Weekly Ephemera #154

• Last Thursday was the anniversary of 9/11.  My feelings haven't changed since I wrote about it in 2023.  Based on the other news that occurred this week, it feels like our nation isn't getting any closer to regaining its sanity.
• I walked three times this week.  I've kept pushing myself, though I did shorten my third walk this week.  I walked a total of 31.5 miles (50.7 km) which was very satisfying.
• I finished the last three episodes of "Foundation" season 3 today.  Other than that, the Wife and I have found a safe place in the "Great Canadian Baking Show" on the Roku Channel.
• I re-read some of my posts that I'd written in 2006.  My writing sounded so much happier then.  I do not write as much as before.  I do not take as many pictures.  *sigh*

Weekly Ephemera #153

• Had a urology appointment this week.  Nothing new to report.  Will be getting an MRI and biopsy in the Spring.
• I watched season two of "Silo".  I like how it's going.  While we have a couple more weeks of Apple TV+ left, I'm kind of burnt out on streaming.  I have a couple things ("Invasion" and "Dark Matter") I could start but they will have to wait until the next time we subscribe.
• Weather, and a need for a short break, resulted in only two walks this week.  I did push those two walks to over eleven miles which I'm happy about.  My total distance this week was 22.6 miles (36.3 km).

The Wife's Camino - Photos Along The Way

I didn't take many pictures during the second part of the Camino.  I'm sure the Wife took far more than I did.  She shared her pictures on her Bluesky accounts.  I took a few sunrise pictures and pictures of, and inside of, churches.  I took them all on my phone and a few didn't come out, but the ones that did were pretty good.

Here are a few pictures I took along the Way of Saint James.

Early summer poppies along the Way.

A view from the last 'big' hill on the meseta facing west.

The cottonwood fluffy was everywhere and looked like snow in places.

Sunrise ... the figure on the road is the Wife.

The obligatory shadow shot.

The templar castle in Ponferrada.

My pictures really don't do the Camino justice.  I realize now that I took only half as many pictures during the Wife's Camino than I did on my first two.  I also think I took better pictures during the first part of the Wife's Camino than the second.  I was in a different headspace during the second part and didn't look around enough.  I think I wanted to see it through her eyes and her pictures.

You can see all the pictures I took during the Wife's Camino, both in 2023 and 2025, in my 2023 - 2025 Camino de Santiago (The Wife's Camino) Google Photos' album.

Weekly Ephemera #151

The last three weeks have been quiet, and my Weekly Ephemera posts reflect this.  This last week was just as quiet as the last.  I'm OK with this as I know there is some travel coming soon.  Anyway, this is what my week was:

• We have a vole (or possibly a mouse) living in one of our succulent pots.  Every time I water, it jumps out and nearly scares me to death.  Earlier this week, I spread some vole poison in the pot.   Yesterday, when I watered the pot, it jumped out again, and this time I swear I saw six legs.  I'm guessing it was mama vole carrying baby vole. More poison will be going into the pot.  I suspect when it's time to bring the pots in for the winter that succulent pot will be getting dumped out.
• College football has started up again so Saturdays, the Wife will be in the she-shed, enjoying some sports ball.
• My walking streak is continuing.  I walked three times this week, totaling 23.8 miles (38.3 km).  The walk on Wednesday nearly killed me.  Not sure why but I suspect it was a combination of the high humidity and the fact that the sun came out after several days of overcast.  This coming week will have much nicer weather for walking.
• This week we subscribed to Apple TV+.  I have at least five series to catch up on and a couple that I may start.  This week I watched "For All Mankind" season four.  All I can say is I wish this was the timeline I was living in.  I then watched "Severance" season two, which I also liked, though not sure I would like to live in that timeline.
• A while back I promised a Camino pictures post.  I'll try to get that done this week.

Weekly Ephemera #150

• Well, my blood tests were pretty lousy, as I expected they would be.  My A1C and glucose were too high.  My LDL Cholesterol was high, and my  HDL good cholesterol was low.  I've tried my best to lower my numbers by diet and exercise alone but I realize now that it's not enough, and I'm not disciplined enough to make it work.  I met with my NP and I'm starting on a medication to lower my glucose/A1C.  She thought I should be on cholesterol medications as well but I have had issues taking statins in the past so we are going to revisit this in three months.  I guess I've reached that age when I have to get a pill box to keep my medications straight.  *sigh*
• I walked three times this week.  I finally got into my desired distance range walking 23 miles (37.1 km) in total.  Now to push closer to 30 miles per week.
  
