The Year Ahead & "Old School" Snow Shoeing

2009! Exciting isn't it.

I know it's a stressful time for many people. A world-wide economic, dare I say, crisis. Foreclosures. Layoffs. And yet...

I'm still hopeful. Optimistic. I think I was named appropriately. JOYful. That fits.

So I AM looking forward to the new year - a new beginning.

And I'm happy to put 2008 to bed. Too many good people left us this year. My friend Nick lost his wife Joye to cancer. My dear friend and former colleague, Doug Pohl, died in a plane crash in Florida. My uncle Larry died suddenly one night. And Evan Tanner, always in search of adventure, passed away in the California desert near the Palo Verde mountains.

Not to mention - I'm still working on the last few credits of my bachelors degree, even though I have a decent start on my Masters. Don't ask how that happened. I have an odd life.

Needless to say - I'm looking forward to 2009 as an opportunity to clear out the sadness and disappointments that came in 2008, and as a chance to welcome in new possibilities and good fortune.

Here's what is in store for 2009.

I WILL be finishing my bachelors program. WILL. Full stop. Period.

I will get back to a decent running weight in time for Spring, I'm working towards an Easter start to resume running. Those 15 pounds that I gained since my calf pull and the resulting tear in my Achilles Tendon, or what is essentially Achilles Tendonitis, took their toll on me. I didn't realize how important it was to me to be able to hit the road three times a week and crank out the miles. And before I can get back to it, I need to drop those extra pounds. And then I'll have to start back at the beginning with Interval Runs and work my way back to at least a decent 5k.

On that subject, here are my running goals...

There is one race that I will be committing to. It doesn't matter where I am at the time, if I'm living in North Carolina, still in Maine, or WHERE EVER. I will be in Boston for this:

I will be running the Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandanna Run at Boston College sometime in October. A friend of mine asked me to, and after I read the story I immediately promised. Click on the link above to read about the run. But to learn more about this amazing person, click here. If anyone wishes to join me, even if just to walk, let me know. And to my runner chicks, I hope you consider joining me.

There are other runs that I have my eye on. I already told you about the 2009 Marine Corps Grand Prix schedule in North Carolina, which hopefully will mark my first duathlon. There are other races, more 5ks, a couple of 10ks, and with any luck - if I can stay free from injury long enough to train properly for it - a half marathon.

In short, I am excited for 2009, and all the possibilities it holds. I hope you are too.

I want to leave you with pictorial evidence of my latest adventure. I went snowshoeing yesterday. It was the last day before that Artic Cold snap reached us, and I wanted to take advantage of the relatively warm temps and get some fresh air and exercise. I am trying here to drop those 15 lbs. And I need to work to get it done!

I arrived at Thorn's Crag, parked (lots of available parking in the winter as you can see) strapped on the snowshoes, and took some scenic shots for you. This is my first time snowshoeing, although I have done a lot of cross-country skiing. We have about a foot or so accumulated snow. Just enough to play in.

This is the entrance way. That board you see in the distance is the Welcome sign for Thorn's Crag, with info on what wild life you're likely to find during the season, and trail maps. Beyond the sign is the main trail to the summit, with off-shoots branching off.
In the link I provided, you'll find a PDF for the trail map. My favorite route to the top is also the hardest. I take the blue trail to the upper loop of the yellow trail around the Anthony Fireplace. Then I connect to the orange trail, to the bottom of the green trail by the farmstead foundation. Then I climb the green trail the hard way - up hill all the way. It's a great workout. I get back to the Anthony fireplace and pick up the yellow trail again to the top of the red trail. Then I go down hill back to the Welcome Sign. I'll do that loop about three times. Before I call it a day, I may climb the red trail to the orange trail and do a complete orange to red loop. I may also throw in a white trail loop, linking with the bottom of the blue trail and the red.

There's my gear, waiting for me to get strapped in. I am going "Old School" with the snowshoes. Daddy insisted that I try them. Once I get going on the trails with the least bit of incline, I will regret not picking up the aluminum framed style with the fabulous crampons. Those are some serious cleats, and absolutely necessary, as I discovered. Somehow I managed. I became the queen, the master, of the climbing wedge technique. And I had to use my poles for extra leverage besides.

Just to show you that Mainers are serious about L.L. Beans.

And there I am - all strapped up.


According to the weather reports, our Artic cold snap will leave by the weekend. I can only hope. I'd like to head out again if the weather cooperates. Hopefully this time I'll be able to bring my digital camera with me, so you can see everything that I saw.

