An Enchanting Challenge

One of the things I enjoy about my new healthier lifestyle is being able to do active things for the first time in more than twenty years. Just three years ago I couldn't even spend an hour shopping without having to stop and rest. Since my weight loss, I enjoy walking for exercise; although I must admit I don't do it as often as I should. Before Grandad got sick we were walking about two miles five times a week. He doesn't have the stamina for long walks now, so I walk without him. Over the long hot summer I have seriously slacked off. Okay, truth be told, I haven't walked more than three times all summer.

The last time I attempted a mid-morning walk, I was taking care of my grand-dog, Minnie. Now, if you know anything about Jack Russell Terriers you'll know that they have more than a little bit of energy. A daily walk and lots of exercise is the only way to keep them under control and Minnie loves her walks. If you even spell the word walk, she'll go get her leash and stand by the door. Seriously, she knows that W-A-L-K spells walk. She also recognizes that a walk might be in store if you just put on your tennis shoes. This dog loves to walk.


Fast forward to the middle of June when Grams took Minnie for a walk at around 10 o'clock one morning. As usual, Minnie was excited. She started out prancing down the sidewalk and straining at the end of her leash for Grams to walk faster. By the time we had walked two blocks, her gait had slowed and she was not so excited. As we walked our third and fourth blocks, Minnie slowed significantly and even stopped any time we came to a shady spot. In the fifth block we came to a yard with a huge shade tree. Now, I'll be the first to admit that it was hot and the shade created by the tree felt really nice. Minnie seemed to agree, because she just walked into the grass, plopped herself down in the shade and would not take another step. Seriously, she was hot and tired and would not be moved. After standing there holding the leash for a few minutes, Grams realized that Minnie was done and was not going to walk another step. So after a few minutes of tugging on the leash and coaxing, Grams ended up picking Minnie up and carrying her the five blocks back to the house. Minnie spent the rest of the day sleeping on the sofa.

Since then Grams has not been able to muster the energy to walk during the scalding hot days of this South Texas summer. But starting tomorrow, October 1, Grams will be back on the streets.

Tomorrow, I start training to accomplish one of my long time goals. On Sunday, October 18, Grams is going to hike Enchanted Rock, a granite dome located between Fredericksburg and Llanno with Katy + Travis. I have wanted to hike it since Grandad and I visited there about five years ago. I have heard my kids talk about hiking there for several years now and always thought it was something I could never do. But now I can.


I have been assured by K+T that they will slow down enough to hike at my pace. I have been instructed to find a hilly place to train. Remembering that I'm a flat-lander, for the next two weeks I'll be spending my mornings at Hilltop Nature Trail and Hazel Bazemore Park, the nearest things to hills anywhere in South Texas.

I can't wait until I can post that "Grams Made It" all the way up Enchanted Rock.

Weekend Update

The weekend was great. Grams spent lots of quality time with our little princess, Ezra, and her parents. Along with that we spent Saturday afternoon with my brother, Charlie, his wife, Sandy, my sister, Bylinda, and her husband, Mack. Even my nephew Eric found a little time to drop by Gruene Hall for a short visit.

Our little princess, Ezra, has changed so much in the few weeks since we saw her last. She's sitting up on her own now with no assistance. And we were there on Friday evening when she figured out the whole crawling thing. That's right, no more rolling around on the floor to get what she wants. Now she just crawls right over. Minnie, the family's Jack Russell Terrier is in for a whole new world now that the little princess can chase her around the room. I even saw Ezra eyeballing the doggy door a couple of times right after Minnie went through it. I know it's only a matter of time until she follows Minnie right out into the back yard. It's just going to be too tempting.

We spent Saturday afternoon in Gruene where it was Gruene Market Days. We enjoyed a stroll through tents full of hand-crafted items and sampled some very tasty wine. And no trip to Gruene would be complete without a stop at Gruene Hall. We stopped there where the men enjoyed a cold beer while most of the ladies just stuck with ice water. It was much hotter than we had hoped it would be and by the time Hal Ketchum's band tuned up, we were exhausted and ready to leave. We headed back to San Antonio and stopped for dinner at Chuy's -- delicious.