tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54739650375759754062024-03-05T04:21:32.831-08:00What's up, Doc?Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-22110394608431821942016-05-28T06:27:00.003-07:002016-05-28T06:28:56.553-07:005 Down, 5 to Go<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtEDlSxHiYElWpkuLxugxHCPpZXT79D6_NyxqLiMKi0Nh_BKfFD2dP3UdhVJsKsrJ-Nz5WfEF89yB4k4oHMBmcK3peQUtCEzFjWqBeKpO9Mq7eeFt561_P3SPs9p_n6GolUdW-4YBnuU/s1600/IMG_2835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtEDlSxHiYElWpkuLxugxHCPpZXT79D6_NyxqLiMKi0Nh_BKfFD2dP3UdhVJsKsrJ-Nz5WfEF89yB4k4oHMBmcK3peQUtCEzFjWqBeKpO9Mq7eeFt561_P3SPs9p_n6GolUdW-4YBnuU/s400/IMG_2835.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5th Century - The Capital Area Greenway Century May 23rd</td></tr>
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Greetings friends & family, I’m
overdue for an update on my quest to complete 10 Centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5 down, 5 to go!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since my first ride at the “After the Bridge
Run Ride” in Charleston SC, I’ve completed 5 100-mile rides in a space of 7
weeks, one every other weekend. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had
to make one adjustment to my schedule – I did not ride in the 2<sup>nd</sup>
day of the Tour de Cure on May 17<sup>th</sup>, as I had to attend the funeral
of a friend that day – so I created a “Capital Area Greenway Century” and rode
106 miles last Sunday (May 24<sup>th</sup>) to make up for the miss on May 17<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The riding has been pretty good,
and I’ve only had to deal with one thunderstorm, three weeks ago during the
Raven Rock Ramble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve avoided any
significant injuries, and I have to say that as I have completed more rides,
they have become a little easier, though I always seem to struggle through the
final 10-15 miles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Fund raising is going well and I am
VERY thankful for all of you who have made a donation to the cause of curing blood
cancers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great deal of progress has
been made in the development of treatments, but it is still the case that
one-third of patients diagnosed with a blood cancer do not live beyond 5 years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are two people close to me
currently fighting – my Dad’s very close friend Walt, battling multiple
myeloma, just received a transplant of his own stem cells, and a good friend of
mine has a son named Brandon who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia
several months ago – he is being treated with the drug Gleevec, a miracle drug
that was developed in part with funding from LLS. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Next Sunday, June 5, I’ll ride in
the Fletcher Flyer out in the Asheville area., which will be my 6<sup>th</sup>
ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ride #7 will be the Velo4Yellow
ride on July 16<sup>th</sup>, out of Wake Forest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As you can see, I am working very
hard for a cure!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please consider making
a donation, every dollar goes to help saving lives!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you again for your support!!<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/fletcher16/drooker" target="_blank">DONATE BUTTON :-)</a><o:p></o:p></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-20920570134966565812016-03-27T06:31:00.000-07:002016-03-27T06:31:17.489-07:00Ready to Ride.....Hey Y'all, Happy Easter! <br />
<br />
One week from today I will participate in my first Century ride. The "After the Bridge Run Ride" will be Sunday April 3rd near Charleston, SC. I'm heading down there on my own on the 2nd and staying in a local Econo-Lodge. According to my "Map my Ride" app, I have ridden 540 miles this year in preparation for this 1st Century. This kicks off a rapid series of century rides pretty much every 2 weeks until the Fletcher Flyer in early June, which will be my 6th, out of my goal of 10. <br />
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I rode 80 miles yesterday and was able to finish relatively strong, so I am confident that I am ready for next week. I didn't get as much training in as I intended, thanks to two colds over the last month plus a nagging back issue. <br />
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Thanks for your interest and support. I'm doing this of course to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). You can make a donation to the cause at this link:<br />
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<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/fletcher16/drooker" target="_blank">Dan's Fundraising Page</a>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-83677902736300046852016-01-23T07:00:00.003-08:002016-01-23T07:00:26.485-08:00"I Will Ride 500 Miles, and I Will Ride 500 More" Greetings and a Happy New Year to everyone! (The title of the blog post comes from a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otXGqU4LBEI" target="_blank">song by The Proclaimers</a>.) Where to begin? It's been a long time since my last post, but in the interest of brevity, I will stick to the main points and current news. First, I celebrated my 4th 2nd birthday on Dec 21, meaning the 4th anniversary of my transplant. My health was excellent in 2015 - I don't recall being sick during the entire year. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2aw6y41-qaIF_IJfBPteBrTCoDQCtuininF1fTzfqUlT90VWTKEL9786T05XUVaSRHp-Yu7wrCPWPRjdNfsjBx8U5FLb9s4y24pDVmMu97CU14XNK6-izmiyMI0Ey2vaLip3EGbv4X4/s1600/IMG_2172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2aw6y41-qaIF_IJfBPteBrTCoDQCtuininF1fTzfqUlT90VWTKEL9786T05XUVaSRHp-Yu7wrCPWPRjdNfsjBx8U5FLb9s4y24pDVmMu97CU14XNK6-izmiyMI0Ey2vaLip3EGbv4X4/s400/IMG_2172.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caught this Musky on a fly rod in Wisconsin, October 2015 </td></tr>
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After the Christmas holidays, just last week, I was in Houston for my 4 year checkup, and the news was again very good - clear CT scan and normal bone marrow biopsy. I'm told that the longer I stay in complete remission, the lower the probability of relapse. Dr. Hosing actually told me that from her viewpoint, I did not need get annual bone marrow biopsies or CT scans anymore, unless something in my blood counts changes or I develop other symptoms. Which means, among other things, that I may not be going back to Houston for a while, maybe never. I tracked Dr. Keating down at his office that evening around 5:30 to thank him in person again and to say so long for now. It was a huge milestone in my cancer story. Most websites still say there is no cure for CLL, but a successful bone marrow transplant definitely walks and quacks like a cure! I'm inexpressibly grateful to the Lord, my doctors, my family, my friends.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6VPFMdwff28GytvVsVPah2Nfl-LkuntYsFWLEXoZ1F50TqlXC5XwEGWQV3jRXFFKiPS1AhT7MebuJPn71cWnDvLTYunp9hOGmqopyuj7KIbWeTJGntaqOsxHK7hRsh9dErt-hUUyTVU/s1600/IMG_2257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6VPFMdwff28GytvVsVPah2Nfl-LkuntYsFWLEXoZ1F50TqlXC5XwEGWQV3jRXFFKiPS1AhT7MebuJPn71cWnDvLTYunp9hOGmqopyuj7KIbWeTJGntaqOsxHK7hRsh9dErt-hUUyTVU/s400/IMG_2257.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Missouri River with Dad, October 2015</td></tr>
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I have been spared, but in 2015 cancer continued to devastate. I lost several acquaintances last year to various forms of cancer. One colleague at IBM was diagnosed in June with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and died within 5 months. One of my best friends had a close colleague taken in November. St. Jude's hospital in Memphis continues to be filled with young cancer patients. So I will continue to put my recovery to good use by completing endurance events and raising money for the fight against leukemia and lymphoma. Last year I executed the "Triple Play", the half-marathon, double century ride, and hike in Yosemite, and raised over $30,000. I spent time during the holidays thinking about what I might do in 2016, and what came to me is to commit to completing 10 century rides, for a one thousand mile odyssey. Why? Well, I like to push the boundaries of what cancer survivors can do, and I want to inspire others - to ride, to walk, to run, to <u>give</u>.<br />
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So 2016 will be all about cycling. I have already ridden 4 times since mid-December, 2 rides of 25 miles and more recently 2 rides of 50 miles. I will keep track of my training miles too, as I suspect that I will log another thousand miles or more in training. I have scheduled 8 rides so far:<br />
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April 3 - "After the Bridge Run Ride" Charleston SC<br />
April 14 - "Tarwheel Century Ride" Elizabeth City, NC<br />
May 1 - "Raven Rock Ramble" Raleigh, NC<br />
May 14 - "Tour de Cure" Day 1 Raleigh to Sanford, NC<br />
May 15 - "Tour de Cure" Day 2 Sanford to Raleigh, NC<br />
June 5 - "Fletcher Flyer" Fletcher, NC (near Asheville)<br />
July 16 - "Velo 4" Wake Forest NC<br />
October 2 - "Bike MS Ride" New York City<br />
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There are two more rides that I need to schedule in the 2nd half of the year, and I will as soon as the various rides have dates selected and I can finalize the calendar. I am very excited about this challenge, as it will sustain my focus and interest for the better part of the year - I am glad that you will be with me along the way! Warm wishes for 2016! <br />
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Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-11975716193358875392015-05-10T12:08:00.000-07:002015-05-10T12:08:02.010-07:00One Week to the Tour de Cure!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPF-jBHn3JHOtm-F8-Sw1gGJhLdLd72V5O-psG02-bKFv5ua3-lVqZ-ZvKMGeY_3Ask34_5grByn4JAV_tamKJ0a9jQPd5HIwAvfl5vaMeFlyKcuIxbZJ5BwvVK2SYV9Qc416hPvtdioM/s1600/IMG_1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPF-jBHn3JHOtm-F8-Sw1gGJhLdLd72V5O-psG02-bKFv5ua3-lVqZ-ZvKMGeY_3Ask34_5grByn4JAV_tamKJ0a9jQPd5HIwAvfl5vaMeFlyKcuIxbZJ5BwvVK2SYV9Qc416hPvtdioM/s640/IMG_1503.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meadow at Mile 24 Along the Neuse River Trail</span></td></tr>
