Showing posts with label Hannibal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hannibal. Show all posts

Friday, October 14, 2016

POWDER VALLEY CONSERVATION NATURE CENTER

After driving more than 300 miles to see an important new quilt shop fabric customer in Sparta, Illinois I headed up north again to Hannibal, Missouri in order to be within 15 miles of my Friday morning appointment in Quincy, Illinois. First there was a stop at the Power Valley Nature Conservation Center for some hiking on some short, paved yet deeply elevated trails. The three trails were less than 3 miles added up together. My solution was to hike them all twice. This gave me a 6 mile hike. And the accumulated 'floors' climbed according to my fitbit were more than 100. 



Powder Valley has 112 acres of oak hickory forest. The name comes from the historical use of the general vicinity for manufacture and storage of explosive powder used in the Civil War and World War II.

A large frog stands guard at the entrance to the  conservation center building.










Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST Calories
kcal
Carbs
g
Fat
g
Protein
g
Sodium
mg
Sugar
g
Costco - Bagel, 2 Bagel 700 146 5 26 1,540 16
Kirkland Signature - Smoked Salmon 225 0 13 29 1,017 0
Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Original 100 1 9 2 105 1
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 3 packet 300 66 0 6 930 0

1,325 213 27 63 3,592 17
L U N C H
Jacks Links Original - Beef Jerkey, 3 oz 240 15 3 36 1,770 12
Met-rx Colossal Protein Bar - Cookie Crunch 410 41 14 32 400 26
DARK CHOCOLATE COCONUT CHEWS 400 40 28 4 50 26

1,050 96 45 72 2,220 64
D I N N E R
Whole Foods Market - Tsunami Sushi Combo 590 102 10 24 770 14
Zico - Pure Premium Coconut Water (1 Liter) Tetra Pak 180 44 0 0 260 36

770 146 10 24 1,030 50
S N A C K S
Bugles - Nacho Cheese 130 15 7 1 250 1
Kelloggs - Rice Krispies Treats 250 46 6 2 280 21

380 61 13 3 530 22
   
Totals 3,525 516 95 162 7,372 153
Your Daily Goal 2,846 356 95 143 2,300 106
Remaining -679 -160 0 -19 -5,072 -47
Calories
kcal
Carbs
g
Fat
g
Protein
g
Sodium
mg
Sugar
g
*You've earned 916 extra calories from exercise today
If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 220.9 lbs in 5 weeks.


       Your Exercise Diary for:

Cardiovascular Minutes Calories Burned
SIX MILE NATURE HIKE ON PAVED PATH 
94 990

   
Daily Total / Goal 94 / 30 990 / 590  
Weekly Total / Goal 375 / 210 4,121 / 4,130  



A STRANGER 'MADE MY DAY'

While I was picking up dinner at a St Louis Whole Foods on the way to Hannibal, Missouri an older man stopped me and said something to me like this: "You're in great shape. Do you work out?" The man appeared to be much older than me, but I suppose he might have only been in his sixties (which is NOT MUCH older than me)  I think I shocked him when I told him, that I 'ONLY' walk.  His response was "I walk too."  (I think he might have been wondering to himself why his walking was not giving him the same results that I apparently was getting.) I answered him, that I walk fast. I thanked him for the compliment, and that was the end of the encounter. Still, this guy 'made my day.'  I was thinking that this has never happened before, but then I remembered some young kid gave me a similar compliment when I was shopping for sneakers a few weeks ago. I will tell you this, whatever people thought about my physique when I was 309 pounds - and I'll be they privately had some wicked unkind thoughts, they surely kept them to themselves. 

...and here is the 'O.Henry' twist to this story.  I actually agree that I look pretty good. Still I am officially obese as determined by standard height and weight charts posted by the government. It's not like the government can ever make a mistake - so I guess I am obese.  I am 6'1" and my last weight was 225.1 lbs.




Wednesday, June 8, 2016

UV INDEX ZERO

I am a bald man. I have no issues with this. It bothered me when I was younger. A long time ago, when I realized that a fairly good looking man, Sean Connery (aka James Bond) was also bald - I started to embrace my baldness. Baldness seemed to work well for Patrick Stewart (aka Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek).  I speak of baldness this morning, because I (try to) never go outside for any length of time without a hat. Sunburn on the top of one's head is particularly unenjoyable. Yesterday morning when I set out for a brisk walk through the streets of Hannibal, Missouri, I skipped the hat as the UV INDEX was ZERO.  This might have been because I started my walk at 4:20AM!


