ABC Wednesday--K is for...

I've used mostly old travel photos for this round of ABC Wednesday. There were lots of choices for this week's K. Travels have taken us to many K places--several cities in Russia, some locations in India, some spots in the American Southwest and some in Alaska come to mind.

Looking at these onion domes, you will know that I have chosen pictures from Russia for my K, but you might not guess what the word is.

The name of the place has a most unchurchy meaning to most of us. But its long history involves churches and chapels, palaces, grand dukes, tsars, and Napoleonic invasions. The site was in use more than three thousand years ago, and its current name was first used in the fourteenth century.

Although the origin of the name is disputed, its root meaning indicates "a separate place".

It is not all chapel towers and domes. This modern wing is definitely offices and meeting rooms.

And the yellow portion seen on the left is the back of one of its palaces.

This bridge takes you across the Moscow River through the Spasskaya Tower's gate to enter the courtyard.

Here you can catch a glimpse of four of its five chapels from beyond the walls... ...the fortified walls of this historic Moscow landmark.

K is for Kremlin.

Historical and cultural information about the Kremlin can be found in this Wikipedia article.

Other K posts can be found linked at the ABC Wednesday site.

Mrs. Nesbitt started ABC Wednesday.

Little did she know how long it would go or how large it would grow.

In Training for the 3-Day

So have I started training yet? Well, yes and no. I haven't gotten into a regular regime of training. My walk is still more than six months away. But I have been at least thinking about it. And this evening I took to the pathway.

~

Let me tell you some things I have learned about training in my two years experience in the 3-Day.

JUST DO IT!

Okay, so the better prepared you are for the walk the more likely you will be able to finish and to finish happily and healthily. Training is crucial. The 3-Day has a suggested 20-week and 16-week training schedule which includes building up to longer and longer walks. Training does not have to only be walking. In fact, cross-training (doing something else) is encouraged. But it needs to include lots and lots of walking.

~

Training gets your body ready to be an endurance athlete. Ha! I have become an endurance athlete after the age of 60. It also helps you get used to your equipment. These are the essential things I remembered when I went walking this evening. Of course, I wore my walking shoes and some good absorbent socks. I had a bottle of water and that new pedometer.

Since I was walking alone, my cell phone was something very important to carry. CARRY--not walk along chatting. Don't we spend way too much time on our cell phones chatting anyway? But really, just as driving while on the cell phone is not only not a good idea, but is illegal in many states now, talking on the phone while walking can be a safety issue. So take the cell phone for emergency purposes and don't let it be a distraction.
~
Well, right in the middle of that display of things to remember is my camera. The camera is not an essential for walking--it is just an essential for ME.

~

Now about those socks. Those socks reminded me tonight of one of the big reasons for training. It is really important to break in your equipment . You need to know how the equipment suits you. Shoes have to be broken in in the traditional sense. Other things--you need to know how you are going to react with them.

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There is something about that particular pair of socks that is just not right. They are a little too big, and they slip. Three miles tonight, and believe me, I would have never made anything like twenty in those socks. I came near to blisters in just three miles. Two hours later and I can still feel the "hot spots" on my feet. Friction is the enemy.

~
Which brings me to some things I didn't remember this evening. Actually, the moleskin and blister bandages are something I almost needed tonight. But the Body Glide could have prevented the problems. It is a skin protection product that you use in places that could rub or chafe. Like YOUR WHOLE FOOT!!!! It really works to prevent blisters. Try it. If you don't find it in your local drugstore (I didn't) try a shoe store like Foot Locker or a sports or outdoor store like REI or Big 5.

So what is odd about this picture?

I have a new camera, and our trip to Olympia last week was a testing run. I was trying out the macros setting and the super macro and the 20 power zoom. It was fascinating to see how close in I could get to things with that zoom. I was testing flash and no flash. Automatic and manual settings. And I was trying to make heads and tales of the owner's manual. And you know very well that I am inclined to take pictures of odd things or odd pictures of things anyway.

You know how it is when you are away from home and you just might do something in public that you might not in your own back yard? Not something naughty--just something a bit out of character (as if my taking a picture of a ketchup bottle would be out of character.) Because, after all, you will never see these people again, right?