  It's been really hot here this summer and the humidity has been terrible.  It only takes ten to twenty minutes to be completely sweat soaked.  I can't wait for Fall to arrive and the temperatures drop below 80℉ (27℃) .
• Our Netflix subscription ended.  I reached episode 682 of "One Piece", which is about halfway through.  I watched season two of "Poker Face" on Peacock.  It reminds me of old-style crime shows like "Columbo", though its writing is a bit hit or miss.  This coming week I will probably be subscribing to Apple TV+ for a month.  I have several series to catch up on there.

Thank You, Old Friend. Time For A Rest.

I bought my black, Hyperlite Southwest backpack in 2016 for my Appalachian Trail (AT) attempt.  Through the three times I walked that trail, the pack performed remarkably.  I carried it again on the Wife's Camino in 2023 and 2025.  In all, I carried it 2,620 miles.  I only had to make three minor repairs – none of them showstoppers.  I could always depend on that pack.

When the Wife's Camino came to an end, I said I would throw my pack away.  The Camino will likely be the last long-distance, multi-day hike, and it will no longer be needed.  But, when I got home, I couldn't find it in me to throw it away.  It is hanging on a hook in a room the Wife and I refer to as the Tornado Room with all my other hiking and camping gear.  I doubt I'll ever be able to let it go; it's been a good friend through the physically hardest days of my life and it deserves a dignified rest.

I asked Google Gemini to compose an Ode to my backpack and I liked how it came out on the first try.  Here it is:

Ode to a Hyperlite Southwest Backpack

My faithful companion, a shadow on my back,

Black as the raven's wing, you never once did crack.

Two thousand miles of Appalachian green,

A canvas for sunrises, the most beautiful I've seen.

You carried my burdens, my dreams, and my fears,

Through seasons of laughter, and a river of tears.

Five hundred more miles on the Spanish road,

You endured every step, and you carried my load.

Patched with tenacity, a testament to time,

A broken buckle fixed, a more successful climb.

Nine years we journeyed, a testament to fate,

Now you hang on the hook, a hero in the great.

My old friend, you've earned your eternal rest, A lifetime of stories etched into your composite fabric. You never complained, you never once did fail, A silent witness to my long and winding trail.

- Composed on my behalf by Google Gemini AI

Weekly Ephemera #149

• I had my blood drawn on Friday.  I haven't received my results back yet, so more to come.  I did get my PSA results – they went up slightly but my urologist called them "stable".
• Our Netflix subscription is winding down (we only subscribe a month at a time, twice a year).  I finished "The Sandman" season two and liked it.  The last few days of the subscription will be watching "One Piece".  I am currently around episode six hundred, so only five hundred-plus to go.  "One Piece" has become my veg-out and forget the world show.
• I walked twice this week.  My first walk wasn't that long, but it was in the rain.  Fortunately, it was a light rain with no wind and I had my umbrella.  I tried to push a bit harder this week and managed 15.4 miles (24.7 km).  My plan is to walk three times this week as weather should be cooperative and I have no appointments on my schedule.

Weekly Ephemera #148

• The Wife and I went to see the procession at the Santa Lucia Festival today.  It turned out to be a bit underwhelming.  The food from the stalls did smell good after the procession but we didn't partake.
• One reason I didn't buy any food at the Italian themed festival is that I'm getting blood work done later this week and pasta, bread, and other carb-heavy food would not be helpful.
• I went to see "Fantastic Four: First Steps" in IMAX this wednesday.  I like how Marvel is moving to smaller scale movies and varying the styles and stories.  I enjoyed the movie and can't wait to see what's coming.
• I watched more "One Piece" before starting the second season of "The Sandman".  I like "The Sandman" but it's too bad that the author turned out to be so stupid.
• I walked twice this week for a total of 12.7 miles (20.4 km).  I need to start increasing the length of my walks.  I feel like I'm slacking off.

