Non Climbing Summer activities

Staying fit and positive is going to be my motto for a while. Not being able to climb is always a tough non-motivating situation, but channeling that energy into other pursuits will ultimately be a positive. I have been getting out and hiking with my dog while finding other beautiful places in Colorado that I normally would not search out.
Climbing has been my way of staying fit for many years and a great way to escape the stressful dramas of life. Now that I have contracted the dreadful tendinitis in my left elbow and possibly a torn bicep in my right arm, staying fit will be a different pursuit. Not having an upper body to keep in shape, I figure maybe going hiking to keep my lower half in check would be a positive way to escape those pesky, stressful dramas.
There are so many hiking trails in such a close proximity to our home that I have been able to hike a new trail weekly. I have taken Peanut up to Nederland and hiked the trail around Nederland Lake, the Green Mountain Trail in Boulder Canyon, the Rabbit Mountain Trail in Lyons, and a bunch of open space trails along the plains. The wild flowers are still in bloom and are rich in their colors of yellow, orange and purple. Even though we are in the middle of August, with so much rain this year, everything is still alive and green which is a nice change from summers past.
Saturday, I took Peanut up to the Rabbit Mountain Trail in Lyons. It was warm, but not blazing hot with a gentle breeze and scattered clouds.Peanut and I hiked the three mile trail up to a look out that allowed us to see the entire Front Range and Flatiron areas. I have my snake eyes on so to speak for rattlers, but have been lucky so far. Even though it hasn’t been too warm, I know there are still snakes out basking in the sun. On our way back down the trail, Peanut, bless her heart, crashed. She is a small pit bull with very short hair. When the temperatures get one degree above 70, she moves like a slug. I was walking at a medium pace and noticed that she had been lagging way behind. I do admit that there wasn’t a lot of shade on the trail and Peanut does do ok when there is some shade for her to hide in. It was a pretty sad sight to see and at this rate, we would never get home in time to make Chris Schulte’s birthday party. I picked her up, wrapped her around my neck and she didn’t even put up a fight. She is about 38- 40 pounds which isn’t too bad. I walk her down to the base of the uphill section and place her back on the ground. As soon as I put her leash back on, she is in the lead and pulling on the leash as usual. She is such a funny dog, in that, I mean that she is so much like a little child. I have had to do this before because she more or less stops and gives you the, I’m dying look and just stares up at you with sad eyes. Her suffocating panting was also a sign that she was a bit overheated. I do know that her breed is from a cooler, moister region that is totally different from Colorado’s dry, high altitude, intense sunny region. As we closed the gap towards my truck, it did seem to be getting warmer and I felt a bit bad about dragging the Nutt up the sparsely shaded trail. Poor Peanut must think that every time I take her outside now, that I am going to torture her to hike some fiery inferno of a trail. She may at some point protest these hikes and just want to stay home in her air-conditioned castle. I think for Peanut’s sake and mine; I can get back out and get to climbing again soon!