~

So we stopped for lunch and I was taking pictures of my Diet Pepsi bubbles, and my straw wrapper, and the scene out the window, and the fork. I laid my camera aside while we relished some really good fish and chips. As we finished and waited for the check, I turned on the camera again, having spotted the reflection of the ketchup bottle and wondering how well I could capture it.

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So here I am, about 125 miles from home, focusing my mind and my lens on the bottle before me and I hear this familiar voice from home: "So, katney, do you always take pictures of ketchup bottles?"

~

What can I say? It was an Andy Warhol moment!

~

Odd Shots is hosted here every Monday. I've made another new logo. You are welcome to use any of those that are available when you post an Odd Shot of your own. Please link back here in your Odd Shot post. Sign the Mr. Linky, but leave a comment as well, since Mr. Linky sometimes disappears on me and is disabled when the new Odd Shot is posted the following week. I will be discontinuing the Odd Shot Blogroll in the sidebar, as the Mr. Linky is the best indicator of who has played this week.

Sunday's Psalm--Fifth Sunday of Lent

R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

Create a clean heart in me, O God.

A clean heart create for me, O god,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence,

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,

and a willing spirit sustain in me.

I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners shall return to you.

Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Psalm 51: 3-4, 12-13, 14-15

Photos

Stolby National Park, Siberia

laundry day, TamilNadu, India

fountain, Seattle waterfront

goats, Kerala, India
subalpine meadow, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington

geese, Maryhill State Park, Washington

PhotoHunt--Theme: Hands

Oh, I can't do this. I don't have any photos of hands and I don't have time to go find some interesting hands to take. What can I do with hands? This theme not for me? Think again.

So I went looking through my files for hands. I cropped them out of a bunch of photos. I was amazed at how many hands and how expressive they were.

Young hands (the first picture VERY young hands) to old hands--all these hands are family hands. Husband, children, grandchildren.

Eensy weensy spider hands.

There's a foot down there hands.

Bait the hook Grandpa hands.

Help me please hands.

Taking on a big job hands.

Tying hands.

Big hands.

Little hands.
And all the hands brought me memories and sweet thoughts of all the little ones and big ones in my life.

All because of a theme of hands.

PhotoHunt is from TnChick.

Are those the same clouds?

Find other SkyWatchers here.

Could be.

These photos were taken within fifteen minutes of each other. during our visit to Olympia last week.

A Bouquet for Michele

Today is Epilepsy Awareness Day,

and the color for Epilepsy Awareness is purple.

Bog Gentian

This bouquet of purple flowers is especially dedicated to Michele, Rocky Mountain Girl, who does so much to try to educate us about epilepsy through her own experiences with the disease.

Elegant Jacob's Ladder

These particular flowers all remind me in some way of Michele. First of all, some of the names--the gentian reminds me of how gentle a spirit she shows us, and I also see a special kind of elegance in her--not a snotty la-di-da elegance--but a true specialness.

Alpine Lupine

Now in this case, it is not the name but the plant. The Alpine Lupine finds its own way to sustain itself in adverse conditions.

Harebells
...and look at the tenacity with which these Harebells cling to the cliff--that reminds me of Michele's determination.

Cascade Aster
Okay, so I've run out of analogies, though I know Michele would love hiking and fishing in our Cascades as she does in her Rockies. So here is where I am going to start adding some links you can follow to find out more about epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Foundation

Epilepsy Advocate

Cusick's Veronica
Epilepsy.com
Neuroscience for Kids

Subalpine Lupine and Magenta Paintbrush

We love you, Michele. I hope you've enjoyed your bouquet of purple flowers.

ABC Wednesday--J is for...

J is for Juneau

On our first trip to Alaska, we took the aerial tramway to Mt. Roberts, where we had this view of Juneau, the capital city of Alaska.
A couple of years ago, I looked across the Gastineau Channel to see the cruise ships docked at the city's port.
From another viewpoint you could see more of the capital.
One of the most interesting locations in the Juneau area is the Mendenhall Glacier.

Another ABC from our travels. See other J posts linked at the ABC Wednesday site, and while you are at it, stop by and give Mrs. Nesbitt a "hi and thanks for the idea."