A Coming Storm - Another Reason To Trike

Song:  Theme From The Valley Of The Dolls

Artist:  Dionne Warwick

We had a snow storm blow through a few days ago.

Another snow storm is supposed to move in later tonight.

The roads were plowed...

so on this night...

I went on a short ride to Sunset Court in hopes of seeing a beautiful sunset.

(My sister decided to follow me in the car...

as she was afraid it might begin to storm)

And so...

I sat on my trike for forty five minutes...

hoping colors would develop in an opening in the abundant amount of clouds.

Although things hadn't developed the way I had hoped...

I still loved the exercise...

and the sweet feeling of being toasty warm in my snow suit

as the brisk and building storm winds blew.

(A look at California through the Sierra Nevadas towards Donner's Pass...

the entry point of so many storms for Reno)

But, most of all...

I love the sweet solitude that being out in inclement weather naturally brings.

------------------------------

As a young child...

I had always loved sitting on a street corner during storms while dressed in my rain suit.

The streets were empty...

and I had a small transistor radio that I listened to while I waited 

for lightening to streak its way across the sky.

Some of my favorite memories as a young child revolves around 

my solo adventures as I walked for miles along a nearby river bank...

just being lost in my thoughts...

and later as a teenager when I would get up an hour before dawn before school...

so I could jog along that same river bank in the dark...

so on the way back...

I could see the sunrise over the mountains

as I smelled the fragrant ripening of tomatoes in the large expanse of tomato fields

which lay before the sunrise.

The rising mists from the fields...

at first...

had a surreal blueish glow as dawn approached...

and then often glowed a deep amber as the sun peeked over the mountains.

Those were magical times.

My point is...

Solitude is a treasure to cherish.

It is a time where we may dream of our future...

and where we may codify past events to extract life lessons to use as a guide for our future.

It is a time where our imagination is developed.

As I walked along endless miles of riverbank in solitude as a young child...

I not only noticed the world around me...

my mind would wander as I entertained myself with the movies of the mind.

Whole dramatic and highly emotionally charged movies would play 

as I watched in my mind's eye...

which of course...

centered around me on some great adventure...

and with some lovely young woman gazing at me with loving eyes

after my having saved her from evil.

You know...

the typical dream of young boys.

The mind abores a vacuum.

It constantly seeks stimulation...

and one of two things usually happens when there is a void of stimuli:

It seeks distraction...

or...

it creates its own stimuli.

Far too many people allow the void to drive them to distraction.

Especially nowadays...

a vast amount of entertainment is at our fingertips...

and so...

the mind is never allowed to fill its void through its own imagination.

Reading used to be another way to stimulate the imagination...

(especially fiction / fantasy novels)

as what you read was automatically converted into a movie of the mind...

with its own distinctive flavor.

I not only love solitude...

I absolutely crave it.

I simply must have at least several hours a day.

I am not anti social...

except around obnoxiously loud and rude people...

which in America...

seems to be the norm.

But even around good people...

I can only take so much small talk.

However...

I love debating interesting topics...

so long as it comes to a conclusion through which 

something new is learned...

or taught.

While I no longer dream of slaying dragons...

my preferred inner world consists of possible futures...

of things I would like to accomplish...

of things I would love to experience...

and the deep emotional stimulation I get when I am there in my possible future...

and, of course...

the endless movies of the mind from which my stories are derived.

Music is so often the progenitor of my movies of the mind.

This is why I love music and writing so much.

I love writing out the movies of my mind 

so others may experience them as do I.

The ultimate freedom may be found in our own minds.

We create the surroundings we wish to live in...

and through our visions of the future...

we align our real life in the here and now...

to match our dreams of the future as closely as possible.

And so...

our dreams become our new reality.

It is through solitude and inspirational surroundings 

that our imagination is stimulated...

and is even much further enhanced by heavy exercise.

That is why triking is so valuable.

It gives the senior citizen the freedom to get out into the great outdoors...

while giving great exercise...

solitude...

and with these...

you will have everything in place to let your imagination

play exceptionally dramatic scenes...

complete with a symphonic orchestral sound track.

As you get into a steady pedaling rhythm

on a meandering forested mountain path with snowcapped 

distant mountain tops peeking through the breaks in the trees...

all the while breathing deeply...the pine scented air 

as a gentle breeze welcomes you in its cool embrace...

your mind will naturally associate the present serenity

with other serene times in your life...

and of serene visions of possible futures.

It is in these times that you will discover your creative passions in life.

Extremely moving musical pieces you had once heard in your life...

the main instrument that causes your heart to cry and your soul to reverberate...

that is the instrument you are destined to learn to play.

This is why the expression that the instrument picks you...

 had come about.

