I’m going to show you what it means to me to get better — not older — in style. That was the name of my recent article. And there I talked about hydration, and brain activity, and gratitude. And I can incorporate all but the specific of hydration today, because I decided that I couldn’t carry my water bottle and my phone at the same time. So, I just decided to leave the water bottle at home. You know what it means to stay hydrated.
I see getting older as a mark of success. It’s an honorary event in life — or process in life is probably a better way to put it. And there are things we can do to make that getting-older process better so that we’re more vibrant and energetic, more agile. So that we have more fun while we’re doing it.
I had a path cut around the perimeter of my property, roughly around the perimeter, and there are two sections of it. We’re going to be in the smaller, second section at the moment. I may take you into the other section a little bit, but time is limited today. So, I’ll do this again this coming week to continue the series on getting better, not older. What I have done with this is create a walking path. And part of the way that keeps me getting better is by walking across uneven terrain, which is hills and dales, and looking out for cactus. (When it’s finished, I won’t have to deal with the cactus, but that’ll come later.) But also, there are some ravines I have to traverse a little bit, and it goes circuitous or undulates around the property. Being out in nature is really good for the brain, and it builds my gratitude. So those are two of the three pointers I made in this particular article.
So, what I’ll do is, I will stop at a place to talk, and I’m actually going to do a little rotation here so that you can see a little bit of my forest. [Video pans to show pine trees and scrub.] And that pile of sticks or dead lumber or wood is a bramble. It’s a blend of scrub oak and serviceberry that makes a great habitat for birds, rabbits, and small animals. And I get the colorful fall colors. I get the green in the spring. I get the flowers. So it adds more variety than just evergreen’s, which I also love. And as I continue my circle, you can see that there’s a lot of variety here. And look at those blue skies! So, let’s go find another spot to continue talking about getting better, not older, in style.
OK, here is another spot. This is a natural ravine I have on the property, and I’m going to turn the other direction. The guy who did the fire mitigation and cut the path knew his equipment couldn’t safely come through this. So, he turned around and entered the ravine up there where it’s not quite so steep. But I’m going to go ahead and cut through this myself because it’s open. And that just adds to the adventure and the joy for me.
And you can just see how interesting this land is. And this ravine, by the way, is a highway for some of my wildlife: my deer, elk, probably bear, bobcat, and mountain lion (if they come around, and I’m sure they do, I just have never seen one in the 18 years we’ve been here.) So, there is more of the path that I have to make my life better. To make me better. All right, onto another spot.
Here’s more at the upper end of the ravine, and here’s a big serviceberry, [pans to bush 12-15 feet tall or more] and as I rotate, I’m looking at the power poles that mark the west end of my property in the distance. And just on the other side of the property line is a place I like to take visitors, especially kids of all ages. Where that power pole is, is The Bone Pit. Now, I think that’s a great brain activity to figure out. What is a bone pit doing in the middle of Ouray County? There’s a story there that was fun to figure out, and then to get the full story on it from the owner of the land. So, you can see again how I’m challenging myself to navigate this terrain. Let’s go find some more.
This will be our final stop on today’s video. I’ve just about come full circle. It’s only a third of a mile, quarter of a mile long. I am so grateful to more easily and comfortably be able to explore my land. I get to witness by the markings of what animals have been through lately. I get to see the seasons pass. I get to enjoy my blue skies, and they’re not always blue. We tell people there are 360 days of sunshine, and I tell you lately, that is what it’s been. We need the rain. I wouldn’t mind several days a week of a gentle sprinkle with gray skies. That would be nice.
So, this is part of what I’m doing to get better, not older, in style. I invite you to find something you can do to accomplish what I have in experiencing and expressing gratitude. And exercising your brain in different ways. Keeping your balance is a brain exercise as well, as is placing your feet. And again, I do firmly believe in the practice of hydration. I didn’t bring my water bottle to show you today, because you know what water bottles look like. I’ll talk to you later.
Here’s the link to the original article: Getting Better — Not Older — In Style