When the Travel Bug Bites Again

Earlier this year, I was bitten by the travel bug. And despite a wonderful two-week trip to Turkey, I am still being bitten by this bug.

I have a hiking trip later this year to Yosemite National Park, to Vermont for hiking and photographing the fall colors, and finally, to Croatia and Slovenia. I've also booked a trip with National Geographic for winter wildlife viewing in Yosemite National Park in January. And I'm already thinking about other travels for 2014. There is so much of the world I want to see, so narrowing my list to just a couple of countries every year is a challenge. In addition to  the Yosemite trip, I am making plans with a friend for an African safari in the spring. And I have already booked a trip for a year from now, to the capitals of the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, with a final stop in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, Russia.

I am looking into a winter trip early next year to northern Canada to photograph the northern lights. Morocco, China, England and Cinque Terre are other destinations high on my list. Although I spent two weeks bicycling in southwestern Ireland nine years ago, and I spent close to a week in London last summer, I would still love to revisit those countries and spend more time exploring the countryside. I also love the thought of living in a foreign country for a few months, as I did in Moscow in the late 1990s. I really enjoyed living in an apartment in a foreign city, shopping at the local markets and having the time to explore the city on foot, rather than rushing around like a tourist trying to see all the major attractions in a short amount of time.

Sometimes, when I'm browsing on-line at potential trips, the images shown and the thought of visiting these places literally take my breath away and bring tears to my eyes. I have a stack of catalogs from various travel  organizations. I love going through them and imagining future trips, and of course I always watch HDTVs House hunters International.

As a senior citizen, I don't know how many more years of good health and mobility I will have. So I am trying to do as much travel as I can while I can still get around well. Someone recently told me that I am living the life she would want for herself should she win the lottery. I know that I am blessed to have the financial means and the adventurous spirit to travel, and I am looking forward to adding even more destinations to my list.

Sunday Morning Fun

I love nature. I love to be outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air. So when I looked outside early this morning and saw the makings of a beautiful sunrise, I grabbed my camera and headed out for a walk.

The sun had not yet risen above the shoulders of the Sandia Mountains, but already the sky was turning pink.

Clouds, the remnants of last night's storm, lingered nearby. The air was cool and still smelled of rain. The neighborhood, always quiet, was completely deserted, with no cars on the roads. Even the wildlife were nowhere to be found. I saw no coyotes and heard no birds.

New Mexico's altitude, low humidity and clean air result in a sky that is exceptionally crisp and beautiful, and this morning was no exception. Although the typical crisp blue wasn't yet as glorious as usual, the clouds were fascinating in their various shapes and colors.

I ended up walking just over two miles. When I got home, I leashed up my dogs and the three of us headed out.

My old dog Mila, who will be 15 in a couple of weeks, has been struggling lately and some days I have to cut our walk short because her back legs just don't want to cooperate. But this morning, she was in rare form. The three of us walked just under a mile, with Mila moving along at a good clip, bunny-hopping much of the way because of her hip problems. But she wanted to explore, so we went 'off road' a bit and explored a couple of undeveloped lots. We went back to the road, but she wanted to go exploring some more. She wasn't ready to come home yet, but I figured I had better bring her home before she overdid the exercise. It was such a pleasure to see the old girl having such a great time and moving so well.

This was the most enjoyable walk -- with my dogs and on my own -- that I have had in a long, long time. All the elements came together to make a perfect morning: a beautiful sunrise, cool temperatures, the lingering smell of last night's rain in the air, and a beautiful sky. My old dog had a lot of fun during her walk as well, doing what she loves best -- exploring the neighborhood. It was a wonderful start to Sunday morning.

The Power of Touch

We know that touch -- a massage, a hand placed on a shoulder, a hug -- can make people feel better, both physically and emotionally. Touch has been shown to increase the levels of endorphines, chemicals in the brain that are natural stress and pain fighters. I witnessed an example of the healing power of touch last night with my dog.

Mila, my elderly dog, is just a month shy of her 15th birthday. She has both arthritis and hip dysplasia, both of which can be uncomfortable. She also pants a lot, which can be attributed to heat, pain or anxiety. Heat isn't a factor, as our house is a comfortable 73 degrees. Pain is a possibility, but Mila takes both an anti-inflammatory and a pain medication. The most likely reason for her panting is anxiety, according to the owner of the veterinary clinic where I take my dogs. He explained that elderly dogs sometimes feel anxious, which results in panting.