I followed deer tracks. One looked injured, by the tracks I saw. I saw a lot of deer skat, plus what is either the droppings of a LARGE dog (even though I never saw dog prints), a good sized coyote, or a small bear. I also saw rut-marks in a crab apple tree where deer have been trying to knock the old fruit off the top of the tree to get something to eat. I managed to help them out a bit with my poles. I left the old apples on the ground for them. The best part, really, all the tracks. Amazing. I've never seen so many in one place.
I will go back to Thorn's Crag to snow shoe. With any luck, I'll have snowshoes with better traction, and I'll bring my camera this time.

Until then... As always,
Love, Joy

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël! Feliz Navidad!

It's been a crazy few weeks. My semester ended. My folks arrived from North Carolina during finals. Winter unleashed it's fury.
It's been Happy Tidings all around.

But beyond the stress of the holiday season, we've had some enjoyable family moments. Here is my sister, my mom and me at our cousin's family Christmas party in New Hampshire.
I ate way too much delicious food.
It's going to be a battle to get back down to a healthy running weight over the next 8 to 12 weeks. But that is my goal.


Two weeks ago, my dad and I took advantage of a rare nice afternoon to take a few shots of what is known as Great Falls in our hometown. The Androscoggin River splits the "Twin Cities", and as the river approaches the downtowns of the two Cities of the Androscoggin, it drops over the Falls. These falls made it possible to create a canal system in the early 1800s, and it was the canal system that powered the largest concentration of mills in the North East. Yes, even larger than Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts.

It's been cold everywhere, but particularly cold here for early December.
In this shot, we've climbed an area known as West Pitch Park in "the other city", to get behind the falls. You can see that they are beginning to ice over.

In the distance, you can see a small section of the mill district of my city.



We're climbing higher into West Pitch Park, approaching the train trestle.
The character of the river changes above the falls. It's quiet and placid.

Behind the trestle.

On Christmas Morning.
The Great Falls have completely frozen.




I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday, despite the economic troubles we're facing and so many people out of work. It can be hard to remember what makes holidays special in stressful circumstances like these.

I just got home from our Christmas get-together at my sister's house. (Pictures were taken. I may or may not post those later.) Lots of great food. Sister-darling went overboard on the appetizers, and I went overboard in my consumption of them. Dinner was sensational. We always have a blast when we're all together. But I've noticed, even before this economic downturn, our holiday celebrations changing. It's not so much about the commercial side of Christmas, but a great excuse (not that we need one) to be together. I hope your holiday was as special.

I've been thinking about the year to come. What I want for myself. My goals. Ambitions. Secret desires. Grand dreams.

Here are my thoughts so far.
Regular readers will not be surprised that my overall goal has not changed - to be a kick-ass, hot little runner chick.
To continue on that path I need to:
Continue to rehab my Achilles. The tendonitis is still an issue, resulting initially from the calf pull in the Spring that I did not allow to heal completely before returning to running. That lead directly to the tear in my Achilles Tendon, and presto - Achilles Tendonitis.
It is doing better, but still needs two to three months of rest and rehab before I can start running again.

I'd like to enter in the 2009 Marine Corps Grand Prix in North Carolina. That's a series of races in the Fall, all taking place at Camp Lejeune and the various bases and stations associated with Lejeune. The schedule usually starts with a duathlon. There's the Marine Corps Half Marathon, and a series of 10k and 5k races.

Another major goal is to finish my degree. In this economy, perhaps the best place to be is in school getting my Masters. But I'd like to be well positioned when the economy (crossing my fingers) makes a recovery.

As for the secret desires and grand dreams...
I think I'll keep those to myself a bit longer. ;-}

Until next time...

Love, Joy

Nature Girl ~ City Girl

This past Saturday, sister-darling and I, along with handsome nephews 1 & 2, and gorgeous girlfriend of nephew #1, like how I name the people in my life?, took advantage of favorable weather and returned to Mt. Pisgah. I wanted to give you a view of the fire tower at the top.
Six flights, but the top two flights are really small, essentially it's 60 feet high. COLD as hell. Windy at the top. We loved it.

Here are, from left to right, handsome nephew #2, gorgeous girlfriend and her lucky beau, handsome nephew #1.

Nephew #1 took this shot of me at the top inside the fire tower.

Super secret message to handsome nephew #1: Sugar, next time - wait until my eyes are open. Or give me fair warning. But I still love you tons.

