Merry Christmas

Went to Exshaw to spend Christmas with our daughters. Had a great time playing board games, and visiting the sights of Canmore.
Don’t know where I seen this but, figured it was great for the holiday season.
Quote from Buda.
"A family is a collection of minds. If they respect, love and honor each other then the family will be like the most beautiful flower.”

A Winters Night

Back from Mexico on the sixteenth of December left Huatulco at a temperature of thirty-four degrees. The plane was late getting into Huatulco, we left a hour late landed in Calgary to let off passengers, it was so cold the ramp to unload the plane was froze up. That took forty-five minuets to fix, flew to Edmonton the ramp there was froze up so another thirty minuets to get it to move. Because we were late and another plane was late, there were three planes of people trying to get through customs. So instead of landing at eleven-thirty it was one-thirty AM. Into the shuttle to Park and Fly to our frozen car, the doors and trunk were froze it was only minus twenty-five. Out onto the icy roads first time this year, haven’t driven in two weeks and home at seventy kilometers an hour. That put us home at three AM. That is humorous.

Week Two Mexico

Week Two Mexico
Week two Mexico I am amazed at how the staff keeps the grounds so clean. The staff is Mexican and most don’t speak very good English and they would tell you. I saw this as a great opportunity to try to learn some Spanish. After being there for a week the staff got to know us fairly well, we would try our Spanish they would try their English. It didn’t matter who it was the gardener, maids or servers they would all correct my Spanish and we would laugh. One day I was passing one of the gardeners I said Buenos Dias (good morning) he stopped me and proceeded to give me a five minute lesson on the difference of saying good morning to one person or many. I thanked him and proceeded on my way. Every time I seen him I would greet him using the right term for the time of day, he would say perfect or another lesson would start, which was fine with me.
We spent a morning fishing didn’t catch much for fish but did see a spectacular performance by a pod of about twenty five dolphins. They followed the boat popping up here and there sometimes coming clear out of the water and doing a mega splash before disappearing again. Also seeing a flock of pink Flamingos flying in formation. That made the fishing excursion all worth it.
An eight-hour snorkel tour was on our agenda absolutely crystal clear water and lots of reef to adventure in, millions and millions of fish schools to actually swim among.
We took all day tour into the mountains to an old coffee plantation, through the jungle to a forty-foot waterfall. Where we swung like Tarzan into the bottom of the waterfall.
Also happened to find a shop making cloth on a loom by hand, the Mexican patterns are unique and remarkably beautiful, this was not a shop for tourism it is a full operational family business.
Thanks to all the wonderful people we met in Mexico

Oceans Alive

Week one in Mexico at Las Brisas resort, by the city of Huatulco (wa-tool-co) in the state of Oaxoca (wa-ha-ka). The beauty of the beaches, rock formations, ocean and sea life is absolutely stunning. The resort was originally built by Club Med, it is well known that they have built, resorts at all the best beaches. The resort has four beaches one of which has its own coral reef, fifty feet off shore. This was my first attempt at snorkeling, amazing what beauty. I would snorkel for hours overlooking the constant movement of sea life, what a great way to meditate empty your mind and watch the world beneath you. From small fish to colorful fish two feet long, Sand Rays two feet in diameter. Crabs walking sideways leaving their tracks in the sand, now that is a weird animal I think someone put his legs on in the wrong direction. You can here crackling like a fire and popcorn popping as you watch the Parrot Fish eating the coral. Small, bottom feeder fish guarding their territory chasing anything that comes near. Eels slithering over the coral reef searching for another meal. Starfish, sea cucumber and eurchins doing their thing.
Watching all this activity makes you wonder how our society could keep poisoning our oceans. Using the ocean as a sewage lagoon and garbage dump.
The ocean really is alive.

Feeling Better

Flu is leaving my body. We are fighting back. Elbow really bothering me going to stop doing pushups and see what happens. My forms are doing better doing more practicing. Will see what happens in the next two weeks in Mexico. Signing out see you next week.

Gloom & Doom

The last couple of weeks have not been very good. Got the flu, the brain is fuzzy. But I am getting better, there was three days the week of Nov 16 didn't have the strength to do two pushups. Don't feel too good right now.

What have I learned this week?

Guiding the advanced kids class and all three adult classes go through their pandemonium work out last Wednesday, I congratulate all those who participated and pushed through to the end, deciding to themselves that quitting was not a option. Black Belts on Friday were going through the same work out. We pushed ourselves till our lungs were hanging out and muscles could do no more pushups sit-ups and chin-ups.
---That was a great work out.
Remembrance Day, we thought about the people who have fought for our country and thank them. Especially in the two minuets of silence. Thanks for this video.
http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/chief_land_staff/remembrance/english/Docs/Eng%20Ver04002.mov
We were in Wall Mart similar scenario happened, this guy was trying to get through the till he was really mad. The cashier just stood their head down. He just left his merchandise on the counter and stomped out of the store. When we checked out through that till, we thank her for what she did. She was most appreciative.
---No one should let Remembrance Day pass without bowing their head, for the thousands that have passed for us.
Seen the Imax film on the Grande Canyon, what a beautiful site. Because of environmental change, less precipitation in the Rocky Mountains and cities being over developed in the desert. . The horror story is that the Colorado River does not reach the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) any more, every drop is used or evaporates across the desert. The film states that the river can be saved, only if there is enough willingness to change. I came out of the film feeling sad for the river, because of the way of thinking that our society has treated Mother Nature. Believing that there is always going to be enough resources to just keep on taking and not giving back. This is only one body of water that we are losing on our planet.
---A renewed view of our water supply for me.
Had the flu this week one day down and out.
---Playing UBBT catch up today.