Weekly Ephemera #147

• The week was dominated by Netflix.  I finished "Squid Game" and started the last season of "Fear the Walking Dead".  Half way through I realized I was watching a lot of bleak stuff so I paused the viewing of "Fear the Walking Dead" and switched to watching episodes of "One Piece".
• I had a dentist appointment that went well.  No Problems.  I hope to have the same results this week when I go to see the eye doctor for a check up.
• I walked twice this week.  It was very humid, but not as bad as I expected it would be.  Both of the walks were relatively short, totalling 12.8 miles (20.6 km).
• Cooper, the Wife's niece's dog, had a quiet week with us.  No drama.

Weekly Ephemera #146

• I went to see if it was worth changing to Allo Fiber over the Cox Internet we currently have.  While Allo has no data caps – a big advantage – and is faster, there's no price advantage.  The increased speed isn't a big factor as we currently have enough speed to do everything we want.  I decided that we would not switch until Cox prices went up.
• We restarted Netflix for a month and I binged the latest seasons of "Love, Death, and Robots" and "Black Mirror".  I started the last two seasons of "Squid Game".
• I started walking again.  It's strange that even short walks feel hard after doing a long, multi-day hike.  I only managed 4.4 miles (7.1 km).  Next week, the temperatures are going to be over 90℉ (32℃) with 'feels like' temperatures over 100℉ (38℃).  I want to walk twice this week and will probably start walking earlier than usual to try and beat the worst of the heat.
• We're taking care of the Wife's niece's dog, Cooper.  We've taken care of him many times over the years, starting when he was nearly a puppy.  Now he's an old man.  Since he lives in a house full of little kids, this week will be a quiet one for Cooper.
• Today I turned sixty-two.  Not sure what to think.

A First And A Third - The End Of Our Caminos

From the thirtieth of May to the fifth of July, the Wife and I walked across northern Spain from Burgos to Fisterra, completing the Wife's first Camino and my third.  I think the Wife had a similar experience to what I had on my first Camino.  Doing anything that you thought you couldn't do is life changing and I think I'm right to say the Wife's life was changed.  My third Camino, for me, was very different, and this post will dwell on that a bit.

When you leave Burgos you start the meseta.  The meseta is a region of Spain similar to Kansas – flat, featureless, and covered in farm fields.  Some pilgrims skip the meseta, but that would be a mistake in my opinion.  It is a part of the Camino where your mind is allowed to wander.  For the nearly two weeks we were on the meseta, I felt two things: "Been there, done that" and "My second Camino had completed my experience. Why was I doing this again?"  My thoughts went to more sad things I associated with the Camino, namely G_v's death.  It was a rough time for me.  I tried my best not to let my feelings interfere with the Wife's experience but I have never been very good at suppressing my feelings.  Even so, we managed to visit some of my favorite spots on the meseta and the Wife has said the meseta was her favorite part.

By the time we reached the unofficial end of the meseta in León, I had come to realize that I was looking at this Camino wrong.  This was not my third Camino, it was the Wife's first Camino.  From that point on I thought of it solely as that, the Wife's first Camino.  My role was to support her and ensure she experienced the whole Camino.  From then on I felt better and the Camino experience felt right.

I was in charge of planning the daily stages.  We were walking shorter stages, averaging 10.2 miles (16.4 km) per day – I averaged 14.3 miles (23.0 km) per day on my first Camino.  Shorter stages allowed us to visit more places along the Camino.  We visited places that I'd enjoyed before as well as places I'd never been to before.  We had the albergue experience (pilgrim hostel experience) as well and the private room with/without a private bath experience (we indulged in more private room experiences than I'd had on my previous Caminos combined).  We had short days and inadvertent long days (I took a wrong turn leaving León and added 3.4 miles to an already long 13 mile day – our longest day on the Camino.).