You are looking at a part of the trail. And yes, there really is a trail there.
Hiking through the woods takes a bit of know-how, and some familiarity with orienteering is helpful too - just in case of emergency.

My folks are up from North Carolina for the holidays. Plus, favorite-auntie is visiting for a day or so to do some family things with us. I have a full house.
Last night, daddy took us all out to dinner at DaVinci's Eatery, not far from my apartment. It's my favorite Italian restaurant. I had the Haddock Con Origano, and can I just say ~ oh my goodness, was it good!

What you're looking at here is the plaza outside the restaurant. DaVinci's is located in a historic, restored mill complex. The plaza is obviously beautiful decorated for the holidays, and it's much bigger than what you see here. In the summer, the community band plays weekly concerts here. It's a great place to take a walk.

At the table. Auntie-darling, me & the waitress.
Don't you love the antique Vespas on the wall? That's just two of them. They have the cutest baby-green Vespa! I Covet.

Sister-darling and I at the table.

Daddy and mom let us open our late-birthday/early Christmas presents last night.
Here we are receiving the most amazing citrine and garnet pendants.
Daddy spoils his girls terribly.

Our other gift, to round out the night and explain the title of the post, Daddy got us USMC Rucksacks, in Woodland Green Cammy, for longer hiking trips.

No picture of those packs yet, you have to wait until we use them this spring on a longer hike.
But here we are, posing for Auntie, wearing our gifts.

The best parents two very spoiled daughters could ever hope to have.
Daddy, aka Mac Marine, and his lovely bride, momma.


The snow you saw on the ground in the picture from dinner last night? Already gone. Today we've warmed up from our sub-freezing temps. It's raining all day today. With any luck the ground will dry out a bit and allow for one last hike before Winter descends for real.

Until next time...

Love, Joy

It's COLD at the top! (Mt. Pisgah & Monument Hill)

There are many things I'm thankful for. Living in a place as unique as Maine is high on that list. On Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, sister-darling and I were supposed to find a mountain and conquer it.
Friday dawned perfect but quickly turned nasty, with snow squalls that turned into rain. But Saturday was our day. The morning was picture perfect. By midday some clouds rolled in, but the weather held. We decided to stay close to home and try a few smaller peaks in the Winthrop Lakes region. First on the climb list: Mt. Pisgah, pronounced Piz-ka.
This is a shot of the trail head to the summit. There are two ways to the summit - this trail and a partially graded road/right-of-way to a pasture near the summit. The road also leads to a cell tower, hence the right-of-way, at the summit.

First we took the graded road to the pasture. This is the condition of a good portion of the road. The weather from the day before really did a number here. I tended to stick to the woods and blaze my own trail.

Reason being, my lovely trail shoes are not waterproof. They are steel-toed, steel-shanked, and cleated, but alas, not waterproof.
My Dunham Trail Walkers in the snow.

This is another shot of the graded road/right-of-way to the pasture and cell tower. (Oh, the town of Winthrop owns this summit, and they were the ones who allowed the cell tower to be placed here. Cretins.)
Here, I'm looking back at the trail head. Androscoggin Lake is in the distance.

At the pasture.

Another view at the pasture.

At the summit, taken from the fire tower at the top. I took a shot looking in each direction: North, South, East and West. Just don't ask me which is which at this point.





Except, I know that this is west, because this is Androscoggin Lake.


I took this short video from the top of the fire tower. It was 8 or so rickety flights of stairs to the top. The wind was blowing. The temps were probably in the low to mid-teens, without the windchill. And yes, you will hear me sniffling. My nose started to run, and I forgot my tissues in my jeep.
One part about being a Nature Girl, you get the good, the bad and the runny. Out in the wilderness, if something bad is going to happen, Nature often wins, and I'm not afraid to show you how real it gets. A little runny nose is the LEAST of what could have happened out there. Anyway, the view from the top is wonderful. Enjoy.


It was a quick drive to the second climb location. This is Monument Hill. Not as dramatic, but still a fun climb.

The trail head. It's messy.

Monument Hill is so-named because of the Civil War Monument erected at the top.

On each side of the obelisk is a plaque just like this one.

We were starting to lose the afternoon light. But the sun was just high enough to blacken our shots of the hills in the distance. I moved so the sun was behind a tree to get this shot, making it look like we're about to get caught in the dark at the top of the hill. Actually we had about an hour and a half of afternoon light left. If daddy is reading this, we were perfectly safe!

Snow, ice and amazing views.

There really is nothing I can say here, other than... This is where I live. It's beautiful.

Life in Maine is not easy, but this makes it tolerable.



