Kathiey's World

Divorce and Stress. The stress of divorce ranks second on many stress scales, just behind the death of a spouse.  I disagree with it being second because I see an unwanted divorce as "like a death but with intent."  Stress can have many adverse effects on your life and your health.  With this in mind, I will be doing a series on stress relief to see if we can at least diminish the stress and anxiety accompanying separation and divorce. There is something relaxing about taking a hike outside on a nice day.  Feeling the cool breeze and warm sun on your face as you surround yourself with the beauty of the countryside has a calming effect, at least on me. As I was looking for ways to relieve stress, I found that many believe that hiking is one way of doing just that.  Here are a few things I found as I was researching this topic. When you hike, you get the health benefits of exercise, such as increasing muscle mass, improving balance, and good heart health. P...

I love to get outside and go hiking.  Today I am going to share a hike with you that I took in near Jordan Lake in North Carolina This is a hike I took back in 2017.  Brodie was still around,  so you will hear him mentioned in this post. I am always up for a hike.  I mostly hike with area meetup groups.  I never know what I will see on these hikes, and I am always excited for a new adventure.  I grabbed my camera and headed toward Jordan Lake to find my group and start hiking.  I will be quoting from a site I signed up for,   AllTrails.com .  It's free.  If you are interested in area hiking trails, you should check out the site. "New Hope Overlook Blue Route is a 2.8 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Moncure, North Carolina that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash." AllTra...

I have taken up hiking with a local meetup group.  The usual distance is 4-6 miles.  I have been wearing my tennis shoes and they are fine but for the occasional stubbed toe on roots or rocks.  On my last hike with the group, they said the trail was a bit wet and our guide said: "it is a good thing we all have our hiking boots".  Knowing of course that I had mostly white running shoes on I looked around at my peers and yes they all had hiking boots.  I was the odd man out.  I did not mind being different but I did not enjoy the idea of a sprained ankle or injured toes.  That day I decided I would do a bit of research on The Hiking Boot. I talked to people on the hike and everyone I talked to wore Merrells and everyone seemed pleased with them.  I spoke with my son in law who does a lot of hiking and he said Merrells were great but that he wore Salomons.  We have a local REI and I decided to pay them a visit.  The one nice thing ab...

Raven Rock State Park Lillington NC I enjoy taking long walks with my dog.  The walks we take are near home and usually on paved trails.  We usually go 1-2 miles. I always enjoy these times with Brodie. I am a member of several MeetUp Groups, and one of them is a hiking group.  Being in a group like this allows me to explore without the possibility of getting lost.  (At least I hope our fearless leaders know where we are going:-) When I was looking at an upcoming event on the MeetUp site, I saw that one of my favorite groups was hiking at Raven Rock.  The Hiking Over The Hill Group was planning on hiking 4.5 miles on this trip.  It would be a combination of the Little Creek Trail and the Raven Rock Trail. Below is a description of the Raven Rock Loop Trail, as found on the park website. Our group met at the Visitor Center. The visitor center is very nice.  There are restrooms, an exhibit hall, and even a gift shop with fun things t...

I honestly can't tell you the name of the trail that Erica and took on our hike.  You go to the Linville Falls Visitors Center,  turn left, and take the path down.  After doing a bit of research, I think it is the Linville Falls Plunge Basin Trail.  It is a more challenging trail then the hike to the right of the visitor center, although that one is lovely. I have done this hike a couple of times.  Always fun.  Just in case it is Linville Falls Plunge Basin Trail here is some info on that hike found on  Asheville Trails Linville Falls Plunge Basin Trail "The hike departs from the Linville Falls visitor center, located off the Blue Ridge Parkway at MP 316 ( view maps and driving directions ), hanging a left in front of the visitor center. The trail splits almost immediately at a signed junction: the Dugger Falls Trail veers left, and the Plunge Basin Overlook and Gorge Floor Trail turns right. The hike follows signs to the overlook, trailing e...

I saw that one of my MeetUp Groups was going on a hike at Harris-Lake Park. I had never been to this park, and I jumped at the chance to join them on the adventure. Quote from AllTrails "Harris Lake Peninsula Trail is a 4.2 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near New Hill, North Carolina that features a lake and is good for all skill levels." I heard this trail was anywhere between 4.2-5 miles. I am not sure about the distance we traveled, but it was a good workout.   " Harris Lake is a reservoir in New Hill, North Carolina. The lake covers 4,100 acres in southwestern Wake County and southeastern Chatham County. It is the source and outlet of cooling water for the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant. The lake is adjacent but not connected to B. Everett Jordan Lake." Wikipedia Vew of the cooling tower of Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant.  What a great group of folks! Another fun day on the trail. Happy Travels and...