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Happy Mother’s Day to all! </div>
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Time is flying by….since my last update, I have ramped up my cycling over the last 3 weeks, starting with two 40-mile rides the first week, (one day in between), to two 50-mile rides the second week, and rides of 60 and 67 miles last week! that will toughen up your kiester. The Tour de Cure is less than a week away. I rode a short 20 mile spin this morning before church just to keep the callouses firm - I will do a couple of back-to-back rides this week to get into final form for the 200 mile grind this coming weekend. I’ve been doing most of my training rides on the Neuse River Greenway, a beautiful 33-mile long resource, safe from lunatic drivers on the highways who have anger management issues :-)</div>
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As soon as the bike ride is over I will begin training for the third leg of the Triple Play, an 18 mile day-hike through the heart of Yosemite - starting at 4,000 foot elevation in the valley, then soaring (on foot) 3,800 feet to the top of the cliffs at Glacier Point, then hugging the cliff tops until we descend again back to the valley along the John Muir Trail - it will be a happy reunion between me and that special trail, even if only for a few miles. Altogether we will hike 18 miles, if all goes according to the plans of men ;-)</div>
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A heartfelt THANK YOU!! to those of you who have made a contribution to the cause of curing blood cancers. There is still time to make a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the charity that I run, cycle, and hike for. It’s a wonderful organization, committed to making deadly blood cancers a thing of the past. Remember, leukemia is the #1 <u>childhood</u> cancer. </div>
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Thanks for your support - here is the link to my fund raising page - God bless you and yours and have a GREAT Mother’s Day!! Dan </div>
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Dan’s Page: </div>
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<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/Yosemit15/drooker">http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/Yosemit15/drooker</a></div>
Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-37624288180624764282015-04-27T05:59:00.003-07:002015-04-27T05:59:49.922-07:00Rocked the Half Marathon!! Double Century is Up Next!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRc14iaDaBOFjt5evBSd3BHAZL94OwYZuuJt1cxHLKDswsjHP4v-Lki2hnB5Hnvo8sCyk4H3-x87iZNiQ_nw3TWm222ZNU9rrFxkQ9A1MHFDjS9JPsmC3YQbqTkINNIJ9-Xq7i2OePfw/s1600/IMG_1465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRc14iaDaBOFjt5evBSd3BHAZL94OwYZuuJt1cxHLKDswsjHP4v-Lki2hnB5Hnvo8sCyk4H3-x87iZNiQ_nw3TWm222ZNU9rrFxkQ9A1MHFDjS9JPsmC3YQbqTkINNIJ9-Xq7i2OePfw/s1600/IMG_1465.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Hello Friends and Family!
Well this update is overdue but the big news is that the first leg of
the Triple Play is successfully completed!
I “ran” the Raleigh Rock and Roll half marathon in 2 hours and 25
minutes. I was able to run through the
halfway point, but somewhere around mile 8 or 9 I found myself walking up some
of the hills in downtown Raleigh. I
didn’t make a conscious decision to walk, my body just stopped running and
started walking! All in all, I think I
ran about 10 or 11 out of the 13.1. Not
bad, all things considered. </div>
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The inspiration dinner the night before the race was
wonderful, and I was fortunate enough to be honored as the top fund raiser for
the Team in Training!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All thanks to all
of you!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Well now my attention turns to cycling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took me a few days to work out the
stiffness and soreness from the run, but by Wednesday I was back on my
stairmaster, 40 minutes a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today
will be my first cycling workout since the Half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be riding today with Rob Allan, a
fellow Tour de Cure participant and my team captain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Tour is going to be upon me very soon – 3
weeks fro Saturday, so I need to train intensively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will keep you posted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks for all your encouragement and
support!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GO TEAM!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dan<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsStidxQ22rjC7Y3Ap8hED6NOe9i5EIn4pVby1Xtdw38lUKAk3Y7qIum7GIB7uu9xWiKu8clop9gvN2Z4PnyqmeP0Kg-W-NLLWFem7nUmsEG_BaxJ9svyFL5ryNfA17RoWPNL_UyJ7lI8/s1600/IMG_1455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsStidxQ22rjC7Y3Ap8hED6NOe9i5EIn4pVby1Xtdw38lUKAk3Y7qIum7GIB7uu9xWiKu8clop9gvN2Z4PnyqmeP0Kg-W-NLLWFem7nUmsEG_BaxJ9svyFL5ryNfA17RoWPNL_UyJ7lI8/s1600/IMG_1455.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Approaching the Start</span></td></tr>
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Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-40486037287515013402015-04-05T12:51:00.000-07:002015-04-05T12:51:44.088-07:00First Post of 2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYKd7ggqSJurkaRDN3kEnjTyQwpmI_WGaE5d_ynJvangXLYEiW_vy8O0OWHNSxYiRmf6xF0_QoAHGxQLOQpRiJ-3djcpv5JnjDsdZSINFNpsX4njSNf3Xq792kTPf3gt2SWadwkSuNzo/s1600/IMG_1320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYKd7ggqSJurkaRDN3kEnjTyQwpmI_WGaE5d_ynJvangXLYEiW_vy8O0OWHNSxYiRmf6xF0_QoAHGxQLOQpRiJ-3djcpv5JnjDsdZSINFNpsX4njSNf3Xq792kTPf3gt2SWadwkSuNzo/s1600/IMG_1320.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cozumel, January 2015 with Renee, Rachel, and Alex</span></td></tr>
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Wow, friends and family, I'm not sure what to say about a 6-month hiatus from blog posting. It's not that nothing has happened, and I'm not coming back to the keyboard because there's anything momentous to report. It's just been too darn long and I have no excuses. First, on the medical front, since I last posted in September, I've been to MD Anderson for my 3-year check-up, and everything checked out fine again. Many of you know that, and I hope that those of you who didn't assumed that no news was good news. I am now coming to the 3 year anniversary of the date when I was first told that I was cancer-free, about 4 months after my transplant. For Richter's transformation patients, being alive after 3 years is something that only a small minority experience. I am blessed to be here. More than that, I am blessed to be a disciple of the Savior, Jesus Christ, whose resurrection we celebrate today.<br />
I have not been bothered by my Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) which I was diagnosed with last July or August. I've been training for a half-marathon which is coming up next Sunday (Rock and Roll Raleigh Marathon and half-Marathon), and while I still use the inhaler occasionally, I'm pretty fit for a guy my age. I've committed to what I am calling the "2015 Triple Play" for my blood cancer fund-raising project this year. In addition to the Marathon on April 12th, I am planning to ride in a bicycle event called the NC Tour de Cure, which is a 'double century', 100 miles on May 16 and another 100 on May 17th. Finally, I plan to join another Team in Training (TNT) event in Yosemite National Park on June 13th, and complete a 20 mile day hike. I'm doing the fund raising for these 3 events combined, so I have one web page and one goal of $30,000. If you want to donate, the link is <a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/Yosemit15/drooker">http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/Yosemit15/drooker</a> As always, the donations go directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which funds research dedicated to finding a cure for blood cancers.<br />
So for the last 2 months I have been training to some extent for all 3 events - I have advanced from a 3 mile jog up to a 7 mile run. I will do one more run before next Sunday's race. I expect to be able to run at least 10 miles out of the 13 on race day, and I am not hung up on 'performance' as some would like me to be. I just want to cross the finish line before they pick up all the cones :-).<br />
I have also been walking the golf course once a week while carrying my bag to keep my 'hiking feet' in some semblance of readiness. I have used my "Runkeeper" app while I play so I know that the entire course comes out to just under 7 miles, and that's with about 30 pounds of clubs and equipment on my back.<br />
Finally I have been riding my road bike at least once a week, usually for between 35 and 45 miles. Once I get past the half marathon I will focus much harder on the cycling.<br />
27 people have donated to my cause so far, for a total of $14,550. Every dollar helps, but I want to give an honorable mention to Eddy Tsang, who, for the third time, has donated $10,000 to a TNT event of mine. I have known Eddy for almost 20 years now and while I can share many of his great qualities with you, his generosity speaks for itself. Thanks Eddy!<br />
On April 24th I will be the keynote speaker, giving a survivor's perspective, at the North Carolina LLS Chapter's Annual Blood Cancer Conference. Details here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1406636796308021/">https://www.facebook.com/events/1406636796308021/</a><br />