"High" A UV Index reading of 6 to 7 means high risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. Protection against skin and eye damage is needed. Reduce time in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If outdoors, seek shade and wear protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses.
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Conditions at the start of my 8 mile hike.  Low temperatures, low humidity and low UV INDEX (not so unusual at 4:20AM)
The sign above me is recognizing that Hannibal's record flood level was  on July 25, 1993 @ 31.8 feet.  As this photo was taken before 5AM, it was still a bit dark outside.
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I am not sure that I can trust the veracity of this sign...I thought Tom Sawyer was a fictional character.
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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

BREAKFAST Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
Quaker - Instant Oatmeal - Original 500 95 10 20 375 0

500 95 10 20 375 0
L U N C H
Quaker - Choc Rice Cake, 14 cake 840 168 14 14 560 56
Special K - Protein Meal Bar - Chocolatey Chip  170 25 5 10 170 15

1,010 193 19 24 730 71
D I N N E R
Subway - Broccoli Cheddar Soup, 1 cup 180 16 11 5 990 3
Subway - Footlong Steak and Cheese, 1 footlong sandwich 760 96 20 52 2,060 16

940 112 31 57 3,050 19
S N A C K S
Blue Bunny - Malt Cup Chocolate, 12 fl oz 340 57 9 9 210 42
Quaker - Ricecakes - White Cheddar, 14 cake 630 112 7 14 1,470 0

970 169 16 23 1,680 42
Totals 3,420 569 76 124 5,835 132
Your Daily Goal 3,236 404 108 162 2,300 121
Remaining -184 -165 32 38 -3,535 -11
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
*You've earned 1,306 extra calories from exercise today         
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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Cardiovascular Minutes Calories Burned
125 1,322
Ic_i N/A -16

   
Daily Total / Goal 126 / 30 1,306 / 590  
Weekly Total / Goal 390 / 210 4,636 / 4,130             
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Tuesday, June 7, 2016

MISSISSIPPI RIVER - INTERSTATE HIKING

Any dolt can take a hike within a state. It takes a special 'flight plan' to cross over into another state. Yesterday, I 'parked' myself at a hotel in Hannibal, Missouri right across the Mississippi River so that I could travel a quick 15 miles to Quincy, Illinois for my Tuesday 9AM appointment. It occurred to me that I could walk across a bridge from Missouri and re-enter Illinois, and then turn right around an re-enter Missouri. It was my first interstate hike. Hannibal, Missouri is the hometown of Samuel Clemens, aka, Mark Twain. My hike included a stop at a statue of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer as well as a the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. After arriving in Hannibal at 5PM, I had a very rewarding 12 mile hike which lasted nearly three hours. Recently I have been seeing America like I have never seen it before. I have stayed in this town before, and I had never seen the Mark Twain inspired statue or the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. I had never noticed the topography of the town that rises 200 feet above the river bank. It was as if I had never been here before. My new hobby of walking is a hobby that I enjoy very much. I get some fresh air, I get in some steps, I get in some cardio, and I get in some local history. It is a win-win-win-win hobby.  My old hobby would have me arrive in a town, grab some McDonald's 'food' and settle in for 5 hours of Fox News. That was clearly a very unproductive hobby. And as Fox News has now been rebranded as TNN (Trump New Network) - I can't even bear watching it for more than a few minutes. My fascination with Donald Trump does not rise to the level of the Fox News executives. I am going to vote for him - but I don't care to hear about his daily tweets and misguided statements. 

Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse
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Approaching the bridge to leave Missouri, cross the Mississippi and enter Illinois
On the bridge, looking south at the Mighty Mississippi River
Entering Illinois
After turning around on the bridge, re-entering Missouri
From Hannibal, Missouri looking at the bridge from a distance

Mark Twain inspired statue in Hannibal, Missouri

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, June 6, 2016

BREAKFAST Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
Restaurant - 3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese 400 1 30 40 1,225 0
Bacon Style Turkey, 6 slices 210 3 18 12 900 0
Cream of Rice - Hot Cereal, 2 cup 320 72 0 6 0 0
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple (170g) 95 25 0 1 2 19

1,025 101 48 59 2,127 19
L U N C H
Stuffed Shells, 1.36 meal 600 55 30 26 1,541 10
Earthbound Farm - Baby Spinach, Organic, 6 oz 40 6 0 4 130 0
Crab - Imitation 100 18 0 8 563 4
WHOLE CASHEWS (RAW)(approx 1/4 cup) 300 13 23 8 0 3

1,040 91 53 46 2,234 17
D I N N E R
Rice Cake-White Cheddar 630 112 7 14 1,470 0

630 112 7 14 1,470 0
S N A C K S
YOGURT ALMONDS, 80 g (approx 12 pcs) 440 44 28 8 40 38

440 44 28 8 40 38
Totals 3,135 348 137 126 5,871 74
Your Daily Goal 6,401 800 213 321 2,300 240
Remaining 3,266 451 76 194 -3,570 166
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
*You've earned 4,471 extra calories from exercise today         
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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, June 6, 2016

Cardiovascular Minutes Calories Burned
90 1,200
174 2,130
Add Exercise
   
Daily Total / Goal 264 / 30 3,330 / 590  
Weekly Total / Goal 264 / 210 3,330 / 4,130             
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CONDITIONS IN HANNIBAL AS I SET OUT FOR MY 12 MILE HIKE