.  I will restart my posting on Monday unless something exciting comes up that just screams to be posted about.  Until then, Love Life.