Last night, Mila was panting a lot. So I sat beside her on the floor. She has never been a dog to like a lot of attention, but she does enjoy our nightly time together. As I do every night at bedtime, I sat on the floor with her. Although she is very hard of hearing and didn't hear me speaking to her, I still believe she sensed my words on some level. I kissed the top of her head, held her face in my hands, rubbed her soft ears and massaged her neck, which she loves.

It wasn't long before the panting stopped, her eyes fluttered closed and her head relaxed further into my hand. After a few minutes, I got up. Mila rolled onto her side and fell into a deep sleep. She remained this way for an hour or more. Her panting never resumed until the next morning.

I do believe that touch can heal, or at least relieve anxiety. My old dog proved this last night.

Making Ripples

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples. -- Mother Teresa

Isn't this a great quote from Mother Teresa? It is so true. Few of us as individuals can change the world, but we can create ripples. And those ripples can create great tidal waves. Think about the ripples created by Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Rachel Carson, Mahatma Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Their actions and words resulted in profound changes in the world.

Founder of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa devoted her life to caring for the "poorest of the poor." This order, active in 133 countries, runs hospices and homes for people with HIV and AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. The sisters run soup kitchens, children's and family counseling programs, orphanages and schools. She brought attention to the plight of people shunned by others due to extreme poverty and illness.

Rosa Parks, by her refusal to yield her seat in the 'colored' section of a bus to a white man after the 'white' section became full, sparked a movement for equality and civil rights. She became an international symbol of resistance to racial segregation. Her simple act of defiance sparked a year-long boycott of the Montgomery, Ala., transit company. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring segregated buses were unconstitutional. Although social mores don't change over night, Parks's quiet defiance lit a spark in the civil rights movement.

Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring helped launch the U.S. environmental movement by documenting the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment, on birds in particular. An investigation ordered by President John Kennedy that confirmed Carson's allegations resulted in strengthened regulation of chemical pesticides and the banning of the pesticide DDT.

Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi used non-violent civil disobedience to achieve  India's independence from the British. His actions led to the now widespread use of non-violent marches, protests and sit-ins when citizens feel compelled to protest against laws they consider to be unfair. Decades later, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., employed similar tactics to advance the cause of civil rights.

What can we learn from these people from different places, countries and backgrounds? The message I get is that we never know when something we do may light a spark that creates change, or at the least, impacts another individual. That change most likely won't be immediate or dramatic, but the saying that 'great oaks from little acorns grow' is true of social change as well.

Each of us, no matter our status, has the potential to make ripples. We don't necessarily have to 'rock the boat', but each of us can make some ripples during our lifetime.

May I Go?

Do you think the time is right?
May I say goodbye to pain filled days and endless lonely nights?
I've lived my life and done my best, an example tried to be.
So can I take that step beyond, and set my spirit free?
 
I didn't want to go at first, I fought with all my might.
But something seems to draw me now to a warm and loving light.
I want to go, I really do; it's difficult to stay.
But I will try as best I can to live just one more day.
To give you time to care for me and share your love and fears.
I know you're sad and afraid, because I see your tears.
 
I'll not be far, I promise that, and hope you'll always know,
That my spirit will be close to you wherever you may go.
Thank you so for loving me. You know I love you too,
And that's why it's hard to say goodbye and end this life with you.
So hold me now just one more time and let me hear you say,
Because you care so much for me, you'll let me go today.
 
by Susan A. Jackson

I saw this poem on Facebook, and reading it immediately brought me to tears. This poem doesn't just speak of the loss of a beloved companion, but for me, it reminds me that my dear, much-loved dog Mila will soon ask me the same question.

My other dogs always let me know when they were ready to get their angel wings. My first, a little 11-pound dog named Patches, sat on the bed and looked at me in such a way that I immediately knew that she was asking to be released from her cancer-riddled body. Most recently, golden retriever Gage collapsed during a walk and just a few hours later was discovered to have metastasized, inoperable cancer. 

So now I must wait for Mila to tell me when she has had enough. For a dog that is nearly 15 years old, she is in pretty good health, aside from hip dysplasia and arthritis. She gets a couple kinds of pain medications every day, but sometimes she still seems uncomfortable. As much as I want to travel, I am staying close to home so I can spend as much time as possible with Mila. And when the end does come, I want to be with her, holding her and kissing her head until the very end.