This is a creative passion which will lead you to love life at a much deeper level...

and which will lead you to a serenity you had never before experienced.

This is just one example.

In conclusion...

it is through the outer journey of triking

that can lead you into an inner journey of serenity...

or at the very least...

the exercise alone will greatly negate perceived pain...

while greatly enhancing and amplifying pleasure in everything...

absolutely everything.

 

Looking For A New Route

 

Song:  Reflections Of My Life

Group:  Marmalade

My younger sister and I rode up to Mountain Court on this night.

I am scouting for a mountain route to train on daily.

I will try on the bottom of this hill for another route into the mountains.

This particular route is fraught with obstacles and a steep path of loose soil...

and the mountain is smaller than the one I wish to go up.

Although the other route will be a difficult ride...

it will get me into shape for later mountain rides.

I expect to attack the mountain a little at a time...at first.

Although I will fail many times...

with each attempt...

I shall get stronger.

Although a man must stress himself in order to grow stronger...

he must never go beyond his capability to adapt.

So long as the challenge is taken in small enough bites...

the lesson may be adapted to.

The magic number for any endeavor is 85%.

Any more effort and the recovery will take too long.

Moving at this amount ensures enough intensity...

and allows for a long enough interval of exercise

to ensure the optimum quantity of quality exercise.

This puts you into the flow...

where, although you will be breathing like a locomotive...

the breaths will be deep, relaxed, and diaphragmatic.

This is the amount just below oxygen debt...

where you could go for an hour or more... nonstop.

The new route I will be using will be for almost daily exercise purposes...

and once a week or so (starting in spring)...

I will head into the Sierra Nevada mountain range to do much longer routes.

The key to this...

as well as any other challenge in life...

 is not in how much pain one can take...

but in how much pain one can recover from before the next session.

This is adaptation.

If one feels too tired...

experiences reluctance...

or anything other than exuberation towards the next session...

then the intensity was too high...or the session... too long.

------------------

Life is merely existing without that next mountain to summit.

It is in new horizons that hope is born anew...

that we may grow enough in heart, body, and mind...

to stand atop that next mountain.

It is from the summit that we may reflect upon our lives and see 

how far we had come.

Sunrises and sunsets bring a special significance to my life.

In each sunrise...

I see the future with great hope.

In each sunset...

I reflect upon my life...

and it is in this that I derive a deep sense of serenity.

I am so deeply and serenely happy...

because I don't care what others may think of me.

I know what makes me happy...

and I do it.

No one will be with you in death...

no one will care more about you... than you...as you die.

And so...

why should you care what others may think of you in life?

Freedom lies in saying...

F*** it...

and finally doing what makes you the most happy...

regardless of what others may say or think.

The important thing is setting yourself up in life so you have no worries...

spending time pursuing your creative passions...

and fully enjoying the great simple pleasures of life everyday.

Life is so different if you walk the tightrope without a safety net

(metaphor of knowing there is no afterlife).

You are more focused...

everything has more meaning...

every moment is so much more treasured.

It is precisely because I have never believed in an afterlife...

or any form of religion...

that I have always loved life so much.

I don't live in dread of death...

for it is what gives life its sense of urgency...

what gives time its value...

and what makes each sunset so transcendent.

If you don't experience a great symphonic orchestra

as you feel the vibrant colors of a beautiful sunset...

and as the wind caresses your skin in rhythm across your face...

there is something you need to fix in your life.

Exercise is the key to living life to its fullest.

Recumbent triking allows senior citizens to get a plentiful amount of exercise...

regardless of your present health status.

I first learned of triking when watching an elderly man triking (YouTube)...

and fully enjoying it...

even though he had stage 4 cancer.

He triked almost everyday...

until just before his death.

What an inspiration.

The serenity in his face as he rode...

even through his chemotherapy...

and of his knowledge of his impending death...

told me he knew the value of life...

even in the face of death.

It was after seeing his videos that I decided to get a trike myself.

I had been having problems with my knees after long walks.

However, with triking...

my knees are pain free.

I can now push myself to levels I haven't been able to for years.

----------------------

The only way you may walk through the valley of death without fear or trepidation...

is to know that heaven lies on the other side of hell 

(metaphorically speaking...be willing to make the necessary sacrifices now 

for greater returns later... the essence of deferred gratification).

Always...

ALWAYS...

live life with deferred gratification as a priority.

This is how to properly set up and live your life.

You do the work first (metaphor of valley of death...hell)...

but you do so because you know heaven lies on the other side 

(metaphor for pain now for a better life later).

This includes exercise.

