Liking the Hiking

Three of the four last days I’ve been hiking 1,000 feet up Pusch Peak.  Great exercise!  My legs are getting stronger and I think my pants are fitting better.  I gotta stay consistent.  There are no short cuts to losing weight and getting in shape.

One great advantage I have is that this hike, while challenging, is very fun!  The views are great.  The terrain is cool.  The wildlife is abundant.  For example.  Today I was walking along and a rabbit hiding in a a bush ten feet in front of me scampered off.  Later while climbing the mountain, a small bush just four feet to my left rustled and I turned in time to see the tail of a snake slithering away.  It wasn’t a rattler, which is always good!

Also today (and yesterday) were the wildflowers.  They are busting out everywhere! Check it out on my site for larger versions of the shots below.

I had the most disconcerting thought hiking yesterday.  I was a little more than half way up my climb and was resting.  I could here this buzzing sound.  Hundreds? of bees swarming hundreds of flowers on the mountainside.  VERY cool!  Unfortunately, I’ve watched too many specials on Africanized Bees.  I know that if I cause one to accidentally sting me that I could be toast.  “Killer Bees” can chase their victims up to a quarter of a mile while on the attack!  They fly up to 13 mph or something.  At a sprint I could probably out run them even while my hamstrings would be tearing apart.  After all, it would be life or death!  But, on a steep hiking trail?  There would be no escape.

I hike alone and generally like it that way.  I have my cell phone with and I have even received calls on the trail, so in most urgencies, I would be fine.  Even hiking with a friend, could either one of us escape a vicious attack of “Killer Bees” intent on saving their honey from hikers marauders, much less save each other?

I’m gonna push these paranoid thoughts out of my mind and continue to enjoy my hikes.  I always pray for God’s protection before I hit the trail!  Besides.  I LOVE BEES!  I even wanted to be a bee keeper when I was younger.  Who knows.  Maybe someday!

Bee Movie!

I just saw the Bee Movie! It’s the feel good hit of the season :-) The theater was full of kids. LOTS of kids! I saw a couple of groups where there were maybe two adults and a dozen kids. There were a couple of old couples too. And there was me :-) Maybe the biggest kid of all of ‘em! Maybe. I won’t spoil the movie for you, but it’s very very well done. Smart humor that kids and adults will enjoy. I certainly did. Funny funny and cute!

This may sound crazy to some of you, but God often whispers in my ear during movies. This is what He told me today. I have created everything for a purpose, and I have created you for a purpose! No wonder I usually cry at movies :-) I’m sure if He hasn’t already, He’ll whisper the same thing in your ear if you listen. It’ll move you when He does! We’re talking about the God of the Universe who loves you and has specific purposes for your life!

Back to bees. One reason why I wanted to see this movie so much is because I LOVE Bees! LOVE them! Always have. Someday perhaps, I will have some of my own hives of bees buzzing around a land flowing with milk and honey! Bees are amazing. Without ‘em we’d bee toast. They are essential to all flowering plants. The food chain is on their shoulders! (slight exaggeration maybe, but only slight) Honey is amazing food. It never spoils! It helps wounds heal, even burns. It’s good for you (in moderation). I use it in my coffee every morning. I recently found out that the honey in the store is good, but raw honey that hasn’t been heated and filtered is much better! Once again our over processing takes the best stuff out of our food. Raw honey is what you want. Most honey is the store has been heated and filtered and that can kill vitamins and remove beneficial pollen. Here’s a quote I found on the internet. (if it’s on the internet, it must be true!)

Dr. Susan Percival of the University of Florida’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition found honey contains vitamins, such as vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. Essential minerals, such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc are also found in honey. “In addition, several different amino acids, the building blocks of protein, have been identified in honey.” says Dr. Percival. “Honey also contains several compounds that function as antioxidants, one of which is unique to honey called pinocembrin.”

It’s not a mistake that the promised land was a land flowing with milk and honey!

Click here for mentions of Honey in the Bible