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Category: Utah

06 November 2019

PT in Cedar City Utah

Sierra cat wants water Cedar City UtahOM, I’ve been going to PT in Cedar City Utah three weeks.  Sadly, I am nowhere near 100% fixed.

Sierra cat wants water Cedar City UtahShe likes fresh water from my glass

My life is typically planned for in six month increments, though the last two years messed up that balance of work and play, first loosing my best friend then my job.  Breaking both wrists mid-August put a snag in my life.  I should be on the road and gone somewhere instead of sitting in the Cedar City Utah KOA watching the leaves drop in a chilly north wind.  (Sorry I couldn’t share the phone video of the leaves being blown about.)

Sierra cat open camper door KOA Cedar City UtahThank goodness for electricity providing heat, whatever it’s costing. Some afternoons are sun warmed enough to have windows and the door open.  But nights have been cold.

fall leaves Cedar City UtahI’m walking my two blocks to PT three times a week.  Movement and stretching increase in tiny amounts.  I mostly ache all the time from 1-3 on the pain scale.  I’m up to lifting about 3/4 of a gallon, six pounds, using a handle and with both hands.  Living alone kind of means everything I do is PT.  Just give a thought to using your hands and wrists all day long.  I’m getting better every day.  Yet still not much motion backwards or side to side.  Am I expecting too much?  Look forward to a re-evaluation.

Gaelyn with caramel apple cocktail Cedar City UtahCaramel Apple juice cocktail

Besides some necessary grocery shopping, PT is about all I do here.  I haven’t moved the truck in a month, but have started it’.

Parowan Gap UtahI did visit a local novelty which I will try to post about soon.

Sheep parade Main Sreet Cedar City Utah by StewartA Flagstaff friend attended the sheep parade for the Cedar City Livestock & Heritage Festival.  I didn’t go as I’m not a lover of crowds, or dust, or sheep poop.

unusual 5th-wheel KOA Cadar City UtahPulled into KOA for a couple nights

Daytime temperatures in the mid 60° is nice.  A few nights below freezing prompted me to buy a second room heater.  Now that nights are in the high 30s it feels like a heatwave.  Did I really just write that, the person who HATES being cold?

Sierra cat fur on table Cedar City UtahGetting cold is unhealthy for me with my poor circulation.  It’s stressful, which is never healthy.  Even poor Sierra went through stress the two weeks I spent in the hospital.  Her normally beautiful long fluffy fur became matted.  Thank goodness Jen is a cat whisperer with the right tools.  I am amazed at how cooperative Sierra was when Jen basically shaved part of her back.  She doesn’t want her photo taken now from the back.

After three weeks doing PT in Cedar City and only 30% improvement in motion there is concern that I need more aggressive (not torturous) PT.  My Dr. says I’m behind schedule on mobility.  Also tells me I can’t rely on only continuing on my own.  It’s not easy to stretch one bum hand with another bum hand.  So, I’m adding another week to Cedar City before I head further south to I’m not really sure where.

2020 calendar page with printer glitch Cedar City Utah

calendars in envelopes Cedar City UtahUpdate on the calendars:  Just like last year, the first shipment had a printer glitch on 1-2 photos, every calendar.  So Shutterfly sent a second shipment that included quality control.  I have most of your calendars in addressed envelopes.  Now I need to get to the post office and that might be a week or two away.  Thanks for your patience.

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Cedar City, Utah PT 21 Comments
22 October 2019

A mosey to Posey Lake

Posey Lake Dixie National Forest UtahFour days before I broke both my wrists I had three days off work and needed to get out to explore some more of the area so I took a mosey to Posey Lake on the Dixie National Forest.

The Blues SR12 East Utah

red paintbrush flowers SR12 UtahWithin 45 mins I had to stop for some awesome rock and flowers along Henryville Creek on SR12, a Utah Scenic Byway.

trees Powell Point Aquarius Plateau SR12 East UtahThen over The Blues and around Powell Point on the southern tip of the Aquarius Plateau.

irrigating alfalfa Escante UtahI had explored as far as the town of Escalante before so it was time to get past that.

lavender Fleabane flowers Posey Lake Dixie National Forest UtahThought about staying on SR12 to Boulder or taking the Hell’s Backbone Road one way or the other, but I didn’t get that far.  No surprise when I go off sauntering even when driving.  Of course I also had planned for a late pastry breakfast at Mimmi’s which was closed so settled with a Nemo’s hamburger and fries instead.  Was OK, all outdoor seating in 80+° wasn’t appealing so ate in the ACed truck cab while further planning my day.

map around Escalante UtahLooking at a map with so many choices I wasn’t sure but decided a drive to a lake in the forested mountains sounded good.  So I found Posey Lake Road at the east side of town and headed north.  Started off paved then turned to well groomed gravel.

horses Posey Lake Road Escalante UtahSome of the drive following Pine Creek goes past private land, at least on the west side of the road.

trees tilted Navajo sandstone cliffs clouds Posey Lake Road Dixie National Forest Utah

sandstone trees spillway cliffs Posey Lake Road UtahOn the east side, looks like a cockscomb of tilted Navajo sandstone with luscious iron colors, crazy contours and a monumental topography.  I’m such a geonerd.

trees tilted Navajo sandstone cliffs clouds Posey Lake Road Dixie National Forest UtahAlmost all of Utah could be a national park.

trees sandstone cliff clouds Posey Lake Road Utah

trees sandstone cliff toadstool Posey Lake Road UtahLow land and high, surrounded by a dense pinyon/juniper woodland, cliff faces prove difficult for life to hang on.

