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jen3kids

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Everything posted by jen3kids

  1. We had that happen when we placed an offer on the piece of vacant property adjacent to us. Just a flat out no; no counter, no communication. The property is still unsold and we do want to buy it, but they are still asking too much (although they have come down a bit) I hope you get this place - it sounds wonderful for you and your family!
  2. https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Blazing-Appalachian-Trail-Thru-hike-3-Star/dp/0578471167/ref=sr_1_1?crid=VI8IUFO1SSG9&keywords=platinum+blazing+the+appalachian+trail&qid=1686139358&sprefix=platinum+blazing+t%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-1
  3. Hiking is pretty safe, in my opinion. None of my family are thrilled that I go alone but no one will join me and I'm not NOT going. I'm comfortable with it and I thank them not to push their fears onto me.
  4. On the AT you can do that in Shenandoah National Park and in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Well, not hotels, but cabins or huts! Or, you could arrange to be picked up at a road crossing and get a ride to a hotel or hostel for each night and back out in the morning. That's referred to as 'Platinum Blazing".
  5. I'm not carrying a cot; I was sleeping on the floor of the shelter on my sleeping pad. Some hikers carry head nets with them and one of the hikers at this shelter actually cowboy-camped (slept outside with no tent) and used her head net while she slept. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums are often the reason that hikers don't use the shelters but rather sleep in their tents. This spot didn't have many flat spots for tents so I was in the shelter.
  6. I've heard a lot about the NC Trail; it sounds wonderful!
  7. I just finished (on Saturday) an 11 day backpacking trip - partly with friends, partly solo and it was AMAZING!!! I was on the Appalachian Trail and finished the last 20 miles in NJ and all of NY. Day 1 - 4.1 miles to campsite and met a thru-hiker and we hiked together for Days 2 and 3. He had been hiking 15-20 miles/day with a group of younger hikers and he needed to slow down and was happy to stick to my pace. Overnight in my tent at the shelter with other hikers. Day 2 - 11.6 miles; overnight in my tent at a shelter with other hikers Day 3 - 10.1 miles; overnight in town - Laundry done, slept at a motel, resupplied food and tp Day 4 - I met friends to hike with over the Memorial Day weekend. We did 10.7 miles and tented at a stealth site alongside the trail Day 5 - 11.4 miles; overnight in my tent at a shelter Day 6 - 12.1 miles My friends dropped me off at the motel and I spent the night there and got my laundry done and resupplied again. Day 7 - 7.4 miles; overnight in my tent at camping area near the trail with other hikers Day 8 - 14.4 miles; overnight in a shelter (on my own - felt safe, but weird to be alone) Day 9 - 13.5 miles; overnight in a tent at a shelter with other hikers Day 10 - 7.8 miles; overnight in a shelter with other hikers. Day 11 - 10 miles and got a shuttle back to my car. I went 5 days with no shower and no laundry, wearing the same clothes for nearly the entire time. I smelled so bad and was filthy dirty, but so happy. I could have easily stayed on the trail for another week (but would have needed to get more food). Some things I learned - I need to eat breakfast before I leave the campsite in the morning, or I bonk an hour or so later. I also need to eat something every hour or I simply run out of energy. It can just be a handful of trail mix, dried fruit or a piece of jerky, but I have to eat regularly. I enjoy hiking by myself, but having friends to chat with is great too. I really enjoy the camaraderie of other hikers in the evening, even when I'm in bed before 8pm! I need to improve my cathole digging skills - roots, even from small bushes, are hard to dig through! I need to get a better pillow. I love my Zenbivy quilt but it was too warm some nights. Unfortunately, uncovering meant the no-see-ums got me when I was sleeping in the shelter on the last night. My new backpack (REI Flash55) was great! And yesterday, less than 24 hours after getting off the trail I was making plans to hike CT and MA next spring and get back to Shenandoah NP in the fall!
  8. We waited too long with one of our cats and I promised myself we would never do that again. It's not fair to the cat. I truly believe that she is telling you it is time it is her time to go. I completely understand the love and pain you feel too. But it is truly a kindness to free her from pain and discomfort.
  9. Newfoundland is beautiful. My sister and I took our parents last July for a week and I would have stayed for a month if I could have! We only explored the west side of the island and I hope to go back someday to explore the rest and Labrador as well!