Back at the bottom. My Jeep is the second vehicle. Janet is standing in front of a SUV that we thought belonged to other hikers. Not so. We didn't realize that Saturday was the last day of deer hunting season, except for muzzle-loading, which cuts down on the maximum effective range and is generally safer for everyone else in the woods.
Stupid of us to not know that it was the last day of deer season? - Yes.
I mention this because on the way up to the top, we ran into the hunters. Janet got nervous, because we likely ruined whatever set-up they had for the area. Meaning, if they laid out scent, or tree-stands, or had a buddy system set up for driving game to a particular area, our presence wrecked it. And I'm not sure that driving game is even legal.
Anyway, Janet was nervous. And there I was, "We have just as much right being on this hill as anyone." It's a hiking spot maintained by the Kennebec Land Trust (I think). The thing is, hunters really don't care all that much about who is allowed where, especially on the last day of hunting season.
We heard rifle fire. We saw tree bark and wood chips everywhere. So their accuracy and shoot-or-don't-shoot judgement was questionable at best. And I say this as someone who knows better, who took a hunter-safety course and knows what it means to take a righteous shot.

We went up, looked around, took some pictures, and went back down. Janet was clapping and humming. I was thinking of belting out a little Nirvana. There's nothing like a little Smells like Teen Spirit to keep the deer, and the deer hunters, away. But we made it down, free of extra holes. We didn't see the bark shooters again. It's likely, given the display of skill, their season ended in disappointment.

Regardless, we had a great day, and hope the weather holds out a bit longer to allow for at least one more climbing day before real winter hits.

Peace and love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We finally have some decent weather in my neck of the woods. Good enough that I'll probably be able to knock off five miles before and after dinner tomorrow. Now that's a reason to give thanks. (Not to diminish the gratitude I feel for my family, my health and the freedoms I enjoy as an American.)

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Peace & Love,
Joy

Good Questions (aka - getting spanked)

I love you people. Really I do. When I need a virtual slap upside the head, you always come through for me. Reaching into my mail bag...

"...Let me get this straight. You pulled your calf muscle running cold up a mountain trail. Less than two months later you're running on a beach in SC? Don't you think that's pretty stupid?..."

- Hanging my head. Yes. I do. I'm not known for patience, especially with myself. No excuses. I was stupid. Returning to heavy, high impact cardio contributed to extending the injury down the leg to the tendon.

"You know, if you don't let that tendon heal, acute Achilles Tendonitis will become CHRONIC tendonitis. Good luck running a marathon or climbing a mountain with that threatening to sideline you at any moment."

-Chin now on chest. I know. I'm sorry. I'm being good now.

"I don't understand. WHY are you gaining weight?"

-Lifting chin. I'm not anymore. I did. From early September to not that long ago was a difficult period. I was hobbled with the injury, getting less exercise, hence burning less calories. I'm a stress eater (with plenty of stress during that time to feed that compulsion), AND I hadn't adjusted my diet from when I was running three times a week. Eating the same as when I was cranking up the calorie burn, but without the calorie burn, usually results in weight gain. The damage is about 12 pounds. That's a lot. But I'm recovering.

"Was it wise to climb that mountain with your Achilles in that condition?"

-Yes. I was fine, careful. I felt really good in the assent. The descent was interesting. My quads were really starting to feel it towards the end. But the leg felt fine. I had no pain after the climb.

"You hiked FIFTEEN MILES with a knot in your Achilles? Are you stupid?"

-refusing to hang my head for this one. That was a great hike. I called it a hike because if the average person were to look at the course I plotted they would consider it a hike. It really was just a long walk. I took my time. I concentrated on using good form, especially in the hills, and keeping an even stride so I didn't put unnecessary stress on my Achilles. I stopped frequently to stretch the calf muscle to keep it from pulling on the Achilles too much. I took a break at mile 8 at my friends orchard. It wasn't until the last 2 miles that I started to feel it. And I took the next two days off to rest and recover. I'm fine. It was fun. I don't feel stupid at all.
And some light cardio (walking, or hiking for those who wish to consider it that way) is part of the recovery.

"With all this running and hiking, what's your plan..."

