A tri-colored heron showing us how to do it.
Fishing
A tri-colored heron showing us how to do it.
Health update
Had a good conversation with a cardiologist. He resolved the apparent contradiction between the two tests I’ve taken, one of which said my heart was in great shape and the other which suggested I was in grave danger. The “grave danger” one said I have too much plaque accumulated on my arteries. The other one, the treadmill exercise test, said there was nothing wrong at all.
Clarification. He said “Of course you have plaque on your heart. You’re sixty years old.” Are there any obstructions in my circulatory system? Probably. Are there any significant ones that obstruct blood flow? No. That would have shown up on the stress test.
He thinks I need to lower my cholesterol to slow the accumulation of plaque, but otherwise, I’m a healthy guy. This is an explanation I like. I’m sticking with it.
Health update
Had a good conversation with a cardiologist. He resolved the apparent contradiction between the two tests I’ve taken, one of which said my heart was in great shape and the other which suggested I was in grave danger. The “grave danger” one said I have too much plaque accumulated on my arteries. The other one, the treadmill exercise test, said there was nothing wrong at all. Clarification. He said “Of course you have plaque on your heart. You’re sixty years old.” Are there any obstructions in my circulatory system? Probably. Are there any significant ones that obstruct blood flow? No. That would have shown up on the stress test. He thinks I need to lower my cholesterol to slow the accumulation of plaque, but otherwise, I’m a healthy guy. This is an explanation I like. I’m sticking with it.
What a day
We drove to the top of Independence Pass and spent some time on the tundra. A twelve thousand foot start, for our hike across the grassy rolling fields to higher and higher ridges. A slow pace to accommodate the altitude. We watched for birds. Judy kept counting the different kinds of wildflowers, but countless times lost track and started over. Snowfields and collapsing cornices. We stayed on the trail. Judy stopped in her tracks pointing to a spot in the grass and flowers next to us. It was a baby bird that scurried off the trail just before she stepped on it. The bird turned invisible two feet away, and didn’t move. If you look away you lose it and it’s really hard to find again. We tried to figure out what kind of baby it was. I was hoping maybe white-tailed ptarmigan with a defense of holding perfectly still, just like its parents. We looked all around for the pack of adults. We walked fifty feet away, sat down, and waited for mom to come to the rescue. Finally, a horned lark flew in. Baby jumped up and off they ran through the grass together. We say we’re birding, but really we’re just out there soaking up whatever happens. Horned larks, white crowned sparrow, american pipits. It was a good day.