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Well, the Triple Play and the Blood Cancer Conference are the "big things" coming up. Every day is a blessing and the rest of the family is doing well. I hope and pray that this post finds you well and I look forward to hearing from you via calls, emails, or comments here on my blog - Happy Easter everyone. DanDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-23221758891152072072014-09-07T07:12:00.001-07:002014-09-07T07:12:50.371-07:00Wild Montana Skies<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Wiith Kenyon at Rock Creek Tuesfay <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XrU7ITz3ru1_XIcy6RGk40oGCLUg6dOQcvNoBz_J_sSzGJAxfMpEGi4ZufRR9NrJBYsbxzPQM-wUOzd1SQ-EJrPzyD3yQFq0TDvZFM_eRYXFcn3VpL4erOe__zmvZxRCAZ_9pqjEeGo/s640/blogger-image-154275581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XrU7ITz3ru1_XIcy6RGk40oGCLUg6dOQcvNoBz_J_sSzGJAxfMpEGi4ZufRR9NrJBYsbxzPQM-wUOzd1SQ-EJrPzyD3yQFq0TDvZFM_eRYXFcn3VpL4erOe__zmvZxRCAZ_9pqjEeGo/s640/blogger-image-154275581.jpg"></a></div>On the Clark Fork Friday <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkGKdekYImHR_TehB7rWwKb8QiYLA2Ey5mFkJJYg6fI7oUo-JS2Q5RG4LMyIy5V_gVpAlGY3WjJ7UG2yjEen7rNd-UiHymxCqaFKIzQQJojSQLkVgkX2EhjApPRP_4kgRrzPhOIuKlj0/s640/blogger-image--583279324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkGKdekYImHR_TehB7rWwKb8QiYLA2Ey5mFkJJYg6fI7oUo-JS2Q5RG4LMyIy5V_gVpAlGY3WjJ7UG2yjEen7rNd-UiHymxCqaFKIzQQJojSQLkVgkX2EhjApPRP_4kgRrzPhOIuKlj0/s640/blogger-image--583279324.jpg"></a></div>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-74940782980859791542014-07-29T05:12:00.000-07:002014-07-29T05:12:46.836-07:00Lung Follow-Up<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxwX2BqPgSWn-q4Cvkko4AHzyna2z3TjzBVaJGCQ4Zi7YkdZCrGI-OmlUE9sJoZTRUoKfZlpPsDnzfjg4gT8ZwF3YnTpWG-gjlLV7D2F4dBXi7D0RtaHrNQy6XVeNmT54QDehWSJHSkU/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxwX2BqPgSWn-q4Cvkko4AHzyna2z3TjzBVaJGCQ4Zi7YkdZCrGI-OmlUE9sJoZTRUoKfZlpPsDnzfjg4gT8ZwF3YnTpWG-gjlLV7D2F4dBXi7D0RtaHrNQy6XVeNmT54QDehWSJHSkU/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenyon and (Joliet) Jake in my hospital room on June 11</td></tr>
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<br />
Hello, and my apologies for keeping you in suspense for a month and a half, but it has taken a long time to solve the mystery of what caused my lung (choose your favorite word: infiltrate, nodule, mass, granuloma) _________. I suppose now we can add "infection" to the list of choices, because the infectious disease (ID) docs have determined that that is what caused the mass to form. By the time it was taken out, it was a bacterial infection surrounded by scar tissue and inflammation. It took weeks to grow cultures from the tissue samples and identify the culprit - which is <i>mycobacterium avium complex</i>, or MAC. <br />
The quick facts on this bacteria are that it is found everywhere and most of us carry it; that only immuno-suppressed people like cancer, transplant, and HIV patients develop disease from it; that it is in the tuberculosis family but is not contagious; that it attacks the lungs by forming nodules; that it is not easy to get rid of; that it is curable in about 70% of patients; that those who are cured relapse at about a 50% rate; and that the development of nodules and other symptoms (bronchitis, shortness of breath, etc.) varies a lot from patient to patient.<br />
The treatment is a very lengthy course of a 3-antibiotic combination which I will start soon. When I say lengthy, think 1 to 1.5 <i>years</i>. I think Dr. Kritz put the whole thing in perspective very well: "THIS IS GOOD. It's not cancer. It's not tuberculosis or some other contagious disease. It's not a particularly virulent disease. And it's curable."<br />
Since my surgery I have returned to my maximum intensity workouts on the Stairmaster and I am up to a 50 mile bike ride, so my health continues to be good despite all this, for which I am grateful to the Lord, from whom all blessings flow. And you know, whatever our health situation, the Lord holds our futures - tomorrow, next year, eternity - in His hands - yours and mine. That gives me peace - and not like the peace the world gives.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-64350027543280403462014-06-14T09:52:00.001-07:002014-06-14T09:56:34.377-07:00Fletcher Flyer Inspiration Dinner SpeechHello, it's been a long time since I spent a Saturday morning at home - I've been either playing golf or cycling each and every Saturday since February. One of the things I wanted to get done today is to get the video of my speech from the FF Inspiration dinner up on the web and I've done it - here you go:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/8dIvZPzjxaY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Some have asked me this question, so as a footnote, when I gave that talk, I knew I had a mass in my lung. Thanks to Rachel for shooting. My incisions are healing nicely. Taking it easy at home for a few days. Happy Father's Day to HLR III and all the dads out there. DanDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-59204790062297942992014-06-12T05:42:00.000-07:002014-06-12T05:42:04.539-07:00Post Op Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoRTtwD63nfQ4n81kaRSEgTdOqxCy_Gw4XTx_lAIeIbFfwMAtPEcv41RsCs8CHqZAxu42-IhZurLuYPK3R8MhfWDZKkejbqHiydUHOWCf4QLh9OB4NCLsv2F1iTlf-9t5PGDKRcZp4Cs/s1600/IMG_1031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoRTtwD63nfQ4n81kaRSEgTdOqxCy_Gw4XTx_lAIeIbFfwMAtPEcv41RsCs8CHqZAxu42-IhZurLuYPK3R8MhfWDZKkejbqHiydUHOWCf4QLh9OB4NCLsv2F1iTlf-9t5PGDKRcZp4Cs/s1600/IMG_1031.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
Hello everyone, this pic at left is of me and my brother-from-another-mother, Keith McElrath at the Hasentree Member-Guest, taken Saturday. That day I had a "mystery mass" in my upper right lung. Today that mass is in a lab and I have about 10% less lung capacity today, but I'll get that capacity back. The mass is identified as an infection surrounded by a cocoon of inflammation and scar tissue called a granuloma ...but NOT lymphoma!! The operation to get the biopsy was more involved than we first thought. Dr. Chang had to put a breathing tube in my left lung, then collapse the right lung so he could work on it - "wedge out" the infected and inflamed tissue, staple the lung together, and exit the diseased tissue. He left a tube in my chest cavity - actually in my side - to drain fluid out after the <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QKfQnWBZcfn2yP9iOeJ_s2p42LZ9wsvR4fskDOClQoDtesGuY_2CZ9E0RHPbwUAwPoSdNk9LPcnc8eMlZIPZ34EhHowHiVWh4ymCTFzMRbvYIUvSNF3mQ-WJGiA-k-fRNdtRSsGljxU/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QKfQnWBZcfn2yP9iOeJ_s2p42LZ9wsvR4fskDOClQoDtesGuY_2CZ9E0RHPbwUAwPoSdNk9LPcnc8eMlZIPZ34EhHowHiVWh4ymCTFzMRbvYIUvSNF3mQ-WJGiA-k-fRNdtRSsGljxU/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenyon and Buddy Jake mugging with their masks on in my room at Rex</td></tr>
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operation. I am hoping to be discharged from the hospital today. Of course I have some pain at the two incision sites (one still has the tube in it) but still today is the target for going home. All in all, we believe by faith that the Lord answered all the prayers of His people, out of His abundance of love and grace. I simply stand in awe of His work in my life and I want to use these trials to bring Him honor and Glory. Thanks everyone for your support, prayers, positive thoughts, and note/FB posts, etc…..I'll update when I get home - DanDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-76562666048764310282014-06-09T12:24:00.002-07:002014-06-09T12:24:49.858-07:00Fletcher Flyer Weekend and Upcoming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Start of the ride - 1,000 cyclists</div>
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Greetings friends and family. Well, Renee and I (and Rachel) had a stupendous weekend in the mountains of western NC. After 5 months of training, I completed the 100 mile Fletcher Flyer bike ride!! I went 17 miles further than I had gone in any previous training ride, and finished strong and sore. I raised $5,000 for LLS in the process, good enough for 2nd place among the 50+ TNT riders - and my thanks go out again to all those who donated to the cause!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Course with the Triad Team</td></tr>
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After driving out to Asheville on Saturday, we checked in to our hotel and got ready for the inspiration dinner, a gathering of all the Team in Training (TNT) participants and their families. I was asked by the TNT staff to give the survivor's perspective and I will have the video <u><b>up soon</b></u> if you want to check it out. It's about 22 minutes in length.<br />
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The ride itself traces out a labyrinth of roads that generally criss-cross through beautiful river bottomland and the towns of Brevard, Mills River, Etowah, Horsehoe, and, of course, Fletcher. The course had a total elevation gain of something like 4,300 feet, but over 100 miles, that's not too heinous. 4 other riders came out from the Raleigh team with me, and on the ride I met a bunch of great TNT folks from Greensboro, Winston Salem, Georgia, and Northern Ohio. The team spirit and camaraderie were outstanding. There were 6 rest stops along the way, each equipped with porta-johns, fresh and packaged foods, water and gatorade, a first aid station, and a bike mechanic tent. Since we were not 'racing', we made good use of the rest areas! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing Strong with David, Wendy, Liz, Beth, Rob, and Singh from the Triad Team</td></tr>
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At mile 49, the course passed the gravel road that goes to my sister-in-law Karen's house. Renee, Rachel, and Karen were out there to cheer us on (link to clip ---> HERE )<br />
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After the ride, Renee and I spent Sunday evening with Karen and Scott (Rachel had to motor back to Raleigh to be ready for her first day of work on Monday) at their cozy mountain cabin in Mills River. Then Monday morning we drove up the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway to Blowing Rock, NC to spend another lovely evening with Bill and Michelle Joyce at their mountain retreat. Wonderful views, wonderful friends, fabulous food, and great wine. A blessed time. Back to Raleigh on Tuesday to face new challenges.<br />
