Out of the wilderness


I'm back.
Had a great time soaking in the hot springs and hiking around the Belknap resort grounds. They have some fairly dispersed walk in campsites spread out up and down the McKenzie River, probably half mile or more to the farthest one. And a secret garden that you just have to hike around until you stumble upon it. Grecian architecture with columns of white, pools and fountains, waterfalls, and cobbled walkways.
And everywhere beautiful flowers, shrubs, grasses, and magnificent trees.
So peaceful, you don't want to leave.
We spent four hours hiking through all of it, about two miles, and returned to the hot spring pool to recuperate.
New knees felt fine.
The next morning we hiked up river for a couple of miles and returned for another soak and dinner.
Friday morning we checked out and headed up the McKenzie Scenic Byway to the 5344 ft. elevation pass.
There, built by the CC early last century, stands the Dee Wright Observatory. A tower of volcanic rock with a platform on top that provide magnificent views of the lava flow it stands in, and the surrounding mountains, craters, cones, and ancient monliths.
20220930_090230.jpg
Above is the North and Middle Sisters peaks showing their glaciers ever so slowly flowing down between their flanks.
We found a primitive campsite near a trailhead leading into the 281,190 acre Three Sisters Wilderness Area and the next morning took about a four mile hike back to a crater and returned to lay about the camper and prepped for our return home the next morning.
Gotta say it was a lot of fun and the knees did just fine.
I'm back in the saddle again! Well, on my feet again anyway.
So, what have I missed? Anything important?
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Glad your new knee was up for the hikes. The hot springs must have helped.
You have not missed anything here of any great significance
compared to the beauty of your trip.
Some great bird pix on FRI, good tunes on SUN,
a brief return of the dose, lots of Ukie stuff, the RUS re-assimilation of
territories, financial precipice pieces, pipeline prognostications and the like.

Glad you made it a great getaway!

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9 users have voted.
Granma's picture

I am amazed that you could do those hikes this soon after your knee surgery. Good for you!

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usefewersyllables's picture

@Granma

I'm now just over 2 weeks in from my right knee replacement, and all I can say about the idea of going hiking right now is "Yeah, right!". My PT has been going pretty well, but I can tell you that I'm 6 months out from broken-ground walking, at the minimum. Good on ya for going for it so soon!

I think have already got the nastiest part of the postsurgical stretching done, getting out to 120deg flexion and down to +1deg extension. That last degree or two of extension is going to be a real hoot, though. My sister never got the last 5deg of extension back when she had hers done, and I'm determined not to fall into that trap. I'll be having my first appointment with the real Torquemada on Thursday- the warmup PT and I finished up on Monday.

I did get a chance to sit down behind my new drum kit the other day and do some warmups and the like. My Gawd, what a difference: previously, every kick on the kick drum sent a little bone-on-bone lightning bolt up into my cerebral fuck-this-shit meatus. Now, blessed silence from the knee: I have my kick foot back! I've been putting up with that for decades.

I'll trade being able to painlessly kick out a few sets of rock and roll for a few hikes, anyway. That's my primary goal (and can be done sitting down!). The second knee will be right behind it, as soon as I can talk my carver into whittling on me again: ideally prior to Dec 31, so that it goes on this year's out of pocket.

The hardest thing of all will be to get some trust back in the joints. They've both been locking up at random times for the past couple of years, so it is going to take a little time to believe that they aren't just waiting for a opportunity to dump me on my face again.

Be safe out there, and congrats, E1!!

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10 users have voted.

Twice bitten, permanently shy.

earthling1's picture

@usefewersyllables
on my left knee, and still have a degree of extension to go. And my steps are slow and sure footed. But I'm still able to lift my eyes from the path and look around while walking.
It feels really good to walk without pain again.
Hope you get your other one done this year.
By next summer you will feel like conquering Everest.
Thanks for checking in on your progress.

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10 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

enhydra lutris's picture

great trip and a great time. Congrats on the good knee knews. While you were gone, in the great outer world, all the usual factions did all the usual shit, quelle surprise. Similarly, the usual "news" sources produced the generally expected versions of the events of the day.

You'll be happy to know that the pandemic is over but covid-19 is still a problem. Translated into english this means that everything is just as it was but tptb have decided to alter the current narrative at least until the mid-terms.

The generally Russian (ethnic, cultural, and linguistic) portions of Ukraine have now been absorbed back into Russia, on paper, in Russia and asorted other parts of the world, but not in the collective west. There is fighting over there.

At least one culturally significant person died, but I can't recall who, one of the Kardashians got busted for improperly flogging crypto, and the 'niners beat the rams.

That about does it.

be well and have a good one

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10 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

earthling1's picture

@enhydra lutris
Will do some catchup reading.

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7 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

dystopian's picture

@enhydra lutris Great work EL! Smile

You'll be happy to know that the pandemic is over but covid-19 is still a problem.

Should we tell him that although Biden said the pandemic is over, he also just asked for 22 BILLION more to fight covid and that the EUA stands? Wink

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5 users have voted.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

enhydra lutris's picture

@dystopian

and not really intended to combat Covid 19, after all, there is no real efficacy data; the data from the 8 rodents really doesn't establish anything

be well and have a good one

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5 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

There is a lot of movement in the Kherson region of Ukraine, but it's very hard to tell how far the U forces have advanced because they seem to be moving ten or twenty kilometers a day and also because almost all the information is from Russian bloggers.

Ukraine as usual releases no information. The two bridges out of Kherson are periodically shelled and will soon if not already, be within range of conventional artillery. Neither of the bridges can support heavy trucks. It seems as if the Russian forces will be forced to take the second not as good option which allows less retreat sooner. I don't know how long it will be until Kherson falls. Probably no one does.