training set backs

I started a new leg of training July first 2008, started slowly to let my body adjust to the new continuous exercise program, that I was about to adventure on. My kicking, Forms, stretching programs. Then there is my cardio program, which started very wisely I thought. I started with a two-kilometer walk every morning for the first week, then, entered in spurts of running. Until, I could run the two kilometers after a month. Every day my back got a little sorer. Never thought too much about it, just another sore spot, keep pushing on. I would start running the pain was excruciating, just run a half a kilometer and it would subside to a dull ache. Still got worse, until one morning, I walked to the end of the driveway. I took my first step to begin running, my heel hit the ground, the shock on my back hurt so bad I hit the ground in pain. As I am on all fours on the road, I am thinking, OK may be not so smart. I pick my self up from the ground; walk very gingerly back to the house. Angry inside at myself for not listening to my body, pride hurt. Now what am I going to do. Thinking this is the end of my training for a while.
Seen the Doctor, x-ray, CT scan. Chiropractor, Acupuncture. All advise to stop jogging, running. My back is getting worn in one spot.
What I can do is Tai Chi without twisting, stretching without bending too much, must push on, take it easy but don't quit. Think this through. Aha maybe a bike, I started riding, yes this worked well. Not much twisting no jarring on the back. I spent the next two weeks riding bike, short distances. Eventually made it to twenty-kilometer rides. Enjoying the scenery and the peacefulness. My back was on the mend. Over the years we have all had injuries, we just have to find a different approach to set backs.
Now I am back to full program of push-ups, sit-ups, things are good the back is fine. Snowed today might have to put the bike away. What's next.
Max Hayes

Enjoying nature at its best

Enjoying nature at its best

I was out for a bicycle ride last week, the beauty, was in the leaves, of different colors, reds, oranges, and greens. Then I would see a growth of evergreen trees, to remind you of the fresh growth that will be happening in the spring. I was in awe of all the colors that were indescribable.

This week we had big winds that stripped the leaves off the trees. Nothing left but bare trees and branches, sticking out of the ground. Things are now visible that could not be seen all summer, the house next door, fallen trees, looking through the trees, now the sky meets the ground, not the top of the trees. I thought as I peddled out the drive way that this is not, going to be as beautiful a ride compared to last weeks painted picture. As I made my way down the road, with a few kilometers behind me, past subdivisions and farms. I began to see the beauty in the changed world in which I was passing by.

The farmers were working some of their fields, turning over the soil, changing the golden stubble, into a worked field. The stubble that is going to be left for the winter, to gather the snow, stop erosion, and harbor moisture, even looked as though it was telling me, that it was ready for winter,saying bring it on!

I watched the Geese in their perfect flock formation,landing, finding grain filling their bellies for another day in the long journey south. Squirrels darting here and there through the color full carpet of leaves on the ground, up a tree across a branch, grabbing food, down the tree, across the rode in front of me, braking hard to keep from running over him. Chickadees fluttering about, picking seeds off trees, Magpies and Ravens doing the cleanup, squabbling to see, who is next to feast on the road kill. A huge Pileated Woodpecker knocking finger sized peaces of wood, out of a dead tree to find those last live bugs. Circling high above, the sun glistening off his wings, a Hawk, watching for slight movement on the ground, maybe a mouse, which will make one more meal.

Today’s ride took longer than usual. I looked at nature and enjoyed everything I seen. In a moments notice today’s beauty can change and be lost forever, but on the bright side, Mother Nature will produce another day of unbelievable sites, with a different twist.

.

15150 pushups

15150 crunches/sit-ups

664 KL walk/run/bicycle

Where in the World are we

The markets are up and down. People’s life savings are dwindling, less money for giving and less for spending, which intern slows our economy. The oil business is out of control.

North America uses 25% of the world oil and produces 5%, wow that seems unreal. Our country was built around the auto, and the inefficient piston engine, which was developed more than one hundred years ago. Our Auto industry, Governments and Oil industry keep putting money into the piston engine, but still won’t let the engine be as efficient as it could be. Hum, wonder why that is. Our auto industry has to keep producing auto’s, it keeps millions of people employed, but why the piston engine.

We have to get away from fossil fuels, to save our environment. Any changes that should happen to our autos drive system. Is going to be slow, in order to make a smooth transition without upsetting our economy. Will that be soon enough, to save our world?