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On the Thursday before Memorial Day, I had my 6-month CT scan. On the tuesday following, Dr. Kritz called - which is never a good omen, because when the tests are negative he has a staff nurse make the calls - and let me know that the CT showed an anomaly in my right lung. Since I am not showing any signs of pneumonia, that can be ruled out as an explanation, but there are innumerable viruses and bacteria that can cause infections of different types, some which carry little or no symptoms. So, it's likely either a lymphoma relapse or an odd infection. We are going with a surgical biopsy so that there are no mistakes or indeterminate results this time. We will have a consultation with Dr. Albert Chang tomorrow (June 5) and schedule the biopsy from there. Dr. Chang is the same doc who performed the operation in September 2011 that ultimately determined that I had lymphoma, not lung cancer. ----> <b><i> Update today, June 9</i></b>: after a PET scan this morning, we consulted again with Dr. Chang and will proceed with the biopsy, tentatively schedule for tomorrow, June 10th, pending insurance approval. <br />
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As we face another time of uncertainty and stress, we are "battle ready" - we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is with us, He is for us, and He has everything under control. He wants us to trust Him completely with this life and the next, and we do. Until my next update, we are wishing you God's best….DanDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-45660598623242543032014-05-25T10:00:00.002-07:002014-05-25T10:02:05.867-07:00One Week From Today<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/fletcher14/dkrooker" target="_blank">Fletcher Flyer Donation Page</a></span> <------CLICK HERE<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Summit of Mt. Whitney with Mike Nix - 9/5/13</td></tr>
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Greetings once again friends and family…..today is Sunday the 25th of May…one week from right now I will be laboring along the Fletcher Flyer route. We have a full weekend planned in Asheville, and Renee and I will be driving up to Blowing Rock on Monday to visit some dear friends. <br />
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The fund raising is going well, and as always I want to thank all of you who have been supporting me financially and with encouragement and prayers. I feel like I am ready to do the 100 miles, though I know the weather will be an important factor. If it's hot or rainy, that will make the ride more of a struggle. Last Sunday was my last training ride with the TNT, and I made it 83 miles…..the weather was great, temps in the 60s and some overcast.<br />
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I got my 6-month CT scan check on Thursday and I am waiting to hear from Dr. Kritz next week if all is clear. <br />
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I want to thank Todd Spain and Elaine Tarkington for their great coaching and encouragement - but also a shout-out goes to the whole team including our Sag team Suzanne and David, Ruth, our long distance specialist, Bill, Cathy, Pam, Tisha, Deidre and everyone - it really is a TEAM and I am blessed and proud to be a part of it!! GO TEAM!!!<br />
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Peace - Dan Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-11488518822225220322014-04-19T08:24:00.001-07:002014-04-19T08:24:27.585-07:006 Weeks to Go<br />
<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/fletcher14/dkrooker" target="_blank">Fletcher Flyer Donations - Save Lives HERE</a><br />
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Hello friends and family, it's a rainy Saturday morning and I would have been on the golf course now - but it's a good opportunity to catch you up with things. My weekends have been very busy and active lately as I have tried to keep up my weekly golf game and also do a long training ride on the bike. Last weekend started with a drive down to Augusta on Thursday afternoon, followed by a day Friday walking the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, watching the Masters. It was my 5th time to experience in person what I think is the finest sporting event in the world. I was a guest in a house overlooking the Savannah river. This photo was taken from the back deck. The accommodation (in North Augusta) was almost as beautiful as the golf course!<br />
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Well, my plan was to ride with my TNT mates on Saturday but I didn't want to drive all evening Friday after being on the golf course all day at the Masters. So, I slept there until 3 am Saturday, got up and drove 4.5 hours straight to the meet up point in Apex, with my bike and all my cycling stuff in the car, then rode with the team 50 miles. It was 10 miles farther than any other ride I had done. Every week now we are riding farther, pushing the mileage up little by little (well maybe 10 miles isn't a little). Each practice, I get to know team members better - and the bonds of being together in a battle grow stronger. Team in Training is just a fantastic organization…with each event, I see more and more what being a part of the team is all about. I'm looking forward to June 1st, which is the date of our Fletcher Flyer Century, but as soon as it is over I will be thinking about the next event. This photo was taken that Saturday, about 5 miles from the finish, with Jordan Lake in the background.<br />
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SO, back to my weekend schedules - I'm playing golf and riding on alternate Saturdays and Sundays, and we've been attending the Summit Church on Saturday afternoons at 4 pm. Work is very busy but going well and my health continues to be excellent. This winter has been much, much better than last winter in terms of viruses, infections, and the like. For this I thank God. We are celebrating Easter this weekend - the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus - he was crushed for our iniquities, pierced for our transgressions - by his stripes, we are healed….awesome!<br />
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For those of you who are still with me, I have a video link to the talk that I gave at the Raleigh Chinese Christian Church several weeks ago. It is 37 minutes long, but gives a full perspective on my life's journey and the valley of cancer. Here is the link: <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25NLVtDHB-o" target="_blank">Dan at RCCC</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>The Rookers wish you a happy and blessed Easter weekend. Dan<br />
<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-90305512894178240572014-03-10T18:13:00.002-07:002014-03-11T06:03:16.208-07:00March Training Update<div>
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Speaking at the Raleigh Chinese Christian Church, Sunday, March 9th. </h3>
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<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/fletcher14/dkrooker" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Click here for Team in Training Fund Raising Site</span></a></h3>
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<span style="background-color: black;"> Hi Friends and Family...well, I actually thought a 100 mile bike ride would not be that big of a challenge. I WAS WRONG. For a person who has never ridden a bicycle for more than 37 miles, it is a HUGE challenge. Over the past 3 weekends, I have done training rides of 30, 39, and 36 miles, with an average speed of 15 miles per hour. My coach, Todd Spain (and his able partner, Elaine Tarkington) say I'm doing great, but I don't think it's a positive sign when I am out there 20 miles from home thinking about whether I can get a decent price for my bike when I sell it on Craigslist!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"> Then, I think about the children who are still battling leukemia and lymphoma, and I grind out the miles....I literally think about the promising treatments that LLS is funding as I struggle up the hills, and the stories like Emily Whitehead's - her life was saved by an experimental treatment funded in part by LLS (see "Fire with Fire" video on Youtube). This past weekend I spoke at the LLS "Mission Day" about my cancer experience - how miraculous my treatment was, how statistically unlikely it is that I am alive today. I told the team, it's hard to know the mind of God, but there's no doubt that one of the main reasons that I was spared and given a new "lease on life" was to be there that day, with that team, fighting this fight together. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"> Sunday I spoke to 100 people at the Raleigh Chinese Christian Church - photo attached - I like this photo because over my shoulder to the left there was a screenshow playing photos from my blog - the team at the church did this and didn't tell me in advance - but it was a beautiful backdrop to my story of God's love, mercy, and the mission He has given me. I am grateful to everyone who has donated and especially those precious few who have already donated to all 3 of my endurance events. Please consider a gift, no matter how small, to LLS and these children and <u>their parents</u> who so desperately need your help.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;">PS - in the background photo, it's me with Alice Lynn - my main medical nurse in Dr. Keating's clinic and Coy (on the right), the happiest, most joy-filled lady you would ever want to meet in a cancer clinic. Both are treasures to me - photo was taken in November 2012. The photo with me and a microphone was taken Sunday at the Raleigh Chinese Christian Church.</span></div>
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Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-65981449518152603002014-02-06T10:33:00.002-08:002014-02-06T10:33:27.498-08:00Check Out Fletcher Flyer Fundraising Page Update<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/fletcher14/dkrooker" target="_blank">FF FR Page Latest - CLICK HERE</a><br />