-flashing a big smile. Glad you asked. Sister-darling would like to tackle Mt. Katahdin next year. To do that we need to build up a climbing resume and do at least two 4,000+ climbs before we attempt it. She also wants to do Mt. Washington. Both are quite challenging.
On the running front, I want to participate in the 2009 Marine Corps Grand Prix in North Carolina. I missed it this year. The 2008 Grand Prix schedule started in late September with a Duathlon (running and biking). I'm putting my friend Mary on notice that I want her to help train me for this in 2009. I can come to Raleigh sweetie!
The Grand Prix also features a half-marathon that is cross-country on hard-packed dirt roads and trails, instead of all road running. That is a challenge for me because I am a renowned klutz. The Grand Prix has a points system for participating and placing, and culminates in an award ceremony. I don't plan on actually ranking, but I would like to do one of the 10ks and a 5k, in addition to the Duathlon and the half-mari.


"So are you stopping the bleeding as far as weight gain. Gaining weight just compounds the problem with the injury. If you don't reverse that, by the time your leg has healed, you won't be able to return to running anyway."

-Believe me, I know. I'm NOT gaining anymore. I came a little late to the party as far as adjusting my intake. I was still eating the same number of calories, but not burning the same.
I haven't weighed-in lately. (I've had a house guest.) But I hope to have some good news next week. And when I am able to get back to running, I'll have to start at the beginning, the building stage.
It's a lesson in patience that I definitely need.

"I think you should just stick with kayaking. I loved your pictures! Running is not good for you."

-You sound like my family. There is nothing wrong with distance running if you do it safely and maintain good form. It makes me happy. I hope to return to it once I am properly healed.
I also LOVE kayaking. It's a wonderful upper-body and core workout, and being on the river is amazing. Glad you liked those pictures. My poor camera suffered the ravages of brackish water. It was covered in salt when I was done.
Something that I have learned in this whole ordeal - it's not good to focus on one activity entirely. THAT is when you risk injury. I like being active. It's become a habit, making this forced rest almost unbearable. When I can return to full activity, I won't be focusing on just one thing. If I were to do nothing but kayak, with the way my luck has been lately, I'd probably pull a shoulder muscle or injure my rotator-cuff.


That was the best-of-the-best from the mail bag. Thanks for letting me know you care!

Until next time...
Love, Joy

Acai Insanity? and other observations

What is worse than being taken for a fool? Being the fool who knows better and jumps in willingly, eyes open, anyway.

That is how I feel about this massive marketing campaign we've been subjected to on the Miracles of the Ancient Acai Berry. Can you go anywhere, pick up any magazine, visit a single website, and NOT see an ad promising dramatic and easy weight loss? It's everywhere. Coffee houses. Whole Foods. Even my favorite little natural foods store where I buy Quinoa in bulk. I can't log on to Facebook and not see ad after ad trumpeting the miracle properties of this little fruit. I've gone past annoyed, and I'm firmly in the disgusted stage. I really dislike opportunists. And the people pushing the latest diet miracle are just that - opportunists.

The Acai has been around for millennia. It's a wonderful fruit from South & Central America, and it has many positive health benefits. It's low in calories and high in fiber. It's rich in antioxidants, like other highly-pigmented dark berries. But if that one little berry could really make you lose 47 pounds in three weeks, as the worst of the ads claim, we'd have known about that long before now. I put a link to a great article about the Acai berry at the bottom of this post. Read it. There's some interesting facts that the miracle diet hunters need to see.

I'm going to go not-so-far out on a very sturdy limb and guess that the people who are paying five-times the price of any other berry for Acai are losing weight because they are eating a cup of berries for 60 calories, instead of 800 calories worth of M&Ms. Do that every day for a week, and that substitution alone saves you 5,180 calories. Since one pound is 3,500 calories, the potential loss is 1.5 pounds, again - with that one substitution. They could have the same results with any low-calorie, high-fiber substitution.
So can you lose weight spending a fortune eating Acai berries? Sure you can. Just drop the bon-bons, and eat this ridiculously priced fruit. You'll be light everywhere, including the pocket book.
Seriously, do yourself, and local American farmers a favor. Eat Blueberries.

On to a few updates...

I've had a visitor recently. Mom is up from the land of 50,000 Marines. She's become unaccustomed to the nearly freezing temps in Maine during late-autumn, my poor little southern blossom. Mom flew up on sister-darling's birthday, and helped me celebrate my birthday this past weekend.
Yes, that's right. I'm a year older. Yes, I indulged. We will not speak of it. ;~}

I'd like nothing more than to report that my Achilles Tendon is well on the way to a full recovery. It's not. It will take more time and patience on my part. Not to mention stretching of the calf muscle and manipulation of the knot in the tendon to break-up the scar tissue that formed around the tendon as a result of the pull. It's Achilles Tendonitis, by the way. And it's testing my famously limited patience.