At first you may not feel comfortable...

but after you feel so good for much longer afterwards...

you start to look forwards to exercise...

and so...

you may walk through the valley of death without fear...

for you know heaven lies on the other side.

-----------------

One of each of our greatest missions in life is to find out 

what makes us serenely happy (creative passion)...

and doing it...

and through exercise...

it will magnify it...

and every other experience in life.

For anyone thinking he or she is too old...

too infirm...

or in too much pain to trike...

you are wrong.

Triking allows even those with MS...

advanced arthritis...

balance issues...

advanced cancer...etc...

to live life much more fully

through the great pleasure magnifier...

that is exercise.

The Calm Between Storms - A Winter Sunset

 

Song:  A Pillow Of Winds

Group:  Pink Floyd

My younger sister and I went triking after many days of winter storms.

It was good to get out once again.

We did a short ride to Sunset Court.

My younger sister taking in the sunset.

I am getting a final look at the sunset before departing.

It was so good to get some fresh air and to experience another beautiful sunset.

I love triking.

Once I get into a steady cadence...

I can just look around and enjoy the ambiance.

Some time in the future...

I will be buying my final place...

a place of serenity and where I may enjoy more beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

It will be a place to truly live life...

and my final resting place...

where I may die in serene settings...

my final sunset.

However...

I will be triking until the time that I die.

Exercise is the key to living life to the fullest.

It is the great magnifier of the heart and mind...

where colors and music become one with you.

I am in my sunset years...

and my life is as beautiful as the last picture of the sunset...

as I reflect upon my life up until now.

It is only because I had prepared for retirement.

I had made sacrifices in my earlier years to ensure my sunset years

would be filled with beautiful sunsets.

Even though I am 64 years old now...

I fully retired at the age of 51 so I could have an extended sunset.

Although we may never know which sunset will be our last...

you can die knowing you were on the right path.

There is a well known...

but little followed path to reaching your genetic potential...

and to enjoying life to the fullest:

The Basic Four

1)  A Nutritious and Delicious Diet.

2)  Exercise

3)  Deep Restorative Sleep

4)  Living Life With A Passion

The first three allow you to live...

the last one gives life its meaning.

Some things in life are out of our control...

but these four things are not.

The good life is within each of our reach.

The goal in life is to have the highest quantity of quality.

While the quantity of life may not be in our control...

the quality surely is.

Another Sunrise - Blazing Orange

 

Song:  I've Been Searching

Group:  Chicago

I had such a great time yesterday triking to a beautiful sunrise...

that I checked the skies just before sunrise this morning 

to see if there were interesting clouds...

of which usually portends a spectacular sunrise.

I saw that the clouds were particularly well laid out in the sky...

and so, I knew it would be a beautiful sunrise once again.

I got dressed in my cold weather gear...

hoped aboard my trike...

and then sped off on the same route I had taken the day before.

I am leaving Sunset Court here.

I arrived in time to see a sky of a blazing orange.

This time there were no pinks or reds...

but the overall color was a blazing orange...

which sometimes gave way to a brilliant amber...

but the predominant color was orange.

I wish I had a much wider angle lens.

The sky was ablaze with color in all directions.

After the colors faded...

I pedaled home once again.

It is always such a treat to sit on the railing in almost complete silence

while experiencing the spectacular colors of a sunrise.

It was strange...

this time I had heard no coyotes.

Sitting under the magnificent sky ablaze with colors so vivid...

and so surreal...

with the chill of the morning air filling your lungs...

your mind cannot help but wander to the most beautiful moments of your life...

as well as allowing it to transport you to places of the future you long to fulfill.

----------

It is suffering in life that brings out the great beauty in it...

the deep appreciation not experienced by those who fill their lives 

with too much comfort.

Even a relatively short period of exercise...

one which causes a burning in the muscles...

and forces the lungs to fill deeply...

greatly magnifies the beautiful moments in life...

especially one of the great simple pleasures...

such as a sunrise or sunset...

and especially music.

Triking to view the sunsets and sunrises

in the mountains above Reno

allows me to arrive breathing like a locomotive...

and arrive primed to view the sky with its emerging colors

in synchronization with the easing of pain...

and with the resulting rush of wellbeing as endorphins flood the system.

This is what magnifies pleasure...

and it makes all the difference between merely viewing a sunset...

or listening to a song...

and that of being a part of it...

 being fully embraced and enchanted by the music of the skies

as the colors and the wind combine in your mind into a grand symphony.

This is when you feel the colors as great symphonies play in your mind...

and all the while...

the wind becomes part of the orchestra as it caresses your skin.

It is something which one never tires of.

Although I am glad to be alone during these times...

I am still amazed at the lack of people taking in these hypnotic sights...

of which happen on a regular basis here in Reno.