Someone once said that one way to know when it is time to let a beloved animal companion go is to list three things that animal enjoys. When the animal is no longer able, or no longer wants, to do those things, then it is time. For Mila, eating, exploring our large back yard and going for walks are three things she loves. So far, she still enjoys all of these things, although our walks are slower and shorter now.

So until Mila no longer enjoys her favorite activities and she tells me in her own unique way that it is time for her to go, I will treasure every second with this sweet old dog.

What Are You Doing for Others?

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?"

 -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We all have a duty to do good.

-- Pope Francis

I love these quotes, which are wonderful reminders of the importance of doing good.

I do a fair amount of volunteer work now that I am retired. The causes closest to my heart are helping to feed the hungry and being a voice for wolves. I volunteer once a week at a local food pantry, preparing and packaging food for distribution to the needy. Along with a friend I met at the pantry, I also have volunteered at one-time events at other food distribution efforts. It's a great way to socialize and have fun, while helping others at the same time. I also volunteer with a wolf rescue organization in the area, doing photography, helping with the organization's Web page and outreach events, and managing its Facebook page. Once a year I also spearhead the development of its calendar, a major fundraising effort.

I also donate money to a variety of charities. I want to see the good my donations can do, while I am still alive, rather than having the money donated after I am no longer here. Yet despite these efforts, I feel that I should be doing even more. I am blessed to have the good health, time and financial resources to help.

Lately, I have been thinking about becoming a volunteer driver in the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program. For many reasons, getting to and from treatment appointments is a challenge to many people. Some people don't have a car, and some are unable to drive themselves. I could help out by driving people to treatment. 

As I have become older, I have felt a stronger call to get more involved in the things that are important to me. I suppose this is a natural result of getting older -- wanting to leave a positive mark on the world, and to perhaps leave things better than they were. To be sure, there is so much more that I could be doing.

I was talking to another volunteer at the food pantry one week about the importance of keeping busy and staying involved as we get older. She will be 85 next month, and she volunteers at the pantry two mornings each week. We both agreed that volunteering is so much better than just sitting at home alone, watching television or being bored. Volunteering helps the organization for which we volunteer and the people it serves, but it also helps us. It keeps us active and involved, and it feels good to be able to help the less fortunate in some small way.

Doing for others is important for another reason -- it can help us keep our own problems and worries in perspective. Doing for others should make us realize how blessed we are, and that there are so many people in the world who have so little.

So, "what are you doing for others?"

Spring in the Desert

I love this time of year. The weather is typically warm during the day, yet cool enough to leave a window open. Nighttime temperatures are perfect for sleeping. Spring in the desert offers a few short weeks when neither the air conditioner nor the furnace is needed. Even on windy days, early morning is often calm. The dead-looking browns of the desert are brightened by newly emerging, soft green leaves on the trees. Desert plants such as cactus erupt with colorful flowers.

The sun rises early, so my dogs get restless around 5:30 a.m. I usually get up and feed them, let them outside, and then we all go back to bed. Usually they fall back asleep, while I enjoy just lying in bed, listening to the quiet, enjoying the cool of morning and just being still.

I have an absolutely fabulous mattress and very soft sheets, so my bed is a place of comfort. Sometimes in the very early morning I can hear donkeys braying just over the hill, or the howling of coyotes. Very often, I hear nothing at all -- no traffic sounds, no airplanes overhead, not even any birds. The high desert where I live has few song birds, although later in the day I will hear quail and sometimes a road runner. The quiet is wonderful. Once in a while, I will listen to a new smooth jazz radio station.

The sunrises over the Sandia Mountains can be spectacular if there are clouds nearby. The sky ranges from pink to orange to fiery red and yellow. Now that my back yard has been transformed into a xeriscaped paradise and I have washed the winter dust off my patio furniture, it is time to resume my practice of sitting outside in the early morning with a cup of hot tea as I read the morning newspaper. My dogs love the cool weather, rolling in the grass and exploring the property.

New Mexico's crisp, azure sky continues to amaze me with its brilliance. Aside from pollution from dust storms or wild fires, the air is very clean. That, combined with the altitude, makes for glorious days. The only thing I wish for to make this time of year even better is rain. We are in the third year of a terrible drought, so rain is most welcome in any amount.

Knowing that the desert heat isn't far off makes this time of year even more special, so I will savor this wonderful season as long as possible.