Where is Spring?

We are cold here in South Carolina.  It is barely 50 degrees as I write this and it’s going down.  The only really good thing about the cooler temperatures is that the azaleas are spectacular this year and they are lasting much longer than usual.  I think even Augusta is happy right now.  Their azaleas just might make it to the tournament without having to be iced.  Our normal temperatures are in the 70’s and maybe a few low 80’s this time of year.  Instead we are drinking hot soup (yes, it is my favorite vegetable soup to which I added some healthy kale) and sitting in front of the fireplace.  That was one of the reasons I left Canada because I spent most of the winter months curled up in the fetal position in front of the fire trying to get warm.  Didn’t expect that down here but this winter is one for the record books with the snowfall and the cold.

Adventures in Walking

This was a pretty big week for walking. The first adventure was on a hunt for the eaglets.  It was a good long walk,  5.65 miles and took me out to the far end of the island.  My good friend Genie came with me as we hunted for them.  We actually thought we had spotted the parents and that the eaglets were still in the next but were surprised to learn that what we saw were the eaglets.  Somehow I imagined they would be these cute little eaglets in their nest instead they look about the same size as the parents and they were sitting out on the branches next to their nest.  No color on them at all, I gather it takes a year or so before they get their grownup feathers.  This picture shows them in profile against a bit of a gray sky.  The nest is huge and has been registered with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.  I hope this means it is a protected nest as the parents will probably come back again next year.  Continuing on the walk we stopped at the new kayak dock that is to open in about a week.  It looks pretty easy to use but I haven’t had an opportunity to use it so I can’t confirm that.  However, while there, Genie and I managed to spy a dolphin fishing quite close by.  He was too shy to have his picture taken but it was lovely to see one there.

Following that walk was a big bridge training walk mid-week.  My walking pal, Merilyn and John’s cousin Anne came with me on this adventure.  We parked by the bridge and walked over and then kept on walking to the Spanish Moss Trail at Mile 2.  We walked that for about a mile and half and then turned around and headed back.  The round-trip was 7.5 miles.  The really adventurous part was walking over the bridge.  We were greeted by a 30 to 35 mile head wind as we walked across.  Our bodies were literally bending in the wind.  No keeping a hat on my head but I caught it before it went in the river.  I can honestly say I have never walked in such conditions.  When we got back we heard on the radio that they were warning trucks and cars with items on top of them to be careful because the gusts were so powerful.  I can vouch for that!

The final big walk of the week was when I joined about 400 people in the Beaufort March for Our Lives and went over the swing bridge into Beaufort and back out again.  It was very moving to see so many people come out and support our young in this fashion.  One of the most amazing experiences was when the young woman who appeared to be the organizer, asked us all to be silent for 17 minutes.  I haven’t ever heard a large crowd be quiet for that period of time.  It was quite extraordinary.  Just the sound of birds and a bit of traffic in the distance.  Even the people sitting in cafes next to the park drinking coffee and watching the goings on were quiet.  What wonderful respect.

Wyke and Friends

 

Wyke joined me on a couple of walks this week but he didn’t get to go on the two that were off island as it wasn’t appropriate to bring him along.  We did go on a second eaglet search and saw the eaglets but couldn’t get a picture but I did get a picture of a very large hawk that was eventually chased off his perch by some crows.  Anyway, I decided that we needed to have a play date for Wyke and a couple of his beautiful buddies.  He was overjoyed to have Morgan and Bailey come for a 1/2 hour romp through our yard and azaleas.  They were so good and played beautifully together.  Bailey is a Field Spaniel and all black so it is hard to see him in the picture, the other buddy, Morgan, is a Springer Spaniel who is black and white, you can see him a bit better.

G-BOMBS

It has been sometime since I have talked about G-BOMBS.  These are foods that we all should try and eat every day.  They are full of natures goodness and will go a long way to keeping us healthy, especially as we get older.  Don’t you think the title goes well with Dynamic Ageing?  Me too.  Here they are.  Do your best to get a selection into your diet, every, single day!  Here is a link to more information on the Blue Zones website.

G = Greens
B = Beans
O = Onions
M = Mushrooms (even the little white ones are ok)
B = Berries
S = Seeds

One way you can do this is to make a granola with seeds in it, think flax seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds.  Greens are simple, have a salad or add kale or spinach to a smoothie.  The above mentioned soup has greens (kale), beans (lentils), onions, and now it is going to have mushrooms added to it.  My favorite breakfast is frozen blueberries with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt and topped with John’s famous granola.  It is time to resurrect that recipe I think.  Here it is to refresh your memory:

John’s Famous Granola

Mix in a large bowl:

3 cups Rolled Oats
Generous portion of Sliced Almonds
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
1/4 cup Flax Seeds
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
3/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Coconuet Oil

Stir all together and then bake for about an hour at 250, scrape and stir and then another hour at 250 and then add

1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Craisins
1 to 2 Tablespoons of Cinnamon

Store in an airtight container for a couple of weeks if you can make it last that long.  When I serve it to myself I add Vitamin D drops and 3 or 4 walnuts.  My doctor has recommended a very concentrated version of Vitamin D so I take 5 drops a day which is about 5000 i.u. supposed to protect my heart.  Let’s hope it does.

Have a great week, Love Louise