My Moutain Adventure and How I Got More Than I Bargained For

I was determined to go mountain hiking this weekend to make up for missing it due to illness last weekend.  I did just that...only I got more than I bargained for.  I wanted to post this yesterday; however, I was not up to it...I needed to recover.  In the year that I've lived here, Arizona has taught me a lot, and I mean a lot, of hard lessons about how to handle the environment.  Yesterday was the biggest lesson so far....

  I wanted to get up about 5 am and get an early start in order to have a comfortable hike before the heat of the day kicked in.  My sweet husband ended up turning the alarm off instead of snoozing it, so we didn't get up until 6 am.  I know that is still early for a Saturday morning, but it put us at the foot of the mountain at about 7 am.  These were the same mountains we were at a couple of weeks ago, (McDowell Mountains), only on the other side of them, so the sun would take longer to rise over them.  We were in the shade for most of our trek up the mountain which was a good thing for me.  We brought 2 bottles of water because it was cool and we only intended on walking about 5 miles, round trip.  Although we wanted to do a flat ground hike, (meaning no climbing up the mountain), we decided to follow the trail to Inspiration Viewpoint.  Now, I know that any trail with "view" or "lookout" or any such word in the title means an upward climb.  However, the sign said it was just 2.5 miles, so we decided to go for it...how hard could it be, right?  We saw lots of people along the trail, including several elderly couples, which further boosted my confidence about this trek.

  About halfway through I began finding it a challenge to breathe, (I was sick with a bad head cold, sinus and congestion just a week ago), but it was not bad.  I just had to stop more often, especially after an incline, to rest and catch my breath.  So I continued on...I was very excited as I've never done anything like this before. I remember commenting to my husband, "We are doing it...we are actually hiking through a mountain!"  LOL (When we were on the other side a couple of weeks ago we did a flat ground hike...no climbing.)  After walking a while, a raised cliff area sitting a few steps off the path caught our eye.  There was a nice desert breeze in this area that we did not feel on the path.  We just stood there, feeling that wonderful breeze, looking down over the valley below and the surrounding mountain range.  I just couldn't behold all this beauty that God created and not give my praise and thanks.  So my sweet husband and I bowed our heads in worship and prayer.  It brings much joy to my heart when I think of all the beauty that God created on this Earth just for us.  Yes, he created every beautiful, wondrous, breathtaking sky view, mountain, ocean, forest, natural cave and rock formations...etc., just for us humans to explore and enjoy!  That is the love our Lord has for us.

  We returned to the path and carried on talking, laughing and marveling at the green terrain of the rolling mountains surrounding us, the various species of cactus and even saw a small cave that housed who knows what inside.  It was a wonderfully fun climb....until we got about 3/4 of the way up.  At this point, I was feeling fatigued and coughing a bit.  My husband went ahead of me to see how much further it was and motioned to me to come up as we were almost there.  I thought, "I've come this far, I might as well go the rest of the way."  I went up and around the bend and had to stop again.  I really wanted to make it, but I was huffing and puffing and wasn't sure I could.  Just then, Scott pointed to where we were going and I saw it was right there within my reach.  I couldn't come this far and turn back...no way!  So I went and we made it!  Wow...it felt so good.  =)

  It was a beautiful sight.  I've never been up on a mountain like that.  Another amazing thing is that I was never scared of the climb, not once.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am absolutely terrified of heights.  This was a good trail, but most of it was very rocky and at some points narrow.  I couldn't believe I was standing up there on that viewpoint at 2,725 feet elevation and enjoying it with no fear!  It was a great achievement for me.  I can't even explain the joy that filled my heart to be up there on that mountain.  I know I wasn't nearly as high as most people go, but it was a momentous occasion for me.  My hunny bunny called me over to a rock that made a great chair for me.  When I sat down it felt soooo good as the rock was very cool on my bum. LOL  I just sat there, catching my breath, enjoying the view and making my triumphant post to Facebook.