Hard core cardio is but a distant memory. I'm up 12 pounds. And I miss running. But I am clear for a few walks a week, as long as I stretch well, take my time, and stop if discomfort becomes pain.

Just to give you something new to look at, here is a picture of part of my fair city. In the distance, in the upper right, you can see Apple Sass Hill, the big hill that I've mentioned so often that is a featured component in my five-mile walks or runs.

This is the hill that broke the camel's back, or rather the tendon fibers. If you look back to either my May or June posts, and find the Megachile post, you'll read the story of how I first injured my calf being stupid. Regular readers are all too familiar with this sad tale. If you remember, I was doing some hiking and a little cross-country running at "Thorncrag" and started up a steep trail without warming up enough. After far too much hill work already that running season, an overuse injury was inevitable at that point.

I rested (kinda-sorta), and did a little light running this summer during my visit to the Carolinas. I returned, feeling fine, having replaced my running shoes (it was time), and was raring to hit the road. The road hit back. In a sprint up Apple Sass, I could actually feel the damage as it was happening. I stopped, but it was too late.

Clearly, I'm not a good example lately. So let me serve as a proper warning.
Cross train. Don't neglect important things like stretching and days of rest. Cycle your activities so you are not working the same muscles every day. Be kinder to yourself than I've been for the last few months.

I have no idea how long it will take to lose those 12 pounds that I've gained since the week of September 8th, with my activity significantly reduced from my normal routine. I'm down to yoga, stretching exercises, and the occasional GENTLE, SLOW walk. But keep an eye on me - I'll get there.

Until next time,
Love, Joy

From WebMD.com: Acai Berries and Acai Berry Juice-- What are the Health Benefits?

WebMD News Watch: View From ADA: The Latest Buzz in Nutrition

This article was interesting reading. I recommend reading all of Kathleen Zelman's, WebMD Director of Nutrition, blog in full by clicking on the link at the end of my post.

A couple of weeks ago, the American Dietetic Association had their annual food and nutrition conference in Chicago.

Now, any time you get a few thousand registered dietitians together in one place, WEIGHT LOSS will be discussed. From Kathleen: "How could dietitians convene and not talk about weight loss? There was no magic bullet here, but more studies confirming that tried and true methods such as regular weighing, keeping food records, being physically active, eating slower and the use of meal replacements are working to help people lose weight and keep it off."

The only thing I disagree with there, the idea of meal replacements. Replace a meal? How about we just eat a meal, make it a light one if need be.

The idea of going green with our food pantries created the biggest buzz.  It comes as no surprise, given the typical American diet - heavy on the highly-processed convenience foods, drive through's, non-local, exotic boutique foods, and disposable philosophy, that we have the biggest nutritional carbon footprint of any nation on Earth.

Kathleen noted, "What you eat, how far it is shipped, packaging materials, and how much you waste all contribute to your carbon footprint... To reduce our carbon footprint we need to be more energy efficient in food selection, waste and in our kitchens.

"Simple tips to live a more energy efficient life include eating fewer processed foods, cutting back on disposable products and reducing food and kitchen waste. We can also become more energy efficient if we just cut the number of calories we eat each day.
In addition to having health benefits, eating a plant-based diet is green friendly because it requires less energy than most animal products to produce. Experts urged attendees to move the meat off the center of the plate and eat more plant foods, especially ones grown locally using sustainable growing methods."

Is it better to eat local, seasonal vegetables? I believe so. One, it supports local farmers, and frankly, they could use all the support they can get. Two, your food is right from the field or tree. It hasn't sat in an 18-wheeler for four days traveling from coast to coast, or in a shipping container for a couple of weeks on it's ocean voyage around the world. The burden of transporting our food, even if it ends up being cheaper than local (for some reason beyond understanding) should give you serious pause. Fresher food is more nutritious, simply because it hasn't sat around leaching out it's vitamins and minerals or been sprayed with chemical preservatives to artificially keep them in.

Does that mean that my sweet Curried Quinoa Salad, made with mangos, should become a savory salad with fresh, local winter squash instead? Perhaps. Wouldn't hurt. Last week, I paid almost $3 a pound for mangos. Yesterday I paid $0.59 a pound for local squash. I stocked up on spaghetti squash, acorn, butternut, buttercup. It was a windfall, a cornucopia of Autumn brilliance.

