the rest will sit back and wait for their safety to be once again settled.
Posts Tagged ‘safety
14
May
20
the warrior will enter…
17
Oct
18
Back in a bit…
Won’t be long….taking a break to focus on assorted health issues. Keep up the wonderful creativity.
04
Oct
18
‘melanoma’ post again…
In 2010, I posted re moles and malignant melanoma. Since that time, that specific post has had almost 53,000 visits suggesting it is a concern to visitors. Over the years, I have had areas on my forehead and cheek (Actinic keratosis) removed via cryo-burning. I went in the other day and the usual spots were treated and then the full body inspection. I am rarely in the sun exposing more than arms and head anymore…not like the old days of tanning beds or sunbathing. Well the doc muttered ‘hmmm, that’s concerning’ to a spot on my lower/middle back. A slice was taken, biopsy performed and today I received the call the sample was cancer. A ‘simple’ procedure will be performed and further testing re lymph nodes etc.
This photo is quite identical to my back…kind of unassuming and so easily overlooked. So take warning sun worshippers….I am reposting the original post and there are plenty of good online links re images and what happens with each variety of damaged skin…benign or malignant. My doc said, ‘you may be very careful now, but you did so much of this damage years ago and it is just now catching up.’
https://swittersb.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/moles-malignant-melanoma/
04
Sep
18
friendship & trust…
‘Someone to tell it to, is one of the fundamental needs of human beings.’ Miles Franklin
19
Oct
16
changes in light (life)…
hiding from the glare,
contemplating life back here
step toward that light
30
Sep
16
look up now and then…
don’t we spend a lot of time shuffling along life’s trail looking downward to avoid the trips, stumbles and falls? We wait for the infrequent viewpoints to stop and look at the vista. But often the beauty is about us and missed as we navigate the hazards.
13
Sep
16
take care…
As some of you know, SwittersB & Exploring use to be SwittersB & Fly Fishing. I switched names because my interests had expanded into a broader arena, photography wise. That said, in the past, I frequently reminded readers to stay fit for safety reasons. I am ever more convinced of the need for maintaining strength and flexibility, particularly in the lower extremities if one is out hopping about on uneven terrain (see those shoreline rocks behind me).
I have taken several bad falls the last few years along rivers and trails, which ultimately required a complex surgery on my ankle this Spring (further I have damaged the back, wrists and elbows). The rehabilitative process is ongoing and not like it was even ten years ago.
Please maintain your foot, leg, hip, core strength especially if you are out moving about on uneven surfaces. Once older, the restorative consequences are sobering. Stay stronger, be safe!!!
19
Nov
15
Guardrails are worn…
31
Oct
15
Happy Halloween…
Be careful out there with the company you meet & keep…
22
Apr
15
Chasing Cactus Blooms & Safety
Early April is often a good time to find the beautiful cactus blooms in the Joshua Tree National Park in California. For my wife and I, part of the enjoyment is that you can’t just drive along and see the cactus or blooms. You have to get out of the car and exert some effort and in the process you, of course, slow down and study the terrain. Your pace slows down. I can’t say the mind slows down because the unique desert world is highly stimulating.
Every plant, the spacing of plants, the rock formations, the trees and cactus are highly contrasted to our home turf of the Pacific NW (Western Oregon). Finding the cactus and possibly finding them in bloom is part of the enjoyment. The colors, the varieties, and their locations are so rewarding. In the process, you feel the altitude, the wind, the sun and fresh air. You shake off the Winter doldrums.
It seems obligatory when discussing an outing into the desert to mention water, planning, route selection etc. Like in any outdoor adventure you truly must plan to some degree for safety and what if’s. Cell phone coverage inside the park was very spotty. So, be aware depending upon your age and fitness that you can slip, trip and fall. You can while focused on snapping images place yourself in harm’s way atop a rock, or moving too close to an edge.
What I notice ever more is, dare I say it, one’s age and degree of fitness plays in here. My mind thinks I’m much younger. But, as I move about the terrain I notice the lessened spring in the step…unsteadiness in the hips….misjudging the strength to hop from here to there. So, if you never did embark upon that New Year’s resolution to work out, or you have a physical limitation or two, be careful.
Although a ‘park’ it is the desert and all that entails. Don’t drive down roads or terrain your rental car was not designed to take on (I did this near Salvation Mountain and promptly got momentarily stuck with no one around). If you are doing a drive through the park with a few side hikes and short jaunts into the desert terrain you should be safe planning wise….but still watch your steps and slow down. Definitely have a map or two!