  After about 10 minutes or so, it was time to head back down the trail.  I decided to track our way down, so I turned on the "Map My Fitness" app on my iPhone.  The sun was up over the mountain now and it was getting warmer; however, it was mostly a downhill trek, so it would be okay....so I thought.  I felt great at first.  I had gotten a second wind and started down the mountain with great enthusiasm.  Then, about 1/4 of the way down, I really began to feel the heat of the sun.  There was very little shade now that the sun was high in the sky.  I stopped at every bit of shade I could to catch my breath and try to cool down.  Scott had saved most of his bottle of water for me, but by now it was hot.  No matter, hot water was better than no water, so I took several sips at every stop.  As we went along I began to feel very fatigued, plus my feet were getting very tired.  I was stumbling more along the trail as my feet weren't quite clearing the rocks and the toe of my shoes would catch on them.  I almost twisted my ankles about 3 or 4 times and I could feel blisters forming on my big toes.  This was not the wondrous fun trip that going up had been.  

  We were about half way down when my breathing became very labored and my head started throbbing.  I put my hand on the top of my head and it felt very warm; that's when I began to worry a bit — Since I was a small child I have been very sensitive to the sun's heat.  I am at a much higher risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke than most people — It was soon after the throbbing began in my head that I began to feel a bit light-headed.  Now I knew I was in trouble.  My husband was unaware of any of this and thought I was just getting tired.  He knows about my sensitivity to heat, but has never witnessed it to this degree.  We passed several people and couples all along the way and they would just look up and say "Good Morning" as they passed by.  I don't think I "looked" like I was in distress enough to draw attention.  However, we were very low on water and I had to use some of it to pour on the top of my head.  At this point it was more important for me to cool down than to drink it.  We continued on with my head throbbing, feeling light-headed and now nauseated and weak.  Scott was beginning to get concerned, but I was already scared.  I was beginning to think I wouldn't make it down this mountain alive.  I knew that if I passed out, that was it...the end of me.  I began to pray and asked God for his strength to carry me down that mountain.  I praised God and sang praises to him in my head.

  A little bit later, we stopped under a very little shade tree so I could rest. I was shaking, hot and in very bad shape.  More people passed by...and passed by....then, an elderly couple stopped, looked at me and the lady asked, "How are you doing on water?"  Scott explained that were were very low and the woman immediately gave us a full bottle of cool water she carried in her fanny pack.  I was so grateful... I wanted to tell them they were angels, an answer to prayer, but all I could squeak out was a faint, "thank you" with tears in my eyes. I knew that God heard my prayer and sent that couple to me.  At the time, I didn't really think about it but later, as I reflected on the situation, I thought their question a bit curious.  Most people would ask "Are you okay?" or "Do you need help?"  The lady's question was so point blank, like she knew exactly what I needed.  The couple went on their way and I poured some of the water over my head and sipped at the rest as we walked on.  Of course, I made it down the rest of the way.  I know God carried me the last 1.5 - 2 miles down the mountain.  It was at that point, (shortly after receiving the water), that I felt a strange sensation come over me and although I knew the throbbing and dizziness in my head were still there, I didn't feel it.

  When we were almost at the base of the mountain, Scott ran ahead to get the car and blast the AC for me.  I made it to the little rest area and got some water from the fountain there.  It felt so good to let the ice cold water fall over my face and on my head.  But it wasn't over...when I got into the car I said to my husband, "I'm may be out of danger, but now I need to recover."  I felt so sick all the way home.  I climbed our stairs, (my one last climb of the day), and barely got into the house before I found myself hoovering over the toilet giving up all the water in my body along with some stomach acid.  The strange thing is that once this happened, I felt so much better.  It was like my entire body just released everything bad that was welling up inside and then just relaxed.  I immediately started drinking ice water and laid on my bed with the fan blowing over me.  I sent Scott to the store for some Gatorade to replace the electrolytes in my body.  It was only 11:30 am when we left the mountain.  I spent the larger part of the rest of the day recovering and drifting in and out of sleep. 