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Folks, I also wanted to update you on my fledgling speaking ministry - one of my close friends who is an elder at Providence Baptist here in Raleigh invited me to speak to his adult sunday school class, in two sessions - the men on Saturday morning, where I shared the story of how I became a Christian, and Sunday morning in the couples' class, where I shared the role my faith played in my walk through the valley of cancer. Renee and I had a great time at Providence, including the worship service before the adult SS class. Thanks to our beloved friends Jeff and JoEllen for the invitation. This is a pic of me at the Saturday morning coffee with the men. More soon, lots of exciting stuff going on!! <br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-18366161918824365052014-01-29T09:14:00.000-08:002014-01-29T09:14:00.312-08:00Hello 2014!!<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/fletcher14/dkrooker" target="_blank">Dan's Fletcher Flyer Fund Raising Page</a><br />
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Salutations to everyone and I guess I should add Happy New Year!, since this is my first post of 2014. It's not that there hasn't been a lot happening, I've just been delinquent in making updates.<br />
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On the health front, all the tests that were done in Houston in late October were negative. I posted on Oct. 27th that all was well, but that there were a few results that had yet to come in - it actually took almost 4 weeks before I got the final "all clear", which was again, a great relief. As far as how my winter is going in terms of general health, it didn't start too well, as I contracted sinusitis <i>right on time</i> just before Thanksgiving, which required 3 different antibiotics over a 5 week period to get rid of. Just before Christmas, I developed shingles in my mouth, face and nose….probably sounds worse that it was, but it was no fun, and there's no treatment. Once that cleared up, things settled down and (knock on wood), January has been malady-free.<br />
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Renee and I spent the Christmas holiday in the Chicago area with my parents and my sister Jill and her family - here we are at my folks' house:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF14Q-1gR7nBP66czrh26R8zJ6LbQjDAOdgmJ7-0j15PAwzsgN9CaJs__KXJF6FPMAQQEnhxUk5-F87cB83l3MpUOHIZPuJVRrVfiphCBb4temp2602KHJsxesUZNVz4mEAQqC9s1LPEY/s1600/DSCN0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF14Q-1gR7nBP66czrh26R8zJ6LbQjDAOdgmJ7-0j15PAwzsgN9CaJs__KXJF6FPMAQQEnhxUk5-F87cB83l3MpUOHIZPuJVRrVfiphCBb4temp2602KHJsxesUZNVz4mEAQqC9s1LPEY/s1600/DSCN0397.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom row, L to R - Joseph's fiancee Natalie, Renee, Mom, Jill. Back row: Jill's sons Joseph and Philip, my son Kenyon, me, my Dad, and Jill's husband Mark DiCicco</td></tr>
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I am planning a fundraising event this year, in the form of a 100 mile bike ride, the "Fletcher Flyer", which takes place in Asheville in June. There is a link at the top of this page to my fundraising page. As with most Team in Training events (TNT is the endurance-race fund raising arm of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society), we will TRAIN for this race - while it is still cold, we are meeting weekly and doing a one hour spin workout. Once it warms up, we will hit the road together.<br />
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There are a few more things I want to share with you, but I will save them for another post, coming to you soon. I appreciate any and all donations to my 2014 event, as I continue to do what I can, with your help, to fight blood cancers. God bless you….Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-64376967528404824552013-10-27T18:03:00.004-07:002013-10-27T18:03:33.639-07:00Houston, We Have No Problems :-)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AECJd_cFBQnsyr_dURYO04Cst6JLVLsWdxusHF8hVfiCK6-a2rsNM7QmCWrDdBceIq1OopYdh3MdVBSMErphJKWTMLAOa0IhkNPmptS4ePamJ1Retn5_3XqJJahtyJvoergiGmV_vI0/s1600/IMG_2499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AECJd_cFBQnsyr_dURYO04Cst6JLVLsWdxusHF8hVfiCK6-a2rsNM7QmCWrDdBceIq1OopYdh3MdVBSMErphJKWTMLAOa0IhkNPmptS4ePamJ1Retn5_3XqJJahtyJvoergiGmV_vI0/s640/IMG_2499.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Renee and AnneMarie Wallace, our "Pastor in Houston" and my host for the Awards Dinner</td></tr>
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Hello all, it's Sunday evening and I'm watching a little baseball....we had a special week in Houston with my parents and my sisters. They came to town to attend the MD Anderson Chaplaincy Fund's annual fund raising dinner, at which I was one of the speakers, giving the patient's perspective on the importance of the chaplaincy program at MDA. It was a great evening, attended not only by my immediate family, but also my transplant doctor, Dr. Chitra Hosing, my Stephens Minister, Dorian Benn, my new pal from the JMT, Steve Roberts, the Archbishop of Houston, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, and my dear friend and pastor from the First Presbyterian Church and Chaplaincy Fund Board member, AnneMarie Wallace (and another 200+ donors and guests). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeWAM6CSZoo-VkJSDcYj891jwNv0NJPFMcsSyP7gMuw_aehRehKX0KTYQBLdSJYshbxgpUbBRcJiUMqA0WllbisIS3lfGNL7SCR2TIww7M3EofJLlWRGOSbVUL4BmPq-OgjTT6sBjYIY/s1600/DSCN0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeWAM6CSZoo-VkJSDcYj891jwNv0NJPFMcsSyP7gMuw_aehRehKX0KTYQBLdSJYshbxgpUbBRcJiUMqA0WllbisIS3lfGNL7SCR2TIww7M3EofJLlWRGOSbVUL4BmPq-OgjTT6sBjYIY/s640/DSCN0312.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the FAM at the Rotary House on Saturday</td></tr>
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We were also in Houston for my annual battery of tests - which also went well. The main tests for cancer are the PET scan, which was negative, and the bone marrow biopsy - the biopsy results come in over a couple of weeks - the initial findings just say whether you have a normal proportion of the various kinds of blood cells in your marrow - and I passed that test. The second test is called flow cytometry which examines individual cells to determine if any cancer cells are present. I should get that result sometime next week. I'll post a brief update then. Thanks to all your prayers. We feel very blessed. DanDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-14093826219064982252013-10-15T03:20:00.000-07:002013-10-15T03:20:20.428-07:00Chapter 5 - Push to Mount Whitney and Civilization<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3S5wVWSitvv9blozjbx6ZhSyVA6FgQOq0DgLfOxEJY9GUy6lwsTE8Hr2ZVjvSq66kj6Uf4yWp-18dMl6vHTqh-XGf5guXBy9g8UGtkY2xXu7RS_tApLHjojj0O31LpbfyqCCc5VL8a8/s1600/IMG_2332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3S5wVWSitvv9blozjbx6ZhSyVA6FgQOq0DgLfOxEJY9GUy6lwsTE8Hr2ZVjvSq66kj6Uf4yWp-18dMl6vHTqh-XGf5guXBy9g8UGtkY2xXu7RS_tApLHjojj0O31LpbfyqCCc5VL8a8/s640/IMG_2332.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubb's Creek in the foreground; the path up to Forester Pass in the background</td></tr>
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Chapter 5 starts with Day 22 and a 3,000 foot climb to Forester Pass, the highest pass on the JMT by over 900 feet. The additional elevation caused a little anxiety, but we all topped out by 11 am or so. This pass was also different in that it is very narrow and the south ridge is very steep, even a little dizzying - here I am at the top with Mike mugging in the background:<br />
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This was the view looking South, in our direction of travel:<br />
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Those clouds would build into a pretty solid rain as we were descending. This photo gives you a flavor of the exposed and narrow trail descending the pass: <br />
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We walked through a rain shower which paused just long enough for us to have lunch, before it started raining again. When we arrived at our campsite, "Frog Ponds", it stopped long enough for us to get our tents up, then started again and continued for about an hour and a half while we chillaxed in our dry shelters. After the clouds blew away, we emerged from our tents in the late afternoon and I got this shot of a flat-top mountain - something we saw very rarely in the Sierra - with Frog Pond #2 in the foreground:<br />
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One more photo from this day - this was special - even Alex said he had not seen this effect before....I had crossed the meadow beside the ponds to get a higher perspective on the mountains to the west, where the sunset was taking place. I think we've all seen sunsets where the sinking sun illuminates the bottom of a cloud deck from below - and that's what happened that evening....the cool part was that the mountains that were silhouetted and in deep shadow were glowing with the reflection off of the clouds above:<br />
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I remember seeing a quote on a plaque in Zion National Park that went something like this: "Who can behold these wonders and not see the hand of God?"....that captures my feelings well.<br />
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So, onward to Day 23. This was a big day because we got our first view of Mt. Whitney about mid-morning:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Whitney, 14,508 feet - the highest peak in the "lower 48", coming into view</td></tr>
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Our destination for this day was Guitar Lake, which would also serve as our base camp for our attempt on Mt. Whitney. Guitar Lake sits at 11,500 feet, well above the tree-line and our highest camp of the trip by 700 feet or so. We camped above the lake - if you look closely in the center-left of this photo, you can see several tents down nearer the water. Gives perspective.<br />
