Just an Update

This past week has been quite eventful. As of right now, my nose is bleeding. It has been bleeding for over an hour. Actually, its been closer to two. I know, crazy right? It was more of a slow dribble for the first half hour and now it just constantly feels wet. My blood just won't seem to clot.

Maybe it is because a couple days ago I went kayaking out to an island in Jackson Lake. I wanted to get some reading done, free from distractions. I got about a mile out into the lake before I realized the island had absolutely nowhere to leave my kayak. I came to the island and stared up at the wall of sand that should have been horizontal instead of vertical. The only place for the kayak to go was up. I took off my shoes and got out of the kayak. I set my shoes up on the land and took my first step onto the island. The incline was too steep, my bare feet slid in the dirt. I couldn't get traction. I had to persevere. I took another step. A cloud of dirt and dust plumed up between my toes. Few times in life have I felt so natural and raw. I dug my right foot into the ground, with rough stones twisting into the bottom of my foot. Pain was secondary if I could get any sort of grip. I lifted the kayak. I took another step but the kayak dragged me down. Dust trailed behind my feet as I slid back down to the edge of the water. I took a couple steps back up and secured myself. I decided to lighten my load. I threw my bag up the hill but it just rolled back down. I dropped the kayak and slide down the dirt like a third grader. A splash of water followed. My stuff was wet and gravity was mocking me, but I wasn't going to give up.

I paused to take in my situational circumstances. I thought about erosion and how plants prevent erosion because their roots hold soil together. I looked to my right and saw some plants. I took a step into a sagebrush bush. My foot discovered that sagebrush are not soft. With each step I was able to hold my ground and eventually lift the kayak up onto the side of the island. I took my backpack and kept the life jacket in case the kayak decided to leave down the hill without me.
I did some reading out in the sun and when I returned to the marina, I discovered I had been the afternoon's entertainment through a pair of binoculars. Well, not just me, but also there were some bears on the island. I hadn't known there were bears on the island. Anyway, I doubt that is causing my nosebleed.

Maybe it is from running a sprint for the Signal Mountain Olympics. I had not run since I have arrived here but decided I could do as well as anyone. After basking in the sun for several hours, I slammed some powerade and a couple apples before the race. Bad idea. The race started and I was the second-to-last runner for our relay team. I took our team from 3rd to 1st but it was not without cost. By the time I was done, I thought I might pass out. I had outrun my lungs. The next two days I was coughing like a chain smoker.

Or maybe it is because last night we went night hiking to some natural hot springs. People 'round these parts say that the radiation is off the charts...but it was worth it. We had to hike across a river in order to get to the hot springs. Eventually, we came across a hole in the ground where steam was pouring out. I touched the water; it was hot. The water trickled down into a little pool next to the river. Apparently, a few years back a bison stumbled upon the hot pool of water and decided it was a swell final resting place. Ever since then, it has been a festering cesspool of bacteria. Sadly, we didn't find the warning sign about possibly fatal bacteria until after we had spent two hours in it.

But I don't think that was the cause. To be honest, I think it is just the altitude. That, and maybe because I had a glass of wine right before I decided to blow my nose. I don't think alcohol helps with blood clotting. But alas, I think my nose has stopped bleeding.