  The interesting thing is that when I reached the bottom of the mountain, I took my phone out of my pocket to stop the tracker app.  I was shocked when the "My Fitness" app said I had gone 5.69 miles....what!  And that was just coming down the mountain.  I thought I was only hiking 2.5 miles each way.  I'm not sure why the mountain trails signs said 2.5, but I have a hard time believing my GPS tracker was off by that much.  Of course, no technology is perfect.  However, I have to say that when Scott and I normally walk, I track it with that app and it is always about 4 miles from door to door.  The miles it tracks around our local park matches what the local park signs say it is.  I felt that the hike up the mountain was definitely more than 2.5 miles.  I believe we actually hiked 11.38 miles that day round trip.  That's a long cry from the 5 mile round trip we thought we would be making.  No wonder I had such a hard time.  

  My husband felt incredibly guilty; however, in the end, it was my fault.  I know my limits, I knew we would be in the heat the way back down, I knew we only had 2 bottles of water and that I had not eaten that morning.  I should not have pushed myself like that.  So, lesson learned.  I made it very clear to Scott that I will not be doing any more hiking until we buy the gear we need to carry plenty of water and snacks.  Oh and, by the way, I also checked the temp when I got in the car....it was just 84 degrees.  Arizona is no joke!  The mountains are beautiful, but they are also brutal and have no mercy.  Many of people, young and old, have died on these mountains and I was almost one of them.  LESSON LEARNED!!!!!  Never again will I go anywhere in this state without being prepared. 

  I did have a great time, (up until my incident), and have posted pictures of our adventure on my Facebook page.  You can see my album by clicking here.  This morning we went to church and I must admit that I sang my Lord's praises a little louder and with more conviction.  I've spent the rest of the afternoon resting and then writing this.

I hope you enjoyed my story and learned as much as I did.  Please learn the easy way...from my mistakes.  =)

Thanks for reading, "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Writer/Photographer

My 3 Day Weekend Adventure....Sort of

I had it all laid out.  I knew just how I would spend my 3 day weekend....

   Scott and I would get up bright and early Saturday morning, (around 6am), and head to a nearby mountain trail.  We would hike for about 3 hours, or so, enjoying the crisp, cool morning air.  We would follow the trail alongside one of the many majestic mountainsides; pointing out unique rock formations to each other and marveling at the many varieties of cactus that blanket most of the area.  We would stare up at the sky trying to take in the vastness of the clouds as they stretch along the mountain range and out as far as the eye can see; standing in awe of the beauty that The Lord our God created.  Then we would offer up our words of praise and thanks to our mighty Creator before finishing the trek back to our car and into town.

   Once in town, we would stop by one of our favorite spots for freshly brewed coffee and a hearty breakfast.  It was to be pretty warm that day, so I figured we would come home for a short rest, and then head out to another mountainous hiking trail later that afternoon to catch the beautiful sunset that Arizona is known for.  After a full day of hiking we would make our way back to our cozy little apartment for a light dinner before snuggling into bed for a blissful nights sleep that comes with such physical exhaustion.

   On Sunday, we would get another early start and hit yet another hiking trail, then come home to shower & dress, and head off to church for a wonderful morning of praise and worship.  After church, I would hang around for a couple of hours to watch the praise group rehearse, (as I am hoping to be able to join them soon), then go home, have a late lunch/early dinner; maybe watch some TV and just relax the rest of the day.

   My husband didn't have Monday off work as I did, so I planned to just stick around the house and get some good writing time in and/or edit photos, (I am severely back logged on photos to edit), then having a quiet evening with my hubby once he returned from work.  I would get to bed early so that I could awake the next morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for work.

   Yep, I had it all planned out, but here's how it really happened....

   Friday night as I sat at the computer figuring our budget and balancing the checkbook, I began to feel a bit strange.  I felt a bit more tired than usual and my throat was a little sore.  I thought it was due to a long work week and I would go to bed and feel better the next day.

   When my alarm went off at 6am Saturday morning I made a really good effort to get out of bed.  However, it felt as though my tonsils had grown twice their size overnight!  It hurt to swallow, my head felt like it was in a pressure cooker and ready to explode, and my nose was so stuffy that I could hardly breathe, yet was about to run off my face!  I still cannot conceive as to how these two things could happen simultaneously...ugh...  As that was going on with me, my husband was fighting his own battle with a severe pain in his lower back.  We laid on our couches for half the morning looking pitiful while we watched the Texas/OU football game, (it is the biggest rivalry game in Texas and I can never miss it); which didn't help me feel any better because we lost.  =(   So I decided we had better get to the store to get some supplies while I was still able to do so.  I could feel the illness inside of me creeping up and I knew it would hit me hard very soon.  I just didn't expect it to rear its ugly head at the store.