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Something really remarkable happened at Guitar - one of our initial group members - Sarah from Savannah - after quitting the trip back at the Vermillion Valley Resort (stomach bug) and poking around the Bay area for a few days - joined another SYMG trip, a cross-Sierra excursion of about 10 days. She had been told by Ian that that particular trip would probably be at Guitar Lake on the same day as we would, and so - as we sat on the rocks in the afternoon, this lady in a blue coat starts making her way up the hill toward us. Mike says "she looks and walks like Sarah". I say, "nah, and anyway it can't be Sarah, she's surely back in Georgia". We continue to watch her walk up the hill. Mike: "she's waving at us". Me: "that's because we're staring at her". Well, of course eventually we all realized that it was really Sarah and I ate my words - this is Midge giving her a big hug:<br />
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We were all pretty knocked out by Sarah's reappearance and we sat around for an hour or so listening to her wild account of the previous two weeks and everything that happened after we parted ways at VVR. It was really extraordinary. <br />
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So now onward to summit day, Day 24, which started with my watch beeping at 3:20 am....I would say it woke me up but I didn't sleep much and apparently none of us slept well. This was my second oh-dark-hundred ascent - the first one was of Mt. Kinabalu, in the Malaysian state of Borneo back in 2002. We hit the trail at about 4:15, very happily unencumbered by all our grear - this was a day-hike so all we needed to bring were our clothes, water, and a few energy bars. This is my first photo of the day, taken around 4:30 am:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left, Carlos, Ron, Mike, Midge - smiling even at 5 am :-)</td></tr>
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We climbed in the dark, using our headlamps to light our way, and as we switchbacked up the ridge, the first cold glow of dawn lighted up the giant wall opposite our trail:<br />
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It pains me to know how impossible it is to get perspective from these two-dimensional photographs - for example, the lakes really don't look like they are 1500 feet below where I am standing, but they were. The trail by this time was often narrow, exposed, and accompanied by precipitous drop-offs. Geographically, the ridge that Mt. Whitney sits atop is very near the easternmost edge of the Sierra. The mountains fall away dramatically down to the Owens valley, in extreme eastern California and adjacent to Death Valley and the Mojave desert. None of that topography had been visible to us for the duration of our hike, and as we neared the top of the mountain, there were a couple of "notches" in the ridge wall where sunlight was streaming through from the east - in absolutely glorious colors. This was another in the accumulating signals that we were near the end of our journey. Here is what it looked like:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To the right is west, to the left, east and the desert.</td></tr>
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In the center of this photograph is Guitar Lake, 2500 feet below - you can see where it gets it's name. This captured the first light on the high peaks towards the north and west. <br />
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One more shot before the summit - again, looking through a notch on the ridge towards the east:<br />
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I know I can't convey the emotion that I felt as I made the final steps to the summit, but I can tell you that I was overcome thinking about how far I had come - from a very bleak cancer diagnosis, but with a narrow and dangerous path back to health - two rounds of chemo that HAD to work in order to tee up the transplant - which of course had to work - then, slowly, everything working just right and in God's timing, I am completely restored. To be blessed with a medical and spiritual miracle is amazing and I can honestly say that I am unworthy of it, and boundlessly thankful. I am also thankful that if God had not chosen to extend my life, He would still be MY God and I would still be His child and enjoying Him forever. <br />
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I got the idea for this photo somewhere along the trail. It is reminiscent of the poses I have seen military members assume near fallen comrades' boots and gear. In the fight against cancer, there are literally millions of fallen comrades. I am blessed to be able to continue the fight.<br />
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This one reminds me of many classic summit photos I have seen - shows how cold, windy, and exposed these places often are. A "selfie".<br />
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My half-crazy buddy, Mike, scrambled out a narrow and sketchy rock wall to get to this perch, about 60 feet from the trail - he was then joined by our guide, Alex, who skipped across it like it was nothing - I stayed safely and sensibly on the trail in order to be able to take good photos. And stay alive.<br />
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This is what Mt. Whitney did to all of us - Mike is merely exhibit A. This is after descending to Guitar Lake - where we had to gather up our gear and hike 5 miles down the trail to our camp for the night, making it a 16 mile day with an elevation gain of 3,000 feet and loss of 4,500 feet. Argh!<br />
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In honor of Ansel Adams, the greatest black and white landscape photographer who ever lived, I offer this last view of Mount Whitney, as we hiked away:<br />
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Well, as Alex put it, like every good book has a climax and <u><b>then</b></u> an ending - our trip's climax was our successful climb of Mt. Whitney, but we still had an ending to look forward to (or endure, as some saw it). We ended Day 24 camping at Crabtree Meadows near a tumbling creek that had natural showers and pools which were great for getting scrubbed up. Then, another 11 mile march on Day 25 to a lovely and secluded lake called Soldier Lake. This lake had the most selective trout I have ever seen in the Sierra. They were eating like crazy, feeds every few seconds at least - but they would not eat the flies I was throwing and I threw about 8 different kinds! I could not "match the hatch" which appeared to be tiny gnats that were coming off the bushes and landing on the water. Frustrating as it was, I take my hat off to these beautiful and sometimes finicky fish :-). This is a visual taste of what Soldier Lake looked like in the late light:<br />
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For the last 2 nights, I had slept without the fly on my tent - the upper half of the inner shell is made with netting, so going without the rain fly has the effect of sleeping under the stars. On most previous nights, there were passing clouds that could not be trusted, but these last few days and nights were mostly cloudless. It is wonderful to awaken any time in the night and open your eyes to the glory of the night sky. I remember one 5 minute stretch of being awake and seeing a meteor flash across my view, then two satellites cruising by and also finding the Great Galaxy in Andromeda, which was positioned overhead at that particular hour - fantastic. <br />
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Now comes Day 26 - we had another 10 or 11-mile haul to the trailhead, where we were met by a welcoming committee from SYMG - they put out a lunch spread that was sumptuous and also had a cooler full of very cold drinks for us:<br />
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The three Amigos, who hiked the entire trail, starting in Happy Isles, down in the heart of Yosemite Valley. Enjoying a very cold and appropriate "Sierra Nevada Pale Ale". We had a ride waiting for us which took us to a Best Western Motel in Lone Pine, CA, got cleaned up, caught a nap, called everyone, and headed out for a celebratory dinner, at which I took no pictures. The next day (Day 27) we rode 5 hours in a bus back to Fresno and spent another night in a hotel waiting for our flight the next day. And then, on Day 28, we flew east - back to Raleigh. <br />
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It was a joyous reunion to say the least. Whoever said "absence makes the heart grow fonder" knew what they were talking about. My appreciations of the wilderness, and my family bonds, my love for the little place we call home, all deepened and strengthened. At the end of the day I will have raised over $130,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, through the generosity of well over 100 donors, for the purpose of fighting and winning the battle against blood cancers. I am deeply grateful for all your support. I am also grateful for all of you prayer warriors who remembered to pray for me. I think your prayers were answered in so many ways. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow! Here is my parting shot, inspired by the Muir Project's trademark photo of the hiking boots lined up:<br />
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Thanks to Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides - Ian, Alex, Carlos (WE ARE IN THE MOUNTAINS!!!) - for your commitment to excellence, your love of the wilderness, and your companionship. Thanks to Steve, Younga, Bill, Sarah, David, Russ, Karen, Dave, Ron, and Midge - you made it great. A very special thanks to Mike for making the big commitment to do this trail with me - love ya, man! And to Tiffany and the gang at LLS for your partnership and support. And Jeff - we did it just like you said we would - thanks for being such a great friend throughout my illness and recovery. Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-9212126126814215132013-10-07T17:38:00.000-07:002013-10-07T17:38:16.321-07:00Chapter 4 - Kings Canyon and Sequoia We awoke on Day 17 at an elevation of about 8,800 feet, deep in LeConte Canyon, next to the Middle Fork of the Kings River. Our itinerary that day started with a further descent into the canyon, down to 8,000 feet to the trail junction, where we turned uphill and began the climb up what is known as the "Golden Staircase". Nice name for a 2,500 foot climb. It was beautiful though - I love going up these canyons and coming out of the trees, or around a bend in the trail, and suddenly being able to look all the way back to where you started. This picture shows one of those views - the junction I mentioned is all the way in the bottom of that valley, at the base of the mountain in the background:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am most of the way up the Golden Staircase here - on the way to Palisades Lake</td></tr>
