Robinson Park

On more than one occasion I have been told to "go take a hike".  So I did!  Today I went to Robinson Park.  I parked in the lot on the north side of Mossville Road and trekked on the paths on that side of the road.  I made a big loop rather than go on the leg that went to Camp Wokanda.  There are some very steep slopes and I did take advantage of a log bench (and sometimes just a log) to rest a couple of times and I know I got my heart rate up pretty good several times! 

I crossed Mossville Road and hiked around a short loop and then to the bottom of the bluff by way of a different trail.  I was surprised at how many people were out walking today.  The trails were not crowded, but I did see quite a few people.  Saw some deer tracks, but no deer.  I will go to the park again and try the path going on to Camp Wokanda.  It is worth the trip if you enjoy hiking!

Some photos of the North trails:

 

 And from the South Trail:

Rusty old pump

Another rusty old pump

Old storm cellar?

Again, going down is easier than going up!

I'm glad I took a hike!

Pimiteoui Trail

On a recent walk through Lower Glen Oak Park, I mentioned a trail from Grandview Drive to Forest Park Nature Center.




I decided to check it out again today.  The trail from Grandview Drive begins at the first look-out after turning off Prospect Avenue.  There is signage there about the Pimiteoui Trail and Grandview Drive.

There is a sidewalk on the left side of the outcrop and a path on the right side.  Both lead to the steps that are the beginning of the trail.

I didn't notice the sidewalk until today.  The path is clear of debris, but has a pretty steep slope at times.  Down is much easier than up!

Very quiet in the woods. 





A variety of plant life.

Eagle Scouts built bridges.


My goal is to make it all the way before the end of summer.  I need
to get in shape first.  I turned around at the last hill with all the steps.

Rancor

The rancor and hostility is getting to me. From the political to the blogs, it seems that there are very few kind words left in the vocabulary of some posters on blogs and forums. Heck, people I know are attacking each other on Facebook! I do not have to agree with someone to show some respect toward them. Sometimes that show of respect is to say nothing. Is it the political season that has people on edge? Is this the season for the one line zingers? It seems that it is not safe to ask a question or state an opinion without worrying about the coming attacks, either directly or in the form of the most vile YouTube video that can be found. Rumor is passed as fact and grudges are held. Sad. End of rant.

Left of Moderate

I admit it, I am to the left of moderate although I seldom vote a "straight ticket". I voted for Barack Obama last time and it looks like I will do so again. I might actually have been able to vote for Mitt Romney if he voiced the same opinions he did several years ago. I even voted for Ronald Reagan. I guess I would be called an "issues voter".

I have reached the age for Social Security and Medicare, so guess what, I earned them and I need them. I support a woman's right to choose although my personal choice is to birth a child and think adoption is a wonderful choice. It is not an easy choice, but one that I believe should be between the woman and her doctor. I believe that contraceptives should be available, either to prevent pregnancy or treat disorders such as PCOS. I believe that Planned Parenthood provides important services to improve women's health. I have had medical tests done there.

I believe the "Citizen's United" decision was a mistake. I am impressed by Ben & Jerry of ice cream fame and their "Get the Dough Out of Politics" campaign.

I believe that the country needs tax reform now, not later.

I believe that trickle down economy has not trickled anywhere because of the "dams" that were built to keep the wealth within the "1%". I believe in the old adage "you have to spend money to make money". Spend money on road repair, rail development where it is logical, bridge replacement, etc.

My definition of "separation of church and state" does not include government legislating religious values. I support "gay marriage' (oh, how I hate that phrase) or civil unions and the rights that they give the partners, including the right to adopt.

Each of these beliefs can be argued against, but these are deeply held beliefs and I see no way that I will change them. I will not argue politics. It serves no purpose. People to the right of moderate believe their beliefs as strongly as I believe mine.

No name calling or insults.

This Is The Year That Was

2011 started out just fine. As usual, I was comfortably in the house while the ball dropped in Times Square. When vacation ended, I went back to work, again as usual. Well, not as usual. I didn't want to go back. The handwriting was on the wall for me. I looked forward to every day off and every weekend, frustration was simmering. Had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend in Brown County, Indiana where we celebrated my grandson, Evren's second birthday. The pot boiled over on June 10th when I decided at 8:10 AM that it would be my last day. With four hours of personal time, the day ended at 12 Noon for me. I turned in my keys & phone and retirement began.

Ten days later, my second grandson, Milo, was born. I have made the drive to north of Detroit twice since then. Early in August, we had a family reunion. It was there that I was told that I would be a grandma for the fourth time. I was called aside and shown a picture of a sonogram on my son's cell phone. Tears and congratulations followed.

September came and went. October saw my granddaughter Angie's 6th birthday, my 67th birthday and the second trip to the Detroit area. In November, I became a statistic with the occurrence of a home invasion. I wasn't hurt and things can be replaced. I was more pissed than anything. I have to admit to being somewhat paranoid for a time. Two by fours braced the doors for awhile. Door alarms were purchased and installed.

I have started volunteering at the animal shelter (PAWS) and am thinking about a couple of other volunteer opportunities. Money is tight, but I am not going without anything I need or really want and am grateful that so far I don't have to work. I am enjoying retirement. I have picked up a crochet hook for the first time in years and nearly always have a project going.

It took several months for me to stop waking up early as if I had to get ready for work, but that has passed and now I can easily sleep in!

As Christmas draws to a close, I reflect on just how much I have to be grateful for, and it is a lot. I have settled into a "life of leisure" and look forward to the birth of my fourth grandchild (another girl, by the way). I truly count my blessings as I look forward to 2012. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Why Did I Wait So Long

There is a little store front not far from home. I have driven past it numerous times but never stopped. It is now on my list of places to check out now and then. Second Time Around Consignment Shop is located just south of the corner of Prospect and McClure. It is cluttered with all sorts of things! I found several items to add to a couple of my collections and saw numerous items of interest that I didn't need. It was a fun visit.

I went home and rounded up a few items from the basement to take back to the shop and try to sell on consignment. I refuse to invest the time to have a garage sale, so this is a viable option.

If you haven't been to Second Time Around, it is certainly worth a visit. They have been in business on that corner for 20 years.

Garbage

So, the City of Peoria is considering raising the "garbage fee" to $14.00 a month. It is not a lot of money and I have not complained about the $6.00 fee, even though I do not like paying it, but this is ridiculous! If taxes (I believe the fee is a tax) need to be raised, I would rather see a small increase in property tax than increasing the garbage fee. Raising the garbage fee seems like the coward's way out. "Gee, people won't vote for me if I vote to raise taxes". Well, I for one, won't vote for any councilperson who votes to raise the garbage fee. With a small increase in property tax folks in $200,000 houses and roll out three toters of garbage each week would be paying their fair share.

I don't want to be forced to buy a particular toter either. I have one that is the perfect size for my single-person household. The huge ones from PDC will not fit between my vehicle and the house. Some of us who live in the older neighborhoods have very narrow driveways. I had one of their brown toters to begin with, it did not fit without moving a vehicle. The old green one from Waste Management was shaped a little differently and would barely fit, but it did.

To sum it up, I will be looking at how the votes go on these issues. Those votes (along with the museum and the "wonderful development" will help determine how I vote in the next council elections.