It hasn't escaped my notice that I mentioned one of my favorite dishes, (not to toot my own horn too much, but this dish is freaking amazing!) Quinoa salad. Quinoa is grown in South America, places like Peru and Bolivia. I do believe my carbon footprint just went up. But some concessions must be made. I do live in Maine, after all. As I look out my window, I notice that NOTHING is growing right now. And in a few more weeks, these brown, bare limbs will be covered in a blanket of white. We can't all live in Southern California and Florida, getting all the fresh exotic produce. Some of us have to live in the snow belt, and pay more for the privilege.

So I'm balancing out the burden I'm placing on the planet by buying Quinoa, an excellent vegetarian protein source, with buying as much of everything else from local sources as I can. I support my friend Renee and her orchard. I visit the farmer's market and make the rounds of the local farm stands. Short of relocating 3,000 miles away, I'm making the best decisions, nutritionally as well as globally, as I can.

You?

WebMD News Watch: View From ADA: The Latest Buzz in Nutrition

Semper Fidelis

Two Hundred twenty-three years ago, on the 10th of November 1775, at Tuns Tavern, Philadelphia, a group of patriots created the Continental Marines.
This Monday, we honor the bravery and valor of those first warriors and all who have earned the title of United States Marine.

From 8th & I to Camp Lejeune, from Pendelton to Okinawa, from the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, in "every clime and place", the men and women who wear the Eagle, Globe and Anchor will stop, and pause, and honor those who came before them, who wore the uniform with pride. Not every Marine will attend a Birthday Ball, but every Marine knows this date and marks it in their mind, and their heart.

I expect a reveille call at Zero-dark-30 from daddy. I'll be told to heave to and trice up, and swab all decks fore and aft. There will likely be compulsory singing of the Marine Corps Hymn. Just par for the course.
Later in the day I'll be giving a pint of blood to the Red Cross. That is how I plan on honoring the day.

If you have no connection to the United States Marine Corps, the day may pass without notice. But for thousands of families from Eastern North Carolina to Southern California, Hawaii, Japan, and wherever salty old Devil Dogs and those who love them call home, November 10th holds profound significance.

To them I say, Semper Fidelis.

Boo!

I'm just splashing up some quick pics today. I'm leaving to go out for sushi with my cousins in a few minutes, and they hate it when I'm late.

I just wanted to check in and let you all know that I'm doing fine. It's a wonder what pushing yourself past the point of exhaustion will do for your disposition.
Plus, a bit of time spent with the people who matter can put life into perspective as well.
This is my great-aunt Anita. I spent Friday hanging out with her. After a quick lunch, we went shopping - our favorite activity. I bought a new winter coat, a backpack at L.L. Beans, then we got ready for the ghouls and goblins to descend like locusts on the fields in search of candy.

Ma grande tante Anita lives in a great neighborhood. These are some of her neighbors. Everyone decorates for Halloween. I had TOO many pictures of everybody's yards, carved pumpkins glowing in the dark. Far too many to show here. Trust me - it was a great night.

More neighbors having a great time.

People just wander the neighborhood grazing on random food tables. No need to cook dinner tonight. It's one big neighborhood potluck & block party.

This is a hoot to see every year. My sister also lives in this neighborhood. This is one of her neighbors. He hooks up a trailer to his ATV, stacks hay bails on the trailer, and hauls around 30+ neighborhood kids around the streets. The parents walk behind. By the end of the night, the kids are so jacked-up on candy they are running around, while the exhausted parents hitch a ride on the hay bails.



Yesterday, I was supposed to go climbing. My climbing partner bailed on me, citing the first day of hunting season as a reason. I suppose that's wise. I was still disappointed. So I plotted a route from my apartment that would take me to the south side of town, and eventually to my friend's apple orchard. Then my route took me along the river, through an industrial park (unfortunately) and back through the center of town to home. It was a 15 mile hike.

I didn't bring my camera with me. These pics are from last month when I drove to the orchard.

Everyone needs to have a best friend with an apple orchard! The benefits are obvious.

The benefits include more than all the apples I could ever want. She has lovely stuff in her store too!
I had Acorn Squash for dinner last week, and there's a very pretty pumpkin on my table waiting for me to experiment with a new recipe. Pumpkin Curry with Lentils and Apples, if anyone is curious. Keep your eye out for that later. It should be yummy!

My BFF got two of the prettiest little girls a couple of years ago. Mini-donkeys. This is the view of their yard from the orchard store.


I have to go get ready for dinner. Chef Ando at Ben Kay in Portland makes the best Nori Maki rolls.

I leave you with a laughing donkey.