Then a slow climb up Escalante Mountain and into Ponderosa Pine forest where I feel right at home.  Passed the Hell’s Backbone turn off thinking I’d rather climb it than go down, saved for another day.  Then I didn’t see the lake and figured it was further than I wanted to go at 2:30 in the afternoon so turned around but changed my mind again after looking closer at the map and turned around again.

Posey Lake Dixie National Forest UtahGlad I did, as the lake was only a little farther along on FR154.  I went first to the picnic area with a rather small parking lot, several picnic tables, and a tiny outhouse I’m glad I didn’t need as I bring my toilet with me.  There is a boat ramp for non-motorized boating near the campground and two nice docks.

Posey Lake Dixie National Forest UtahA fairly small fishing lake with rainbow and brook trout, and I saw many jumping.  Also osprey around so that’s a good sign for fishing.  Plus lots of either swifts or swallows flying low over the lake for either a drink of water or eating insects.  Saw some ducks on the far side of the lake but just couldn’t get a good focus on them.  Also many big turquoise dragonflies that wouldn’t hold still long enough for a pic.

aquatic plants Posey Lake Dixie National Forest Utah

Posey Lake Dixie National Forest UtahThe shallows were full of vegetation, I wouldn’t swim in this lake but would return for a campout.  A camphost looks over 21 campsites with picnic tables, fire rings/grills, and bear box at $11/night, and 1 group site.  Accommodates RVs up to 24 feet in length with no hookups.  Drinking water (Memorial Day – Labor Day), vault toilets, no garbage disposal so please pack it out.  At 8,600 feet the nights could be nippy.  The Posey Lake Lookout Trail climbs from Posey Lake Campground to a historic, CCC constructed, lookout gazebo.  The trail is short and fairly steep, gaining almost 400 vertical feet in .7-mile. The summit offers outstanding views of Posey Lake and the surrounding John Allen Bottom country.  Didn’t know it was there, problem of not doing homework before I go or not knowing where I’m going.

trees rock layers FR153 Dixie National Forest UtahLeft home at 10am.  Left Escalante after lunch at 1pm and got to Posey Lake at 2:45 with an 18-mile drive and lots of stops along the way.  Stayed at the lake for about an hour and after a quick grocery stop returned home at 6pm.

SR12 West UtahAnd of course the return drive is also pretty.

trees Pine Creek cliffs Posey Lake Road UtahI look forward to exploring more of this area next summer.

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Dixie National Forest, Utah Posey Lake 26 Comments
16 October 2019

Settling in Cedar City Utah

trees sunset clouds KOA Cedar City UtahI never thought I’d be settling in Cedar City Utah, yet all conveniences are here and so is physical therapy (PT).

inside 5th-wheel slides in Bryce Canyon National Park UtahLooks tiny with the slides in

Under normal circumstances without two healing wrists I would have been moved with everything battened down in the 5th-wheel with slides in in a matter of hours instead of days.  Yet I had plenty of time until realizing night time lows would drop to teen° for several nights before I was scheduled to leave the 8000 foot Bryce Canyon National.  So I backed up my departure date by two days and with the generous help of a friend, Jen, moved the last stuff into the camper and packed it away.

Sierra cat on camper bedSierra was honestly the last move and she may have been worried what with watching us go in and out of the 5er all day.  Plugged in with heat, we slept the night in the tiny house.  In the morning, Jen and husband Todd came over and he drove my truck the 1 1/2 hours to Cedar City following Jen with me as a passenger.  Saved me from the long curvy drive in my wrist braces.

truck camper KOA Cedar City UtahFirst stop, surgeon’s office for x-rays that look good and referral for PT, which is right across the hall.  And only two blocks from the next stop, KOA, home sweet home for a month.  With me guiding and setting leveling blocks, Todd parked the truck and I plugged in to electricity.  Much needed for the next couple 20° nights.  Because I’m parked next to the dog run, Sierra and I are entertained by the variety of breeds.

Then we were on our way to drop donations at Deseret Industries Thrift Store where I bought a pair of size 10 jeans as the 12s are falling off.  Next stop, broken denture tooth repaired followed by a few groceries and back to my new temporary home, exhausted.  And that’s pretty much where I stayed for the next three days with highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 20s.  I also took the wrist braces off for most of the day.  I don’t have a lot of motion in my wrists but am able to do more every day.

2020 calendar cover shotI finished formatting and ordered the 2020 calendar.  Still taking orders.

trees sunset clouds KOA Cedar City Utah

trees sunset clouds KOA Cedar City UtahI’ve actually taken a few photos with the small camera and hoped to shoot full moon rise from the KOA.  There is a low ridge across Main Street to the east but it was almost past my bedtime when the moon would crest so I took advantage of the few clouds that showed color for sunset over the condos and missed the moon.

Gaelyn's hand with puttyTuesday I walked 15 minutes to PT.  The therapist was happy with my progress so far, measured my mobility, and set me to exercises trying to bend the wrists all directions.  Backwards is the most limited.  I’ll do these exercises at home three times a day.  Plus squeeze a chunk of silly putty to strengthen my hands and forearms.

Coal Creek from Main Street bridge Cedar City UtahCoal Creek

Because it was a pleasant 70° afternoon I walked about six blocks for a burger and fries, don’t recommend Brad’s.  On the return I stopped at the Cedar City visitor center adjacent to the Frontier Homestead State Park Museum that I’ll have to return to earlier in the day.  I think I’ll be able to stay busy in Cedar City Utah for a month.

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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

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