   I stumbled around the grocery store like a drunk trying to hold myself up with the basket while already having to break into the box of tissues for my snotty nose.  I got a lot of very interesting looks from people as well.  As I struggled to stay on my feet with a dizzy, foggy head and woozy stomach, my sweet husband was shuffling down ales after ales, like an 80 year old man, getting as many things as he could.  We managed to stock up on OJ, Mucinex, Tissue, 7-up and just enough food supply for the remainder of the weekend.  I spent the rest of the day watching football in a medicated haze.

   Sunday, I just laid on the couch, like a bump on a log, unable to do anything except shove medicine and a few morsels of food in my face.  I thought I would surely wake up Monday morning feeling better and maybe, just maybe I could salvage that days plans, but no.  After taking my hubby to work I came back home to shower,  then I had to rest for an hour just to gather back what little energy I could.  I rested most of the morning and got up around 1:30 to have lunch with my hubby, but really I just looked like a wondering zombie that sort of resembled his wife.  Despite my total lack of energy we had a nice lunch, and then I returned home to my couch to spend the rest of the day recovering before going to retrieve him from work.  I took more meds and was in bed by 8:30pm.

   Thankfully, I felt a bit better this morning and was able to return to work.  My head was clearer, (no more walking in a fog), but I still sneezed my head off all day and was blowing my nose every 5 minutes!  I look like Rudolph for goodness sakes.  Anyway, I'm glad to be feeling better.  I guess my mountain hiking adventure will have to wait until this weekend, (hopefully I will be back to 100% by then).  I hope you all stay well out there.  Stay away from sick co-workers!! 

Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Writer/Photographer

Fall Is Finally Here!!

One day I was sitting in my car, waiting for my husband to get off work, and I began writing a Facebook post about how excited I am that fall is finally here.  As I wrote the post grew long and longer and I realized that my simple little post about fall was becoming a full-fledged poem.  Fearing my crappy iPhone would freeze, (as it so often does), and shut down the FB app causing me to lose the entire thing, I hurried to copy and pasted it into my notes so that I could finish it later.  Once I got home, I did just that.  I decided to do what I so often did in the past...I decided not to share is as a post on Facebook.  Instead, I will share it here; where all those who are interested in my writing come.  I hope you enjoy my Ode to Fall as much as I enjoyed writing it.


                                                               Ode to Fall

   It's the warm, fuzzy feeling I get inside my heart as the new season ushers in cooler breezes that ignite my soul as sunshine flows over my body, and the colder night air as it hits my face.  It's the way I find myself amazed, yet again, with the spectacular beauty of the trees as their leaves turn a beautiful yellow, orange and red.

  It's cruising up and down the aisles of my favorite stores looking for just the right decorations, and my home smelling like apple pie and pumpkin spice.

   It's digging through my closet for the favorite pair of comfy jeans, sweat pants, and cozy sweaters that will cover my belly curves and make me feel skinny.  It's football games and shivering in the stands wrapped up in a blanket while trying to sip hot chocolate without scalding myself.

   It's filling my lungs with fresh, crisp air.  It's camping without the pains of a sunburn, sitting by a bonfire or fire pit - drinking beer, roasting s'mores and making memories.

   It's cooking my favorite comfort foods - homemade chili, mac & cheese, fruit pies - and not counting calories.  It's making a mess while carving pumpkins that will greet all who approach my front door.

   It's the fun of playing silly games at fall festivals, and partaking in their deliciously fried food offerings while sipping warm apple cider.  It's watching joyfully as children run from door to door, in over-sized costumes that make them waddle, to collect their delightfully sweet treasures.

   It's the smell of a turkey roasting in the oven while the parade is playing on the television in the background and waiting with great anticipation as my stomach rumbles and tumbles about.  It's gorging myself on turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and deviled eggs - then falling asleep on the couch cuddling with my loving husband while watching football.