Smile, even if you don't feel like it. As I've recently discovered, it helps.

Until next time...

Love, Joy

Quick Food Journal

As promised, here's today's full food disclosure.

Sunday, October 26, 2008
Daily Points Allowance					23
Food				Points +/-	Countdown
Breakfast: Dannon Light & Fit yogurt w/ 1/2 c berries				-2	21
Medium apple				-1	20
Lunch: Campbell's Select Harvest Light Maryland-style Crab Soup (whole can)				-3	17
2 TB grated Parmesan cheese, sprinkled on soup				-1	16
Sandwich: Boca "Bruschetta" Patty, on Arnold Multigrain Sandwich Thin, 2 TB Taboule, 1c shredded Romaine lettuce				-3	13
Snack: Med. Apple w/ 2 TB Natural Peanut Butter				-6	7
Dinner: 4oz Broiled Mahi-Mahi				-2	5
1c Quinoa Pilaf (Note to self: post recipe this week)				-4	1
2c Steamed mixed vegetables with 5 sprays of Olivio				-1	0
Totals				23 pts used	0 remaining
H2O Servings: 60 oz	F/V Servings: 10	Dairy Servings: 1	Oil Servings: 1	Vitamin: √	WPAs Remaining: 20
Daily Activity Log - Nada			Calories Burned: 0	APs Earned: 0	APs Used: 0
Weekly Activity - 0 sessions, 0 TTL Time			Calories Burned: 0	APs Earned: 0	APs Used: 0

I was once asked, what does your plate look like when you are doing what you are supposed to, following your food plan?
THIS is what my plate looks like. Tonight's dinner:


Notice that half the plate is vegetables, a quarter is Quinoa, the World's most perfect grain, and the last quarter is the protein - in this case, fish.

Chalk one day to moving forward, climbing out of the 8 lb hole.

Until next time...

Climbing Mountains

There's a quote from an old silent film star that I've been trying to remember this week. I couldn't remember her name, but I remembered part of the quote. A few minutes on Google this morning and I finally found it:

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.
-Mary Pickford

I want to thank you all for picking me up this week. I'm not staying down. I'm climbing mountains - literally.

That is me on the summit of Bald Mt in Weld, Maine. October 18th.

My sister and I set out for the western mountains early that cold Saturday morning. It wasn't a far drive from where I live.
The temps were in the low 40's (Fahrenheit) in the foothills of home, and dropped the higher we got into the mountains. It was below freezing on the summit, probably in the mid-20's.
If you'd like to see more of the climb (what photo's I have, because someone hasn't sent them all to me yet) I have put them all into a slideshow for you.

Remember with these slideshows that you can control the photo progression using the buttons that pop up when you hover your mouse over the pictures. The default speed in Picasa is fast, and I can't change that. Just hit play, pause when you need to, and enjoy the sights of Bald Mt.



I've also been climbing figurative mountains. I went to my last WW meeting and weighed in for the first time in a month. 8 lbs higher, but I'm battling back.
I'm taking a lesson from Roni, and returning to my strict journaling.

I always journal, sometimes lazily, but I haven't posted a food journal in a LONG time. Actually posting what I eat, every single bite, on the blog, is what I do when I'm in crisis mode. Being 8 lbs up definitely qualifies as crisis mode.
Keep an eye out for that post tonight.
I'm not sure how the table will look to those who read JAJ (this blog) on an RSS Reader. Hopefully the HTML coding will view correctly. To anyone who follows me on Facebook or Myspace, and my table looks screwy, just click on the title of the post to be connected directly to JAJ.

I said I am climbing mountainS. Plural. Saturday was Bald Mt. A fun, challenging climb. Sunday I returned to Thorn's Crag, the little nature preserve on the outskirts of town. After Bald, the green trail up the backside of the 'crag was nothing.

Monday I visited Bradbury Mountain in Pownal. I used to think it was a challenge. I did the summit twice from different trails, and would have climbed it a few more times if I wasn't cut short by sunset. Here are a few shots of Bradbury.

On the main trail to the summit.
Dappled sunlight through the pines.

At the summit.
It's pretty at the top, but after scaling Bald, this was a bit of a disappointment in the challenge department.

Casco Bay and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.

Quaint pastoral view.
Where I live in Maine could be described as stereotypical. Pretty farms. Forest. Mountains. Ocean.
Sometimes it's hard not to take that for granted.
These moments are precious. It's good to be reminded that the place we call home is special.

On the way down.
But there will be other climbs ahead.


As always, until next time...
Love, Joy