The Wife handled the walking like a pro.  This was her first multi-day, multi-mile hike.  We were concerned with her feet as they had stopped us in 2023, but with a wider shoe, the Wife had no issues at all.  Well, she did have very large blisters on the outside of each big toe, but she said they didn't hurt at all.  After consulting a pharmacist, we drained the fluid.  We had to do this twice, as I wasn't aggressive enough in my treatment the first time, and the blisters refilled.  After doing it for a second time, the blisters were gone and didn't return.  As for my feet, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't lose any of my toenails. This was the first long hike without losing any.  I credit that to the shoes I was wearing.  I may post about them later.

I have to say that I am very proud of the Wife.  Even on the hard days, days when it was hot, humid, or cold, she never complained.  Having said this, we both have concluded that this will be our last multi-day, multi-mile hike ever again.  We still have a lot more things to see in the world that don't require us to walk ourselves into the ground.

The Wife's Camino – Part Two

Next week, we'll be returning to Spain to finish the Wife's Camino.  We're flying to Madrid and taking a bus from the airport to Burgos, where we left off two years ago.

To bring everyone up to speed, we started walking the Camino in May 2023.  Our original intention was to walk the entirety of the Camino.  With hindsight, I planned stages that were too long and pushed both of us too hard.  When we arrived in Burgos, we were planning to take a day off – our first after eighteen days of walking.  Along with the difficult stages we were walking, the Wife was having very painful foot issues.  When we arrived in Burgos and we were recovering from two long walking days, we decided the Wife's foot issues weren't going to get better, so we ended our attempt.  Before we even got back home, we decided to split the remaining two-thirds of the Camino into two legs: one in 2024 and another in 2025.

In 2024, just days before we were supposed to return to Burgos, my Mom's health issues led to us canceling our return to the Camino.  After some more thought, we decided we weren't getting any younger and had to try to finish the rest of the Camino this year.

Over the last two years, the Wife has worked on her foot issues.  She got a pain-relieving cream prescribed by a foot doctor.  She combined this with wider shoes.  She hopes these changes will fix the foot pain she was experiencing.

On my part, I have put together a plan with much shorter stages.  We will also take days off when necessary.  This will lengthen our Camino by quite a bit but it will also be easier on us both.  The only thing I worry about is potentially losing the social aspect of the Camino.  Our slower pace most likely won't sync up with other pilgrims.  This sort of happened during my second Camino when G_v and I walked longer stages than other pilgrims did.  It did diminish the experience somewhat.  On the other hand, this is the Wife's Camino, and a slower pace will make it more enjoyable, allowing us to linger longer at more places along the way.  In any case, it's likely the plan will change as we go, depending on how we're feeling.

We are both looking forward to returning to the Camino.

You can read about the first part of the Wife's Camino starting with this post from 17 June, 2023.

Weekly Ephemera #143

A fairly slow week  for us.

• We had a roofer back on our roof repairing/replacing a couple of turbine vents that were making squeaky noises when it was really windy – which it has been lately.
• I walked three times this week for a total of 25.5 miles (41.0 km).  On one of my walks downtown, I bought a magnet at a store specializing in Omaha/Nebraska memorabilia.

  

  Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha, in magnet form.

• I finished watching "Andor" and decided to rewatch "Rogue One" since it's pretty much Andor season 3.  Really liked Andor and Rogue One is one of my favorite Star Wars movies.
• One of the Wife's friends spent the weekend.  We ate a huge brunch, while laughing, at Louie M's before she headed back home.
• Our next trip, the completion of the Wife's Camino is approaching rapidly.  More on that later this week.

Weekly Ephemera #142

• The Homer's Travels' week was all about the Pope.   Cardinal Prevost was on the Wife's shortlist but, like everyone else in the world, thought he was a long shot.  When he became Pope, the Wife was over the moon.  Not being religious myself, even I was moved by how happy everyone seems to be.  I wish him well.
• I planted a few plants in my corner of the backyard.  Several of the ones I've planted over the past couple of years have come back up again but I have a few holes where some didn't make it.  I'm still maybe four or five plants away from filling the space under the fir tree.  We saw a couple rabbits in the backyard so keeping my fingers crossed they will leave them alone.
• I walked three times this week totaling 26.2 miles (42.1 km).  It's starting to warm up, suggesting a hot summer is coming.  This coming week will see temps approaching 90℉ (32℃), so I will be sweating a lot, I think.
• I went to see the latest Marvel movie, "Thunderbolts".  I enjoyed it.  This movie and the last Captain America movie earlier this year have been lower-key and remind me of the earlier Marvel movies.  Sometimes you have to get back to the basics.