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We camped that night at Palisades lake. It was another beautiful setting, and another good fishing spot. It was also a crystal-clear night and the stars were just amazing - the Milky Way stretched brilliantly from horizon to horizon. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Palisades Lake, late afternoon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A California Golden Trout from Palisades</td></tr>
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Here's a photo of Orion with the crescent moon taken at about 3:30 am, Orion is in the right half of the photo - the three stars of the "belt" should catch your eye and orient you:<br />
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On Day 18, we climbed up another 1,500 feet or so to Mather pass - this was the view looking back down to where we camped at Palisades:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Midge, taking a break on the way up to Mathur Pass, looking back towards Palisades Lakes</td></tr>
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Midge is a truly amazing lady - she's 69 years young, about 5'2", a diabetic, two-time survivor of breast cancer, and tough as nails. She was usually either 2nd or 3rd in our climbing order up the passes (I was usually 6th of 7). She is a mountain climber, having attempted the ultimate prize, Mount Everest - unfortunately she had to turn around due to bad weather but she did make it to 26,000 feet - the "South Col". Just amazing, and she is great company too. Here we are at the pass, 12,100 feet:<br />
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On the left and center are Russ and his wife, Karen - Russ has owned a transmission shop for many years and Karen is a chef and caterer. Both were phenomenal hikers and great people. When we left VVR with 7 hikers, I was the YOUNGEST at age 51 - by 3 years. These people are role models for me! We descended from the pass and hiked another 5 miles or so to our campsite on the south fork of the Kings River. The next day, Day 19, it was UP AGAIN 2,000 feet to Pinchot Pass. Check out the color in these mountains:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beneath Pinchot Pass</td></tr>
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We descended from the pass and camped at Twin Lakes, and you guessed it, it was beautiful. It was a big night because for the first time, I caught and kept fish for dinner - our guides were so excited! It took a little longer to get dinner going because of the chore of cleaning 12 brook trout - but it was worth it as Alex and Carlos whipped up fantastic fish tacos with Louisiana red beans and rice on the side - delectable!<br />
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Well, as usual I am going on a bit long...on Day 20, we did not have to go over a pass, but we had a 2,500 foot descent and a 2,000 foot gain up to our campsite at Arrowhead Lake - where I got a rare bath:<br />
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Of course, the water temperatures at these elevations were very chilly, and with the usual air temperatures in the 60s and a breeze blowing most of the time, we usually chose to skip the dunkings and just splash ourselves and smear the dirt around. But hey, once a week you just had to dive in and freeze.<br />
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This campsite at Arrowhead was really pretty, so I have to show you a couple more photos:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking North, down the drainage we climbed up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Light over Arrowhead Lake</td></tr>
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The next day, Day 21, was the 5th and final of our resupply. It was typically grueling, except that our bear canisters were at their lightest, so my load was probably around 37 or 38 pounds. The Rae Lakes was our first beautiful photo opportunity - many people come for a week backpack trip into this area:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmX1qV6kem6DFIl9ZOq24SQk5GDyqSiZjy1BVXnr0-2qfxszNkw3CSrqUElw5FPuPqTGbkzVEo7XzyYbBK0qRmsJRkVy38W-rnLUoAixmJj4rYWtmMVYa-NC0t-hDeYU_2t9DClevBCHE/s1600/IMG_2312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmX1qV6kem6DFIl9ZOq24SQk5GDyqSiZjy1BVXnr0-2qfxszNkw3CSrqUElw5FPuPqTGbkzVEo7XzyYbBK0qRmsJRkVy38W-rnLUoAixmJj4rYWtmMVYa-NC0t-hDeYU_2t9DClevBCHE/s640/IMG_2312.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Rae Lakes with Island and "The Painted Lady" in the background</td></tr>
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The view from Glen Pass looking towards the south:<br />
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Sorry this photo of our group got over-saturated. Our Guides are in the foreground. This is on top of Glen Pass, at around 12,000 feet.<br />
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Coming down off of the pass, this is the valley we descended in to: <br />
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This was the location of our last resupply - Vidette Meadow. After a 1500 foot gain to Glen Pass, we descended 2500 feet into the bottom of the valley, then climbed another 500 feet to our campsite along Bubb's creek. That evening, Mike and I enjoyed a small taste of a terribly expensive scotch whiskey he brought along - Johnnie Walker Blue Label - I didn't know there was such a thing but apparently it costs around $200 per bottle. Mike had been saving this for the day we summited Mt. Whitney but we took a little in advance just to make sure it was still good :-).<br />
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Well - it's true that the scenery just gets more dramatic and spectacular as one travels south along the John Muir Trail, and maybe that's why my 5-day "chapters" are getting longer. The next installment will be the final chapter which includes Forester Pass and Mount Whitney. I hope you'll join me. Here's a great photo of my hiking partner, Mike Nix, who was a great trail companion and really watched out for me all along the way - thanks Mike, it was an EPIC journey!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike, on the South side of Glen Pass, with Charlotte Lake in the background</td></tr>
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-1649576106957565432013-09-28T11:47:00.000-07:002013-11-06T15:59:15.047-08:00Chapter 3 - A Fresh Start and Into the WildGreetings everyone.....I will start this Chapter with a brief backtrack into Chapter 2 - many of my family and friends were concerned about how the fires in Yosemite affected us - the answer is that they did not affect us, thankfully - but on Day 10, as we climbed up the ridge to Chief Lake, we could see an enormous cloud of smoke billowing up out of the north/northwest. The guides estimated that it was in southern Yosemite or just south of Yosemite, but we were 25 or so trail miles out of the park. We could see the cloud growing in height and length, so we were pretty sure it was calamitous. But the main point is that we were not threatened by it nor did we get smoked on. This is what we saw:<br />
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So, on to Chapter 3. I will try to hit the highlights and be a little less verbose. As we saw in the last chapter, VVR is an inflection point in the trip. It's the second and last chance to easily excuse yourself from the journey. After VVR, there are no more campgrounds, roads, showers, toilets, etc. If you want to quit, you have to walk out - or of course, if you are injured, SYMG can call a forest service helicopter - but that's reserved for serious injury, not just having a belly ache or sore feet. The remainder of the trip divides nicely into 3 5-day sub-journeys, with the food re-supplies being the dividing events. The contents of our bear canisters became a defining feature of each day. The first day after a re-supply, the cans were at their heaviest - about 15 pounds. Each day, as we consumed food, they got lighter, all the way down to 3-5 pounds on the 5th day. <br />
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So, with 7 hikers and 2 guides, we set out from VVR on Day 12 and were able to get a BOAT RIDE back across Lake Edison! That was a good start. Once we got off the little john-boats, we had full bear cans and a 2200 foot ridge to climb - aptly named Bear Ridge. It was tough going, but we all made it and camped by Bear Creek. Mike had by this time watched me fish enough that he was able to spot fish in the streams and lakes - on this evening, he directed me to a group of trout that were feeding in very shallow water - I landed 3 total, and 2 of them were California Golden Trout - a species that is native to and only found in the High Sierra - a coveted prize. This is what they look like: <br />
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As we settled in for the night, I took this picture of one of my companion's tents and the darkening sky: <br />
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Well, let me speed along a bit - every day is a climbing or descending (or both) day, and we made our way on Day 13 south past the south fork of the San Joaquin river and up into the Evolution Valley drainage - then on Day 14 a gorgeous hike (is "gorgeous" related to "gorge"?) up Evolution Creek and into what Alex calls the best campsite in the Sierra - pictured here:<br />
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I was fishing just about every day by now, and catching lots of fish - in Evolution creek on the right in the photo above, I caught 20 fish in about an hour and a half. This meadow (MacLure Meadow) sits at about 9500 feet. The next day, Day 15, we only hiked 4 miles and were treated to a half day of rest at Evolution Lake, another high altitude stunner:<br />
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From there, on our final day of this 5-day re-supply, Day 16, we headed up to Muir Pass - near 12,000 feet. The wind was raging but we were able to get a little shelter from the storm in the Muir Hut:<br />
