“Of all the path’s you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt” – John Muir

 

For years, Rick and I have wanted to bike the Sparta Bike Trail, and it has never worked out. When Jeff and CJ invited us to tag along on their vacation to the area, we jumped at the chance, thrilled by the opportunity for adventure and quality time together.

We stayed at Goose Island County Park . It is great county park right along the Mississippi river in La Crosse. We had a great campsite at the end of the campgrounds. It was huge! 

The first night we were there we went for supper for CJ's birthday. When we got back to the campgrounds the police had the entry blocked off and we were not allowed back in! Apparently a man had robbed a gas station and then after a police chase he ended up running into the backwaters of the Mississippi right by the campgrounds! 

We all decided to wait it out at the local bar. Rick practiced his pool skills. After about an hour we were allowed back into the campgrounds. The man was finally caught the next day full of bug bites 😂

The next day CJ's dad took us all out on a houseboat ride. Rick got to be captain for a little while. 

It was a relaxing and pretty trip on the river. 

Saturday was Sparta Trail day! 

This is the whole group of us that went. Rick and I were the only one that did not have E-bikes. So we had to work extra hard to keep up. 

It was so humid that day, you can see the fog coming out of tunnels. It was kind of creepy. 

Rick and I bike about 18 miles and the rest did 30! We turned around early because I need to save my legs for my run on Sunday. It was so pretty! We will definitely be going  back to do more of the trail. 

Sunday was run day for me. I got up early to hit the trails. I had 15 miles to get in and it was going to be another humid day so I wanted to get going early. I got about 5 miles in and the rain came. Luckily the storms went around us and I just had a nice cooling rain for the next 10 miles. Rick road his bike behind me for most of the run so I was not alone. It made the miles fly be having him there to distract me. 

I weaved in and out of the campground, ran most of the trail and went on a couple roads in the park.

It was a great run, and having Jeff and CJ waiting for me at the end of my run was such a boost! 

After the run and a few more rain showers, we went for a boat ride.  

   Being out on the water, surrounded by nature, and spotting eagles... it doesn’t get much better. 

It was a great weekend spent with some of my favorite people. 

Enjoying life

Sharon 

Long Live The Challenge.....Senior Games Part Two...

 This time, we were at the Senior Games in Des Moines for Rick to shoot Archery.

He has some stiff competition for his age group. He had so much fun. 

He had to shoot a 900 round on Friday and Saturday, and their combined scores were used for placement. The weather was good for both days. Very little wind and upper 70s. The smoke in the air from wildfires in Canada was not ideal, but it was manageable for shooting archery. 

Rick was able to come in 6th place. He had a great time shooting with people from all over the United States. I am so very proud of him; all of his practice paid off. 

We had three people from the Waseca Archery Club placed in their age groups. 

We managed to get some biking and running in between archery shot times. The area was so nice. 

I wish I had discovered the Carl Voss Trail sooner. It was a great trail for biking and running. 

So that is a wrap for the 2025 Senior Games. I am in awe of all the talented people who participated. 

 Never let anyone tell you that it is too late to try something new or to just start up something long forgotten.    

Persevere....

Sharon 

"Life is for participating, not for spectating." - Kathrine Switzer

 This week, I got to do two of my favorite things, camping and running. 

We headed down to Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday afternoon so I could participate in the National Senior Games. The Senior Games are like the Olympics for people over the age of 50. 

I found a wonderful county park to camp in that was just 15 minutes from the running venue. 

It was right on the Des Moines River. 

The National Senior Games are a two-week event. I was scheduled to run on Thursday, and Rick is going to compete in Archery next week. On Wednesday we went to pick up our credentials for the games. 

It is great to see and be around all the superb athletes who are 50 and older. It was so fun chatting with everyone and hearing their stories. Everyone is elated to be there and compete. 

Thursday was race day for me. I was very excited. To participate in the games, you have to qualify the year before. Last August, when I ran the qualifying race, I ran with a time of 32:24. I was very disappointed in my time. I had not been training and knew I could do a lot better. 

 

So jump ahead to this year. I was determined to do better and knew I needed to start training. I joined RVR Race Team and have run several races since then. The support and training I have received from the team has made me a better runner. 

It was so HUMID running. And the beginning of the race was a huge hill. I was so glad I had been training in the awful heat and humidity, and even happier that I had been doing some hill workouts. 

Finishing up strong. 

All of my training paid off today. I was able to shave 6:12 off of my qualifying time from last year! It has been years since I have been able to run at this pace. I am ecstatic. Runners' High is a real thing 😊

But what really inspires me to keep going is watching the last-place finisher, a 90-year-old man, cross the finish line. You could see the accomplishment and determination on his face. He was all smiles. I aspire to be that person when I am 90 years old. 

On to the next race....

Sharon 

"The willow does not weep. She hangs, she sways, she hums along to the earths breath." -Sarah Maria-

 

This is my willow tree. I love her; she is my favorite tree. She brings me so much joy watching her dance in the wind. I often sit on the patio and just watch her. It is peaceful. 

We even buried Morgan under her. 

In June, after a big windstorm, she cracked! There had been a small crack on the back side of her, but it had gotten longer and now went all the way through her trunk. Every time we had a big wind, the crack grew. 

We thought we were going to have to cut her down before she blew over and took several other trees out with her. I was so upset. I did some research and had hopes that we could have it bolted together and save her. I found an arborist who was willing to come over and give me some advice. I was so happy when he told me she could be saved! He suggested that we cut the damaged part of the trunk off. He said if we bolted her, we had a 50/50 chance that it would work. Because the crack was so far down, we had a better chance if we cut the broken part off. He said willow trees are very resilient trees. She might look lopsided for a while, but would grow back to her full glory soon enough. 

So with the help of our wonderful neighbor and Rick, they cut half of her away.

She doesn't look too bad with her trim job 😌

Most mornings, Otis and I take a walk out to my willow. I talk to her and wish her well. I say a little prayer to Mother Earth and ask her to look over her for me and help her grow. We say hello to Morgan, and Otis chases the bunnies away from the hostas we planted near her grave. 

This week, on one of my morning visits, I noticed new growth on her! Mother Earth has decided to grant me some grace and let me enjoy her a little more. 

Perhaps one day, another young couple will find love beneath her sweeping branches, just as my mom and dad once did under their beloved willow tree.

Thank Mother Nature for all she does...

Sharon