  10. Beautiful! Sounds like a great trip and one to add to my bucket list!
  11. Thanks everyone. That is where I was leaning. No real need to keep the chest freezer though - we bought it specifically to keep 1/2 cow, 1/2 pig, and bulk buy chickens in when my boys were teens but now that neither live here, I don't need to buy in that quantity anymore. We still have a full size upright freezer as well as the pullout freezer portion of the fridge in the kitchen. That should be lots of room for any smaller bulk buying I purchase from the local farm as well as any jam I make or berries I freeze in the summer.
  12. DH and I have decided we no longer need our chest freezer since we are down to just 3 of us living here. As I was cleaning it out today, I found 3 whole chickens that we got from a local farm back in 2020, so they are coming up on 3 years old. They look fine - no freezer burn, but I'm still concerned about the texture since they've been in there so long. What do you think - give them a try, or toss them?
  13. I have talked to our own agent, so we are good there. We will make an offer within the next couple of days. I'm not sure if the fact that we know what the property is like is a help or a hindrance. For example, they list 'mature trees' as a positive, except they're so mature that most of them are dead or dying due to fungus/pests. We wouldn't need to do anything with them since we won't be building there, but someone unfamiliar with the area would only see tall evergreen trees, but not the fact that they're mostly dead/dying. Thanks for making me feel not quite so annoyed with myself!
  14. My brother called me this morning to let me know the undeveloped property next to our house has a for sale sign on it. I went online and chatted with the listing agent, saying we have been wanting to buy that for a couple of years - I'm such an idiot!!!! Why did I do that???? I obviously wasn't thinking and now I feel we'll have no wiggle room in price negotiations. We have no plans to build on it; we just don't want to see another house in our sightline. Plus our house actually overlooks the pond that is on that property, and I would lose a cute little walking trail around the pond if someone builds. Grrr..... can I have a do-over of this morning, please!!!!!
  15. Yes, especially in the area where the OP lives. You are pretty much never more than 10 miles from a road crossing/town, cell phone coverage is typically not an issue. And there are usually lots of other hikers on the trail, especially on weekends.
  16. If the $200pp includes all the gear and food, then that is a great price; REI is charging nearly double that. If you don't want to do it with a mob of strangers, then I suggest renting from REI or borrowing gear from a friend. If you're going to do the MD section, you can probably get away with not having a tent because they shelters are pretty close together, but there is a risk of the shelter being full.... For my initial overnight, I actually made the investment and bought gear because I knew I wanted to do more than a couple of nights. My first night, 2 friends went with me and since then I have done 2 solo overnights and loved it. I plan to do a 7-10 day hike in May this year. If you think this is something you'll do more than one night, you'll have to weigh the cost of renting or borrowing gear to buying it. Owning it outright gives you more freedom and you can more easily tweak it to your comfort. There are many FB groups that have gear recommendations and well as buy/sell sites for clothing and equipment.
  17. Since you already walk a lot, you could add carrying a weight of some sort in one or both hands and pay attention to walking 'tall' not leaning one way or the other, and not crouching as you walk. There are lots of plank variations to do in addition to 'normal' planks on your elbows or hands. There's even an Plank Workout App to add some variety.
  18. My dd is on separate t3 and t4 and it makes a huge difference for her. She had tried lots of the other options (natural desiccated and generic levo and others) but none helped. The separate T3 was one of the biggest things - it stopped her hair from falling out, from feeling cold all the time, and fatigue.
  19. Thank you to everyone; I really appreciate that you shared your thoughts, experiences, resources, and suggestions. You have given me a lot to think about. I hope to be able to give a positive update in a month or so!
  20. Thank you for those links. I appreciate it. She is currently trying a non-stimulant med, but it will take awhile to kick in.
  21. She has other addiction issues in the past and after discussing them with her current drs, it was decided that non-stimulant meds are the way to go for now.
  22. I am somewhat reluctant to suggest yet another 'problem', but will mention it when we talk about her current vision issues. Addictive personality - yes, she may abuse them. It is her decision and was made based on talking to her psychiatrist and psychologist. She may try one of the stimulant meds if the current one does not work. I apologize for the mix up - I'm a little confused too. At one point during her treatment program, she brought it up to her drs and after a few appointments they recommended she try ADHD meds. I guess that means she has the diagnosis..... I don't think dh has ADHD. Thank you for all your comments; I appreciate it!
  23. Not at all. It's all good. And yes, I sometimes feel I have to remind dh that not everyone can 'power through' way too often. DD will ask for my help occasionally, but I know it's very important to her that she figure this out and find the strategies/medication that works for her. She doesn't want to have to rely on me.
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