#118 Summer, Autumn, Christmas 2021
Beginning to see a theme here? When people come visit us we usually end up in the ocean.
A few days after returning home from the 2021 section hike I received a message from Princess. It was the first message I received from her since missing her message the week prior on a mountain side when I didn’t see her and kept hiking that read, “Where are you going?”
Her new message was to inform me that she’s not coming to North Carolina to participate in two Spartan races with me because of the events of the last day on the trail. She was still upset with me and needed time.
My second Spartan of the year was held about five miles from my home in Fayetteville, NC. For that I was thankful, because it was the biggest of the three (thirteen miles), and it’s location meant I wouldn’t have to drive a long distance afterward. It was a terrific and difficult course. I guess if it weren’t difficult there’d be no pride in completing it.
Once completed I went to the water hose area to knock the sweat and mud off every inch of my body, then straight to the pool when I got home for cool water therapy.
(The first spartan (three miles/20 obstacles) was held in the spring before this year’s section hike)
My nephew and his fiancé came to visit us. They had never been backpacking so we spent the Fourth of July on Shackleford Banks just off the coast of North Carolina. As an added bonus, a few of the wild ponies walked by our camp after sunset while fireworks silently exploded behind them, miles away on the mainland.
Road Kill, her husband, and their daughter spent several days visiting with us. We were planning to camp on Shackleford Banks, but it was miserably hot. We opted to rent a cabin in a campground near the coast and hang out on Shackelford banks the next day.
Hurley, Problem Child, and Tawa came out for the northern half of our N.C. coast gypsy trip - the Outer Banks.
I still owe you that story. We survived a very dangerous storm—we weren’t sure we’d survive the night on the small island. We were chased into our small tents when a line of black clouds devoured the blue sky, bringing with them to-close-for-comfort lighting and strong winds that blew so fierce that…… oh, sorry, I’ll have to wait until the full story of that week is written to share.
Beginning to see a theme here?
When people come visit us we usually end up in the ocean.
Third Spartan - Asheville, NC (eight miles) Spartan was held about four hours from home, so I drove up the evening before and slept in the bed of my truck at a campground near where the event was being held. This one came on the heals of Hurley, Problem Child, and Tawa aforementioned trip. They woke up at my place yesterday and headed to Virginia to white water raft and I headed to my race.
My wife and I met her family for the annual family vacation. Fortunately we met in my home town that year. We usually drive there anyway after these vacations.
Our first stop was to see our son at the restaurant where he’d recently began working. We were glad to see him begin getting his footing in the world. Damn it was good to see him caring about something; it’s been a long time coming.
Farm markets and other venues slowly began opening up in late summer. It seemed none of them wanted to be the first to open in the new post-Covid era, though it seemed the general public was ready to step out of the comfort zone and move forward.
I for one was ready to get on with the work of rebuilding my business, as most business owners were. I participated in as many venues as were available within a reasonable driving distance and did very well in most of them. It seemed as though shoppers were ready to get out too.
It was nice watching people happily walking out of my canopy holding my art in their hands. I began selling almost weekly at a local farm market where I met some great people and made a few friends.
I began seeking answers to my breathing troubles earlier this spring, as it seems they aren’t going away. I began with my regular doctor, who sent me to a pulmonologist, who, after many tests over the course of several visits, concluded my lungs are perfect.
Back to square one; my regular doctor. She then sends me to a cardiologist, who also runs a series of test throughout autumn who also found nothing.
He said,“ Be patient, I’ll figure it out.”
December - We went home for Christmas to visit with family. All was peaceful. My son seemed to be on the right track in life. Everyone was healthy. It was a good visit.
After all the Christmas gatherings and before New Years Eve my friends and I had our annual campout - a long standing tradition.
January 2022
In the first week of January the cardiologist sent me to have a CT scan. He set up an appointment to discuss the results for about ten days after the scan. A couple of days after the scan he called and told up to get to his office immediately. He did indeed figured it out.
He put the image onto a screen and showed me where I had 50% blockage in the LAD artery—he used the term the widow maker—then showed me a few other areas in my heart where there was significant blockage.
I was relieved that someone finally figured it out. Well, figured something out, because he said he didn’t believe the blockage had anything to do with my breathing issues (always feeling like I’m at ten thousand feet elevation), but it was good to find the heart problem.
My regular doctor was surprised. She said she never thought for a second that it was my heart, with me being as active as I am.
What will all this mean for my future hiking aspirations?
…..to be continued…..
