Flow Free–Be the Water over the Rock

After my last post I felt I needed to let things flow and be a bit more balanced. I am going for a walk and this shady sight is an image from my last trip with Mike.

Migraines, Tendons, and Nautical Bindings

Migraine, day three, and the intensity comes and goes. I noticed someone searched out this blog with the key words “first rib migraine.” To my visitor, I hope you found some of what you needed in these pages. If you come across this page and you are challenged with migraines please leave a comment as I would love to talk to you and share experiences. I avoid the word “suffer” when it comes to migraines as I do not want to live a live of suffering. But these past few days I have been bound. Which leads me back to the first rib.

We all have tendons that extend down to our first rib and complications can result in Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. My symptoms include, tennis elbow, pain in my right wrist, weakness in right arm, tricep pain, shoulder pain, shoulder blade pain, migraine, TMJ pain, tooth pain, ear pressure and pain and migraines.

Activities I love to do and must limit: Bike riding, swimming, giving massages, bouldering.

I avoid activities where I have to offer continued pressure using my extensor muscles and I try not to lift or press anything over my head.

Things that have helped me include wearing a tennis elbow brace which can help alleviate some lower arm and wrist pain. My D.O. adjusts my first rib on occasion. Chiropractic is helpful but not when I’m severely constricted. Thai Massage. Calcium/Magnesium supplements. Anti-inflammatories which I try to stick to foods and herb sources. I have had excellent luck with cherry juice concentrate. You can try yoga and do stretches to manage this condition as well.

There are other treatments and surgeries. I have avoided these options but my lifestyle is so affected at this point I am going to my doctor this week to try and discuss what can be done as we move forward. I have never had an MRI. I have not tried cortisone or botox injections. There are surgeries for this condition as well.

I think these photos taken during Pirate Days in Marquette have an interesting metaphoric value. The ropes of the Madeline and the Coaster II. All in perfect order and well-maintained. I will post again soon on tendon health as I have more to share. I will also post more Pirate Day photos, arghhhhhhh.

Hot/Wet in the Upper Peninsula

Haze

Feels Like: 77°
Wind: S at 14 mph
Barometer: 29.91 in.
Humidity: 78%
Visibility: 5.00 miles
Dewpoint: 68°
Sunrise: 6:58 AM
Sunset: 8:45 PM

Enough Said.

Horseshoe Harbor–Freeze Frame

Kim Has a fear of heights and this little crack in a rock looks like nothing but...Mike already crossed and is way ahead Kim begins to cross on her own...

Kim has one leg over, arms ready to push off from the other side and she freezes in the wind with crashing waves below and considers calling to Mike...

Kim shouts over the wind and crashing waves a dozen times luckily Mike hears three like little mosquitoes buzzing his ear...

Mike plops himself in between giving Kim a human aid to cross Kim enjoys what lays beyond and tries to put the return out of her mind.

So I laughed as Mike who was ahead of me looked back and signalled he was going ahead. I blew him air kisses and gave and air hug and waved him on. We would not have been heard over the crash of waves and the roar of the wind.

When I reached the divide I knew why he paused and looked back to me. Mike knows my fear of heights. I fell behind as I took 70 some photos of frogs in a tidal pool. We often separate on hikes but let each other know which direction we are headed. I stood analyzing thechasm. No going down the back side of the rock as it was pretty shear. Lake Superior roaring up a storm on the other. It had to be acrossthe divide. The rock shelf I was on stood slightly taller. It was a drop tot he next shelf. The gap was in my mind a bit over two feet. I threw my water bottle across, slung my camera over my shoulder and to the back. I began to cross. On my butt, I put out one leg to the far shelf, great hand holds on my current shelf, and one leg. Yhe idea I had was like going down stairs on your butt. I would just kinda shove myself. WRONG!

I froze in place. I felt like I was going to sag and pour into the chasm to the crashing waves below and drown. It was a 15 foot drop. I began to yell for Mike, which I thought was utterly futile. But Miracles do happen and he heard me. “Like a mosquito buzzing in his ear,” He said.

Mike perches between the two sides like some great mountainneerman and says use me to cross. Well I had to keep urging myself and I was now fearful for the nose of my camera. So I surrender my camera to Mike. I get my bottom and body across. The scenery was worth it.

On the return I hadto cross again, It was not pretty and basically I have been telling the story as Mike shoved my *ss over the crevasse. But I feel I did get over a fear. I did not let it hold me back. I just needed a bit of help. I successfully bouldered the trail despite my fear of heights.

Photo-Friday Challenge–Old Fashioned

My submission for the Photo-Friday Challenge is a digi-capture of the center of the wheel on the canon at Fort Wilkins, Copper Harbor, Michigan. Where there were many old fashioned opportunities while visiting the Fort, the worn nature of this wheel and the craftsmanship that went into it’s creation stands out strongly for me.

Lake Fanny Hooe–Two Boats

Fave photo and first photo taken on our Copper Country trip. This was on Thursday August 14th just before sunset. I head toward the Fort and stopped to walk down one of the platform stairs and stumbled across a camper’s boats.

As I stated the trip had a strong affect on me–this shot speaks of stillness, duality, and letting oneself drift with time. Notice the spill of rope floating on water. That suggests trust. Roots and water. Nourished. Adventure. The orange sensual and electric. The horizon faded and unknown. Come, come down the stairs and drift away. Discover your edges. Stretch past your contours.

Self Portrait in the Estivant

This tree is an old friend and I had to visit it while hiking in the Estivant trails. It is a sneak peak self portrait. I was having fun using flash and no flash while shooting upward on the hollow trunk. The tree is one of the virgin pines in the Estivant. Later that day I had a lesson in balance as we headed toward the Fallen Giant.

Photo Submitted for the Photo Friday Challenge.

Fort Wilkins–Lake Fanny Hooe

August 14, 2008 before sunset Mike and I headed out with cameras. Camp was set-up and Mike the Younger and Beth had also arrived. I had been itching to pick-up my camera but after a long drive and night approaching I felt I must get camp situated for our four day trip. Fanny Hooe was still and the reflections beautiful. This was a hush, solitude, serene, the trees aglow looked like autumn in the tint of light.

I knew this trip was “deep” as I had much to sort in my mind. New directions in my work. New directions in self care. New directions in my idea of stability and what I want to portray to others. Balance would be a theme as throughout this trip; I would push to my limits and feel the contour of the land and my soul while balancing on fallen cedars, bouldering, and standing against the winds off Lake Superior.

Copper Country–Heading Out

Jacob Falls, Copper Country, Michigan

Tomorrow I will be away. I am already dreaming of what the monks bake at the Jam Pot in the Copper Country. In 2006, Mike and I headed to the wilds of the Copper Country and took photos while discovering waterfalls. It was autumn and the hills in full color. I was still using Fuji disposable cameras and Mike was using a DXG 3.1. We look at the quality of our shots and shake our heads. It will be good to see what our new cameras can capture. I was standing back at the car when I took this photo. I had snuck a bite of a rum raisin fudge brownie and the moment became an inspiration for my column. I was struck speechless by that brownie baked by the monks and I considered the moment holy  but with a lower case “h”–it wasn’t high holiness like a visitation from the Mother Mary–but it was certainly blessed.

I am hoping that this trip, Thursday-Sunday will also yield holy moments, that I can come home and sing praises, sharing the experience(s) with you.

Park Cemetary–Peter White’s Tomb