Never allow yourself to become numb to the grand beauty of life.

Look for ways to healthfully suffer.

The lower the lows...

the higher the highs.

And the beauty of this is that by exercising enough to 

sound the body's general alarm (He's trying to kill me  :)...

it adapts by becoming stronger.

The exercise lasts but an hour...

but the feeling of being a god...

lasts for days.

Search out ways to healthfully suffer...

for the key to (metaphorically speaking) heaven lies just on the other side of hell.

You will find this to be so true in every aspect of life.

Because your time in "heaven" is far more profound

and longer lasting than your short period in hell...

you will soon begin to even enjoy hell...

for you know how you will feel shortly afterwards.

This is the root concept for deferred gratification.

It applies to everything in life...

and it never fails.

Depression sets in when you had spent all of your time and resources

chasing short term distractions or pleasures at the expense of long term gain.

With deferred gratification

(a properly set up life)...

life becomes sweeter with each passing year.

And you then have serenity...

as you have nothing but better things for which to look forwards.

I love life...

I simply get so much joy from it...

and all without drugs.

The artificial high of any drug is nothing compared to 

living life with a passion and truly appreciating 

life in all of its grand splendor.

I know what makes me most happy...

and I engage in it...

at will.

I've lived my life with deferred gratification...

and I have creative passions.

I have, both, deep serenity...

and deep passions which make me feel so alive.

I have music...

writing...

and now...

re-experiencing the great outdoors on my recumbent trike as well.

I've had health issues...

but I've adapted...

and with the recumbent trike...

I can ride mountain trails with the freedom

of an eagle soaring the skies.

I can get exercise that I love...

and which I will be able to do for the rest of my life.

All senior citizens should simply try a recumbent trike with e-drive.

It will change your life.

Get off the couch...

and truly experience life.

 

A Sunrise Ride

 

Song:  The Way Of Love

(One of the greatest love songs in music)

Artist:  Cher

Although I took a short ride to Sunset Court last night...

I felt like riding again this morning...

to see the sunrise.

I took this just after descending from Sunset Court...

on my way to view the sunrise on the other side of the hill.

The sunrise is beginning...

but I have just a short ways to go.

I am rounding a corner as I am descending.

I stopped briefly to take this shot during my descent.

I am at a crossroads where I could continue my descent...

or go back up the hill to view the Sunrise...

and then continue up the hill to home.

I parked at a good spot...

and just took in the sunrise.

The air was crisp...

but there was little wind.

I was perfectly comfortable in my winter gear.

I heard a pack of 20 - 30 coyotes howling in unison...

 just a little ways from me...as the sun rose.

After the sun broke through...

I pedaled my way home.

I have a routine.

After my ride...

I cool off for about 1/2 an hour...

and I then sit in the sauna for at least 20 minutes

(I am working my way up to longer a little at a time)...

I then will take a hot shower...

and then do some stretching.

Afterwards...

I am far more relaxed...

and in a much more creative mood.

I intend to restart my writing and music soon.

I've had to deal with some things first...

but, soon.

Nothing gets me in the flow (creative mode) more than my exercise routine...

 a good meal...

a good cup of coffee...

and some beautiful music.

Bandi Goes On Her First Trike Ride

 

Song:  Give Me Love

Artist:  George Harrison

Today was Bandi's first ride in her doggie trailer...

 as I towed her with me trike.

She was initially reluctant to get in...

but, I goaded her into it and attached her collar to an inside dog leash

which is attached to a D ring (one of two attached D rings in the carrier).

Bandi was unsure as to how the ride would go.

After a little while...

she felt more comfortable with the carrier.

We just took a short ride to sunset court (my name for it).

I had made the mistake of leaving the front wheel on the carrier (it is used when you wish to roll it around independent of a bike or trike hook up.

I took off the wheel and placed it inside the carrier.

The ride was much smoother without it on.

Bandi looking out at the sunset.

Although it was a mild pastel sunset...

our main goal today was doggie carrier familiarization.

As you can see...

the doggie carrier quick connects to a standard bike or trike connection stud 

which is sturdily connected to a hard point on the axel housing.

The top of the carrier also unzips in the rear (for loading)...

and the top...

so dogs may look out from the top if desired.

Let's go home.

Aren't we going?

Okay...

let's go.

Bandi had a good time on this familiarization excursion.

As she gets more and more used to it...

she will soon look forward to getting inside...

as she will look forward to running alongside until she tires...

and then getting to ride in comfort afterwards.

There is also a thick doggie pad inside so Bandi may lie down.

As you can see...

there is plenty of room inside for her.

Almost every time I go out...

I will take Bandi on a run...

and then inside for a ride...

if she tires.