Weekly Ephemera #141

I skipped last week's Ephemera post because I was out of town last weekend.  Time to catch up.

• Last weekend we went to Minneapolis, to celebrate one of the Wife's cousin's First Communion.  We stayed at the Matron of Honor's (MoH) and Best Man's (BM) new house.  Their new house is very nice and is perfect for them.  The long weekend was full of family and conversation and I had a good time.
  
  The first communion was nice and the after-party with family was fun and full of food.  The Godson's and Deacon's families are great and fun to be with.
  
  On Monday we joined the MoH and BM and went antiquing and booking in Stillwater, MN.  It was a bit drizzly but we had a great time looking for treasures.  Sadly, none were found.
• I finally took pictures of the rest of our magnets.  Naturally, a day later I came across three more magnets hiding on my desk in the den.  I will be posting a couple travel magnet posts later this week.
• Our travel agent called this week and told us the September tour dates for our Greek, Albania, Macedonia trip fell through.  Fortunately, there are dates in early October that will work so she is reworking all the hotel reservations and Athens tours.
• Moving the trip will let me go to Rilo Kiley's reunion tour at the Astro.  Looking forward to that.
• I walked three times over the last two weeks.  I walked a total of 27.9 miles (44.9 km).   I skipped a couple walking days to get some chores I'd put off far too long.
• I started watching "Andor" season 2.  I like it so far.  Also watching the current series of "Doctor Who".  I'm also working through a show on Amazon.  "ALTER Collection" is an anthology horror series where each episode is themed and consists of four to ten short films.  They are a bit hit or miss and some are surely movie school projects but they are holding my interest.
  
  On Friday the Wife and I went to see "Sinners".  I have mixed feelings.  The music, setting, and ambiance were spot on but the horror felt a bit off.  There are many layers in the movie and it's worth a view.
  
  Since the conclave is this Wednesday I figured I'd better see "Conclave" so I watched it today.  The three cardinals vying for the position of Pope reminded me of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Visually stunning at times, loved Ray Fiennes, but the final twist was not necessary.

P.S.  Happy Anniversary to the Wife's Niece and Husband!  To everyone else, I hope the 4^th was with you today.

Weekly Ephemera #140

I hope everyone had a happy Easter.  We spent the day at the Wife's niece's place with family.

• I put up the new magnet display.  I will talk more about it later this week in another post.
• It's been a dry winter and early spring, so we turned on the sprinklers earlier than in the past.  I also spread weed and feed a month earlier than I normally do.
• On Wednesday our roofers came in and repaired the hail damage from last summer.  A screen guy came by to take three of our window screens to repair the tears.  New gutters were put in on Friday.  The only thing we are waiting on is the window wrap repairs which will probably happen sometime in the next two weeks.
  
  We watched as bad weather and hail blew through the next day. Fortunately we only got rain and wind.  North of us saw softball sized hail stones.  Dodged a bullet there.
• Our air conditioner was inspected on Thursday as well.  Everything checked out.  The day before, the roofers had noted that the chimney for the furnace and water heater was severely corroded.  Our HVAC people will likely have to replace it.  We are waiting for an estimator to come by.
• On Thursday I had a follow up ultrasound of my kidney.  Everything looked good (yay).
• I hiked once this week.  On Monday, I didn't feel like walking, so I worked on the magnet wall. Friday was cold and windy, so I skipped my walk to finish the magnet wall.  My one walk was 8.6 miles (13.9 km).  I probably needed to rest my legs a bit but next week I need to get back at it.
• I finished "Daredevil: Born Again".  I liked it.  It was a more low key Marvel show with more intrigue and less fighting.  I also watched "A Quiet Place: Day One".  I liked the original two movies and I enjoyed this one as well.  It sketched in a few plot points left blank by the other movies.
• I started planning out the stages for the Wife's Camino.  It may take us longer to finish than I expected.  I planned out shorter stages which lets us hit more interesting places but adds to the length of the walk.  These plans, naturally, will be subject to change.  Fortunately I paid a little extra for airline tickets that can be changed.

