Let’s Go Walking! Join me for a virtual walking support group

What a productive day, I love the Minnehaha Falls as well. Such an austere site!

@sueinmn Wow, am I impressed! I can only get my husband to do four laps on the track which is about a mile and then I do one more. I could do a bit more than that but I don't want to keep him waiting, plus my knees will take just so much. There are more interesting places to walk but I can't get my husband to go to them. We have been going just before dinner, at about 5:00. Few people and I don't need to worry about the sun being too strong.

Have you gone to nursery centers to purchase plants? I am a bit leery of it still, my husband even more so. I would really like to though. Around here most people do not plant their annuals until after Memorial Day. Up until then there could be another frost.
JK

@contentandwell I have only gone to a friend's greenhouse business, which typically has limited walk-in traffic, and it was wonderful. Our best local greenhouses have phone order/curbside pickup so will probably do that to get my remaining plants.I will probably call my favorite garden center after Memorial Day to ask for an early shopping time on a weekday for my self-isolated next door neighbor and myself - I often do volunteer teaching for them, so pretty sure they will accommodate us. Even though these places try to be careful, closed in, humid spaces with lots of people are NOT in my life right now.

I just came back from a very early trip to my (local) building supply/hardware/everything store - everyone in masks and distancing, workers wiping down carts & cashier stands between customers, masks mandatory - got most of my list so I don't need to do that again!

I have only hung a few planters and potted up my geraniums, the rest of my pot will be done now that I have potting soil. We have pretty good weather forecast, so not too worried about a frost - and if there should be one, my big pots are on rolling dollies and can go into the garage. The bigger matter is the veggies - I only plant tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers - no sense putting in early as they just sit and shiver until the soil is warm! As a rule, I put them in very close to June 1 and still get a crop about the same time as my nephew 2 miles away - who already has his in.

Now I'm off to walk my neighborhood and see what everyone else is planting today. And to figure out who was running chainsaws until dark last night. It won't be as pretty as the park yesterday, but it will be nice.
Sue

My walking today will be up and down our steep slope on north side of our property. We had a young man help us remove rogue blackberry bushes on it last week, uncovering gorgeous huge boulders. But there is still some tall grass and remaining debris from two chopped-down trees. We pulled out most of the tree chunks already, but a few larger pieces need the chainsaw before moving. They will be declaring fire season any day now, and we need to have a lot of this done. We cannot do a slash-fire [burning debris in place] because we cannot achieve a bare dirt buffer around the pile. We will haul up much of the smaller stuff to cut down [further] for kindling. Our neighbor has her eyes on some ferns growing on that north slope, so will share with her. On the northeast corner we have some smaller trees that need thinning out, with large pine and spruce trees on northwest edge. It will feel good to walk on level ground after today!
@sueinmn, I loved that picture!
Ginger

@sueinmn I really want to purchase some annuals but the nurseries around here do not have their inventories listed online so it would require actually going there and browsing which I would love in normal times. Hopefully, if I do, most of the flowers will be outside, not in greenhouses. I am not much of a green thumb so I need some plants that will do well in the sun besides geraniums and some that do better in shade. I do not care much for petunias. I used to have a lot of perennials but they didn't last.

For the last two days, we had a crew here moving some huge boulders out of the grassy areas on to the mulched areas -- we have mulched islands around some trees. We paid for it but I think it was really for the benefit of the grounds people - now the mowers don't have to circumvent the rocks. They also took out a huge bush that had been eaten away by deer. I definitely want to put some flowers in there.

@gingerw My legs hurt just thinking of walking up and down a slope. That's why we now walk most of the time on the HS track. The hill on our street was killing my bursitis hip.
JK

@contentandwell Walking sticks/hiking poles! Walked with them a lot last fall when bursitis kicked up. I use the adjustable sort with a sharp tip for soft surfaces that can be covered by a rubber cap for pavement walking. You dan't need anything fancy or expensive, just something like these: https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/82200013/trekking-poles---1-pair?ch=pla&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-non_brand_PLA_Gear_Desktop-_-82200013_Desktop-_-0220013900000000&color=Yellow&cvo_campaign=non_brand_PLA_Gear_Desktop&cvosrc=cse.google.0220013900000000&gclid=CjwKCAjwqpP2BRBTEiwAfpiD-z0xYTOHZXuEdSFVqqAexyDhfiMp1C2FENglDDzrWTuK-IjRQEUJMxoC-G4QAvD_BwE&sizeType=Regular&sp=1&size=ONE%20SIZE

As for the plants, call your favorite place and ask if they'll do a phone order, or let you come in and shop before regular hours as an "at risk" person... For more of a plant/garden discussion, why not jump over and join us on https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lets-talk-about-gardens/
Sue

@sueinmn I actually have a single hiking pole that I bought to use at our rustic property in Maine. The terrain there is very rough. I don't think it would help much though with the hill on my street, I would still need to be bending in the same way and that is what causes my bursitis to flare.

I am so bad about plants that if they had online inventories I could do that, but I really don't know what I want to purchase so I do need to browse a bit. I would like to confer with my gardening friend whose husband is currently going through treatment for pancreatic cancer but I haven't heard from here in a while and she hasn't responded to a couple of voicemails I have left so now I am worried.
JK

Liked your virtual walking tour of growth on your property. Since I live in a smallish apt., that truly must be lovely & then being able to walk on level ground. I have been going w/ a friend to interesting(and many new) subdivisions near us for walks regularly. Everyone, have a good day!

@contentandwell Our lovely neighbor came over and helped me rake cut grasses then helped us load some branches into utility trailer. Hubby took trailer back up to level driveway to sort out what to cut up for kindling. I think there are a couple heavy branches that are candidates for a local guy to make into walking canes/staffs. Since it was a joint effort with them cutting down tree and making a general mess of that corner, they are helping to clean it up ;)) We will be clearing up bark chunks and more weed=whacking tomorrow.

I use walking sticks also, @sueinmn. They help ensure my balance, but they also are a good deterrent for wayward critters.
Ginger

@gingerw I have a walking stick too, which I use when taking the hike near here because it is uneven ground and also steep. They are a good help in several ways. You can even defend yourself with one if necessary, although I hope I never have to.