These are notes from the steno pad made while around the house:

"foot less sore than when hiking" This refers to the one and only snowshoe I've taken this winter.  The trail was well-tamped down and groomed.

"mountain lion and coyote attacks" Woman walking two dogs on Cañada Bonita Trail last week commented about this.  A mountain lion killed a dog on Barranca Mesa and another tried to take a dog in Quemazon Community.  Coyote attacks have occurred to dogs on local trails.  Bayo Canyon Trail had photos of wounds inflicted on dog.

"forest service website and press releases"  Dissatisfaction over delays in reopening Cañada Bonita Trail and deplorable, not-up-to-date forest service website and why doesn't the forest service issue press releases to the local newspaper so people know what progress is being made on rehabbing local trails?

"giving up on self-help books, gave up on my soul"  Thought this when I decided to take back to the library a self-help book I'd found in the non-return section.  It's not like I'm going to greatly change at this point.  Reading a self-help book only frustrates me and makes me think how bad I am.  Same way about Buddhism.  I feel like a bad person reading all the precepts.  I'll never attain saint-hood - not even close!

"trees aren't meant to last forever, nor people" Thought this on witnessing the Las Conchas fire damage along the newly reopened Cañada Bonita Trail.  I loved the forest but will love the burnt area too.  It's all beautiful!

"life is so damned finite - if I volunteer 3 hours, that takes time away from other things I might do"  Been dabbling at volunteering.   Volunteered at the blood drive but had to stay an hour longer because the next shift was late.  Couldn't accomplish much on a writing project when I got home.  It's a trade-off.  The volunteering felt good but I like to write, read and walk too.  Mustn't let volunteering encroach on that.  Maybe find volunteering job that allows reading and writing!

"I'll go to bed as soon as this is over" says husband.  Says me "Yeah, if you're awake"  Husband has tendency to snore while watching TV!

"One need never wonder again - just Google it!"  Ah, yes, my wisdom overwhelms even me!

"plain laziness - lately get such a late start"  Yes, I like to walk every day but sometimes sitting on my butt at the computer and all sorts of little household chores gets me out too late and I never catch up!

"male gossips - biddies without titties"  This when husband and brother are speculating how much sister paid for new used car!  Who cares??

There - got that off my chest!!

New Year's resolutions for this blog:

To change these settings for this blog from Yes to No:  "Add your blog to our listings?"  "Let search engines find your blog?"  I want this to feel more like a private online journal.  People can still find it if they want but why encourage them?  It's not that I'll start writing personal secrets - ha, you were hoping!  Maybe this will help me to make it more informal and more about my thoughts and life, albeit less polished.

Not to title these blog posts.   Maybe that will avoid all the hits on my blog post titled "Excruciatingly Detailed Regurgitation" which is nothing but a deadly dull and boring recitation of a shopping trip to Santa Fe gone wrong.  I think the hits are from 5 year olds using computers without parental supervision!

Now let's see if I can read my notes made while walking on Camp May Road yesterday:

"snow takes away my freedom"  What I meant by this is that with all the trails snow-covered, I can't get out on them because of my bum right foot.  I want the snow so NM doesn't burn up again this year but I'd like to get out on terra firma again one day.

"FS legal dept."  This is because I'm worried that in the Spring when more trails get rehabilitated from the Las Conchas fire damage that the forest service will take their sweet time legally amending the closure order like they did this winter, costing the SW Nordic Club monies, in officially reopening the Nordic Trails.    It got hung up in the legal department and the opening was delayed even though the trail was made more than ready by the volunteers.

"snow stays"  Walking up Camp May Road and looking longingly at the Route which is still full of snow.

"no Xmas tree gathering signs"  These appear on all the side roads along Camp May Road.  Odd that if the side roads are still closed that the forest service would place these signs at each entrance.

"sore foot - snowshoeing less fun"  Not being able to break trail because of my bum foot makes snowshoeing less fun for me.  Snowshoeing on a well-tamped down, groomed trail is boring.

"hoping to get thru winter w/o -20"  So far, so good but the deep freeze didn't happen until February last year.