   It's giving thanks for everyday lived on this Earth, for every person I love, and who loves me just for who I am.  It's thanking my Lord and Savior for all the sweet blessings He showers over me everyday.  It's lending a helping hand to a stranger and making others feel as loved as I am.

Thank you for reading, "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Photographer/Writer

I'm Back!!!

Yes, it is true...I am back!!  The truth is that, although it was good for me to stop for a while, I truly missed writing my blog.  A lot has changed in the past several months that has allowed me to be back here, sharing with you.  =)  

First of all, I am no longer in culinary school.  Half way through my schooling I began to notice that I took more of an interest in my academic classes than the cooking classes.  While the other students were complaining about having to take the academics, I was getting increasingly frustrated because they were interrupting my academic education with their unwillingness to participate.  All they wanted to do was cook.  They could cook in school all day, work a 16 hour shift cooking at a restaurant and still want to go home and cook more.  I noticed the same thing with the chefs in the culinary competitions I watched on Food Network.  In those moments, I knew they possessed a passion for cooking that I did not.  I do love to cook, don't get me wrong, but not like that.  To be a chef, the passion for cooking must consume you.  It will take more than 15-20 years working in multiple kitchens for barely above minimum wage to get to the level that most aspiring chefs want to be.  It will take multiple sacrifices to get there.  Many chefs have sacrificed any other wants, desires and even their families to achieve their culinary dream.  That is not me.  I don't "love" cooking like that.  I learned all the basics I needed to be a better cook for my family and friends, and I will continue to learn from Food Network, YouTube and cooking books.

Since leaving school I have become employed back in Corporate America.  Shocking...I know.  After all, I said I so disliked the corporate world, that it was like prison for me and I would never go back.  This causes me to reflect on the words my mother has said to me, time and time again, since I was a little girl... "Never say never, because that is when it will happen."  Yes, she was right.  Write it down mom!  I actually said you are right! LOL  I was injured while working in a kitchen and had to be put on light duty as I could not use my right hand for a couple of months.  While on light duty I still had to work, so they had me shredding papers in their office.  It was so freaking boring, but I loved the office staff and it made me miss being in an office.  Also, working in the food industry, or any retail industry, requires days, nights, weekends and holidays.  In other words, very very few days off.  My husband works in an office and we barely saw each other nor could we plan any weekend getaways or family visits because I was constantly working.  Lets just say the experience gave me a new appreciation for my corporate work, or I was just spoiled after having nights, weekends, and holidays off for so many years.  Either way, I wanted it back.  I now work for Bank of America and I love it.  The people I work with are nice, helpful and MATURE.  All things I struggled to find in my previous office job in Texas.  I have come to realize that I was judging the entire corporate world by one or two jobs I held over the years.  

Now I'm in a job I am enjoying and leaves me plenty of off time.  I still have things I want to do and want to start up my own business as well.  In this day and age, I don't want to depend on just one stream of income to get me through the rest of my life.  The one thing that I love and keep coming back to is photography.  I am absolutely fascinated by photography and always have been.  I love the art side of it.  I'm not a wedding or portraiture photographer...that's just not where my heart is.  I want to capture people, nature, things and places as art.  I want to highlight all the things that God has created and bring awareness to the things that so many people are just too busy to stop and notice on a daily basis.  I'm also going to focus on doing some writing; which is something I started doing when I was just 13 years old and have always enjoyed.  With being married and raising my children, writing took a back seat for a lot of years.  I am so excited that I have now finally realized writing and photography are my greatest passions and I am ready to pursue them fully.

Hopefully, I will have many interesting things to share and show.  It may take a few months as I need to make some rather big purchases to get started back into photography and set up a home office.  This poor old computer I now use is so slow that I cannot do any photo editing.  It can take me an hour just to edit one photo because the computer freezes so much.  My first purchase will be an Apple computer.  I've always wanted one and they are fabulous for photography.  I will also need a desk and chair for my office and I am going to purchase a new camera along with accessories that I have needed for far too long.  Until I get all set up, my posts may be few and far between and maybe a bit boring, but I will try my best to make them interesting...LOL

I'm so excited about my continued life journey, upcoming new adventures and sharing it all with you.

Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Photographer/Writer