The second bridge is a pontoon. Even in the narrow parts the river is too cold to swim now. Strategically, Kherson isn't as important as many other things. No matter what happens Russia will lose all of it's equipment and probably a lot of soldiers.

Every and any one can read what is posted on Telegram, and people are less scared of Russian authorities when everyone else is saying the same thing, even official Russian state media.

The earliest reply to Musk's tweet by an advisor to Zelensky is probably the best one.
Screen Shot 2022-10-03 at 5.49.58 PM_0.png
The first is falling into place. Russia will lose all it's ill begotten lands.
Denuclearization sounds good too, they are to crazy to have nukes, N Korea is more sane. And lastly war criminals do deserve to go on trial. Every single town is a crime scene of the tortured and murdered, you can't bring those people back but you can punish the perps. Hanging would be too kind.

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0 users have voted.

@ban nock
folks here at c99 don't need your updates on the Ukraine war when it's already ubiquitous everywhere on all forms of media. So why are you doing it then?

https://www.promarket.org/2021/01/13/propaganda-influencers-paid-spread-...

https://mronline.org/2022/09/24/bots-are-flooding-social-media-with-pro-...

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11 users have voted.

@JtC
jtc are you accusing me of being a paid propagandist? That's what your links seem to suggest. Quite an accusation based on nothing.

I see other people post topical news of Ukraine. What exactly am I doing that is contrary to your FAQ? Or is it that only one very narrow viewpoint is allowed?

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0 users have voted.

@ban nock
I just sent you.

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2 users have voted.

@JtC

We made a separate OT, which seemed to help out the flow of other ideas.
Does it make sense to put-up a side thread for all things Ukie?

I can do a double post tomorrow. Haven't the chops to do a banner, but it
may confine some of the obsessions.

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3 users have voted.

@QMS
may make it worse.

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3 users have voted.

@JtC

doesn't change the image of posters stepping on others' toes I suppose.
Certain topics engender their own energy. It may not be at the point of
sucking all of the air out of the room. Coming up on the midterms is also
approaching a dynamic of choosing sides and firing away.
Your patience and calm head is very much appreciated here.

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4 users have voted.
dystopian's picture

@ban nock It seemed to me he was asking you, not accusing you. In any case at least we seem to have established the propagandist part. It is a start. It is what you do here. Interject often in unrelated conversation, in other words, interrupt the converstation, to make us all hear you repeat more pro-war often Nazi origin propaganda.

That Crimea was annexed is a lie. It is propaganda. Crimea voted to be repatriated with its homeland. How could you not know this? What do you expect when you go out and attempt to mislead people? We all know and respect Crimean self-determination. You don't. Why do only selected annexations only AFTER Crimea was annexed into Ukraine matter in your world? Because a talking head in the talkbox told you? How can you go online stating what Crimea should be, without caring enough to know what they are or want? It is clear you do not care what Crimeans want. It is a sad reflection on your beliefs on self-determination. Except for the Nazis you relentlessly promote.

The only question is the purity of your intent.

Note to self: Never attribute to evil that which can be explained by sheer ignorance.

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10 users have voted.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

@dystopian

Most of the posters here intend to further discussion in an
encouraging way. Opening-up ideas to criticism does sometimes allow some
devilish details to emerge. Which is OK for open thinkers. It does help to focus
on the issues at hand.

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4 users have voted.
mimi's picture

i AM Sick and tired of that shit.

Be well, all, shut down all exposure to too much news.

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4 users have voted.
dystopian's picture

Hey earthling, Hope all are well!

Great to hear the knee did so well for you! Long may it run!

Sounds like a fantastic trip to wonderful country. Makes me miss the mountainous west. I was a high Sierra guy for a while, long ago...

Keep on the mend!

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6 users have voted.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

the bees' knees. Omigod, how lame! Omigod, lame? I am bad, I know.
I had court yesterday, today, and again tomorrow. Work load high, income stream low, so difficult to expect payment from an impoverished general public. Poverty is a "thing" now.
I get sinus drainage when pollen kicks in, and it causes me to cough. I always bought a bottle of Mucus Relief for a dollar a bottle, 10 tablets. Last ones I bought were maybe in May. This week, 3 for $4.00. Quite an increase for otc for otc meds.
I am gonna send some Walmart cards to a pal who is barely able to eat. I know there is a Walmart near him, know cans of soup there are cheaper than cans of soup at a grocery store. And, if he needs underwear, shoes, a sweater, he can use it for that. I just can't sleep well knowing he is right on the cusp of nothing, and nowhere. He did nothing wrong, he did tons of good, but sudden death of a family member and hospital bills destroyed his way of life.
Help friends all you can, if and when you can, everyone. You will sleep better.
After all, we are the 99% that the 1% disdains. We cannot fracture against one another.

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9 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

usefewersyllables's picture

@on the cusp

Thanks so much for that.

Synchronicity. I just sent some Walmart gift cards to a friend in a very similar state to your friend. They were given to us by our old neighbors after our house burned, but we hadn’t used them yet, and we have two incomes at the moment anyway. They need that hand up more than us.

Winter is coming, for sure. We are the only cavalry that is going to come riding up to save us.

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6 users have voted.

Twice bitten, permanently shy.

@usefewersyllables you are a sweetheart, too? I love you, I love being able to help,even if not much, as nobody needs to go hungry in the USA.DAMMIT.
I love everyone with compassion that will sacrifice a little bit to help.
What goes around, comes around.
Hugs.

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6 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981