Weekly Ephemera #139

• This week we had our sprinkler service turn on/adjust our in-ground automatic sprinkler system.  Normally I would just turn it on myself but there were a few sprinkler heads that I wasn't sure how to adjust.  Watching the technician I realized I could have done it myself.  This was the first and last time I will pay someone to adjust my sprinkler system.  They charged way too much – over double what the service was worth in my opinion.  Another expensive lesson learned.
• Spring is solidly here.  The AC has been turned on and probably will stay on until the fall.  This week we will have it inspected to make sure everything is working properly.
• We received some sheet metal that will become our new travel magnet display.  The metal will cover part of a basement wall in the She-Shed.   We will have another thirty-six square feet of display space soon.  Not sure exactly when as I have been in a major procrastination mode lately.  I'm going to try to get it done sometimes this week.  It really shouldn't take much time to put up, but my brain is still dreading it.  Heck, I still haven't photographed our magnets from our Great Britain trip last September.  I am a master procrastinator.
• I walked three times this week for a total of 26.4 miles (42.5 km).  Each time I walk I go a different route.  I think I've done most of my longer routes so this week I'll have to start repeating.
• We started watching the final season of "The Handmaid's Tale".  That show hits too close to home.  We are balancing that out by watching the latest season of "The Great American Baking Show".

Weekly Ephemera #138

• Where the heck did April come from, and what did it do with March?!?
• We went to see Bob Dylan and the Band on April Fool's day and boy howdy did I feel like a fool for going.
• I walked three times this cloudy, gloomy, and windy week.   I walked 24.7 miles (39.7 km), which was close to my goal.  Next week, barring any unforeseen distraction, I will try to go more miles.
• Thursday and part of Friday, I watched the tariffs cluster-F demolish the growing economy this administration inherited.  Earlier today I put in sell orders for all my stock investments.  This decision drove me crazy – too many what-ifs and WTFs.  The uncertainty in the world, and the economy, is making me feel very uncomfortable.  Going to all cash and 'safe' investments will help me rest a little better at night ... if the FOMO doesn't kill me first.

Weekly Ephemera #137

A slow week here in the Homer's Travels household:

• I walked three times this week.  They were relatively short but I am working my way back up to longer distances after the long break I had.  I managed to walk 20.75 miles (33.4 km).
• On Friday we turned on the air conditioner for the day because we hit a high of 81℉ (27℃).  On Friday night the heat was switched back on as the week ahead will be a more chilly seasonal temperature.  Saturday it rained and was gloomy all day but, with the warmer temperatures and the wet weather, things are starting to green up, another sign of Spring.
• I started watching "Daredevil: Born Again" this week.  It has the same cast as the Netflix Daredevil series which makes me happy.  I liked the original series and this one, so far, is just as good.

Weekly Ephemera #136

• The first half of this week was dedicated to chores.  I paid the first half of our property taxes on Monday and did some overdue cleaning on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• We probably had our last snow of the season appropriately on the last day of astronomical Winter on Wednesday.  It snowed, the wind blew most of the day, and I had my one and only chance to use the snowblower this Winter.
• On Thursday I got my stent (installed during my kidney stone procedure) removed.  The odd sensation I'd felt for the past week or so was gone immediately.  The doctor suggested that a lot of people have a hard time with their stents but it wasn't much of anything for me.  Next follow up is an ultrasound next month.
• With the stent removed I went for a walk on Friday.  Unlike my last walk, I felt fine this hike proving that what I'd felt the last time was, in fact, the stent.  I walked 8.4 miles (15.6 km).  Unfortunately this destroyed my legs probably because it had been forty-five days since I did a 'real' hike.  Next week I intend to get back to my three walks per week schedule.
• I haven't really watched anything special the last few weeks.  Last night, after seeing a reference to it on social media, I watched the 1959 version of "On the Beach".  It was good but I wouldn't want to watch it if you needed a pick-me-up.  Most post-apocalyptic movies/shows I've seen have always had some amount of survivors.  No matter how bad it was, life went on.  Not in this movie.  It ends with extinction and it's kinda depressing.  (You may want to skip it if you are triggered by suicide.)