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As we started down the other side, I was stunned and amazed by the scenery. I think I realized then what the difference is between the mountains of Yosemite and the southern high Sierra - the latter is much higher, the mountains are packed tightly together, they have much more color variation and they seem more jagged - I don't know if this picture conveys that, but here it is:<br />
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After our 2,000 foot climb to the pass, we descended another 3,000 feet into the LeConte Canyon. As we were going from the moonscape at the pass lower and lower, there was more and more vegetation until we had descended into the forest near the bottom of the drainage:<br />
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We had a very sheltered campsite in the trees that evening, and Carlos and Alex busied themselves with unpacking and organizing the the re-supply, which was brought in by a mule team led by a couple of cowboys on horses. I busied myself in the nearby creek, where the fishing was excellent:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice example of a California Golden Trout - I think I landed 10 in about 45 minutes this evening.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LeConte Canyon Deer</td></tr>
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So as Chapter 3 here draws to a close, there are 10 more days left in the wilderness, and we are keenly aware of the day count. I was enjoying every day, but missing my family more and more, especially Renee. In the coming days, we have a lot of climbing and descending to do, a lot of fish to catch, and a lot of God's glory to behold. More soon.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-69920414952317526122013-09-20T09:42:00.001-07:002013-11-07T07:02:33.146-08:00JMT Chapter 2 - Days 6 through 11<br />
Back again? Good, glad to know I have piqued your interest! A few words about my fellow hikers. Ron, as you know, started out with me from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley because he, like me, wanted to complete the full, official John Muir Trail. On the evening of Day 5, we met up with the rest of the SYMG (Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides) hikers - Russ and Karen from Washington St., Midge, also from Washington State, Sarah from Georgia, David from Vancouver, Dave from Sonoma, Bill from Illinois, Younga from NYC, and Steve from Houston. With Mike Nix, Ron, and me - that made 12 hikers and 2 guides. Quick story about Steve from Houston - he's a corporate attorney there and married to a very successful doctor who is a department head at the University of Texas Medical Center.....so as we were chatting, I told him that I had been a patient at MD Anderson (which is part of the UT medical system)...he asked who my doctor there was and I said "Michael Keating".....he chuckled and looked down - then said to me "you're kidding.....Michael Keating is one of my best friends". Some say "small world"....I say "God's world".<br />
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On Day 6 we set out very early - the SYMG guys put out effort to come and get us at our posh accommodations at the lodge and picked us up at 5:30 am....we were driven down to the campsite and had breakfast before setting out at about 7:30 am. The above photo of our motley crew was taken that morning as we hiked up Lyell Canyon towards Donahue Pass, which is on the border of Yosemite National Park. Most of the day was pleasant enough but the weather turned nasty late in the afternoon. By the time we got to our campsite at about 9,500 feet, there was some rain and a lot of wind. We got our tents secured and in the evening the wind abated enough for me to get some fishing done in the glacial tarn that was near our camp - pictured below:</div>
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I took 5 or 6 fish out of that little pond - my best session to that point. It was cool because I had a little audience - 3 or 4 fellow backpackers, who appreciated the beauty of fly fishing. The next day (Day 7) we crossed over Donahue pass and out of Yosemite, into the Ansel Adams Wilderness. One close friend told me after my trip was over that she thought that we were in Yosemite the whole time - we actually passed through the heart of Yosemite, then the aforementioned wilderness, the Sierra National Forest, the Inyo National Forest, the Devil's Postpile National Monument, the John Muir Wilderness, Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, and finally the Golden Trout Wilderness. But - back to Day 7 - here I am on the pass:<br />
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The JMT is all about mountain passes - there are at least 10 major passes on the trail, from a low of about 10,800 feet to a high of 13,200 feet. And they tend to get higher as you go from north to south. Each pass involves crossing from one 'drainage' into another - so when you crest the pass, you see a new landscape unfold before you - it's very dramatic - and since you have to work so hard to climb up there, it's very rewarding. I think this photo captures it well.<br />
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Day 7 turned out to be a very, very difficult day. We passed by one of the most beautiful peaks along the trail - Banner Peak, which sits above the gorgeous Thousand Island Lake - as the weather deteriorated. No rain just yet, but black clouds were gathering towards the south, our direction of travel. This is something like what we were seeing:<br />
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It would get much worse. Compounding the weather problem, we had a hiker in the group who could not keep up, so we had to stop repeatedly and wait for this individual to catch up - sometimes it would take 10 minutes, and at times it took 30. This slowed us down so much that we were not able to make our intended campsite - the thunderstorm broke upon us 2 miles short of our destination, so we had to find an emergency camp. We got into our tents at around 4:30 PM as a 5-hour thunderstorm boomed and flashed overhead. Our guides prepared a hearty soup somehow during this storm and brought a hot bowl to each of our tents around 6:30 pm. I cannot tell you how much that soup was appreciated! It stopped storming around 10 pm and by morning the skies were clear - but instead of a 13 mile hike the next day, we had 15....which was going to be a challenge.<br />
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Day 8 - on the way to Red's Meadow</h3>
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Our destination on Day 8 was a place called Red's Meadow, which is a campground that is accessible by car from interstate 395 (plus some backroads). After a long, 15 mile day of hiking, we arrived at around 4:00 pm. We were able to get showers ($9 with soap and towel!), an adult beverage, and SYMG put on a great dinner, as one of their staff drove in to meet us. While the group was less than thrilled to have a 15 mile "death march", as someone dubbed it, the creature comforts eased the agitation. Unfortunately, Steve, Dr. Keating's pal, had to hang it up because of the trouble his knee was giving him (no, he was not that one who could not keep up). So our group went from 12 to 11. I "bought" Steve's tent from him - as it was a couple of cuts above the one I had borrowed from SYMG.<br />
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The morning of Day 9 was cloudy and drippy - after the storms of Day 7, my mood was about as low as it got. One of the reasons I always come back to the Sierra Nevada and to Yosemite is that the weather is almost always perfect. I was having trouble dealing with this wet stuff - I figure if I want wet weather, I can get it in my own state of North Carolina. So I went off on the trail that day grumbling and trying to talk myself into a better mood. This is a great picture of that - low, heavy clouds but with a rainbow. <br />
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Day 9 turned out to be uneventful - no bad weather, no major issues. We camped at Duck Creek. The next morning, Day 10, however, there were some issues - "Terri" got us up at 4 am so that we would get to our camp, Chief Lake, before afternoon storms had a chance to build. Fine - so we were on the trail at something like 6 am - and we arrived at Chief Lake at about 1:30 - fine again - but the winds were going at 30 mph strong, gusting to 40. It was extremely difficult to set up tents in that wind. Also, our campsite was very high on the ridge and very exposed, so some of us were thinking - "we have hours of daylight and we could get lower on the mountain and get out of this wind"....but we submitted to the wisdom of the leaders. I fished in the wind and landed 8 or so nice trout. I would wait for a pause in the gusts and then fire a cast into the lake - and the fishing was good - 8 fish in an hour! <br />
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Chief Lake was our last night before coming to the second and last campground, which is called the Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR). Very unfortunately, that evening, after dinner at Chief Lake, 3 or 4 of our company got very ill, sick to their stomachs. When we set out for VVR on the morning of Day 11, Bill and Sarah were devastated with digestive issues, and Russ was also in trouble. We had a 9 mile hike to what we were led to believe was going to be a boat ride (across Lake Edison - 6 miles long) the rest of the way to VVR. When we reached the 9 mile mark - the boat landing - there was no boat. "Terri" calmly announced that we would have another 6.2 miles to walk to the campground. This did not go over well! Many questions were asked about how the boats were scheduled, who had committed that we would have a boat, what actually happened, etc. etc., to no avail. We marched along Lake Edison, on a trail that was very poorly constructed, going up and down the mountain, for 3 more hot hours, arriving at VVR around 4 pm. <br />
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VVR is a great facility, very rustic but with laundry and showers, a restaurant, camping shop and a lot of nice folks. However, there was a lot of grumbling in our company. To Carlos' credit, he stopped us along the trail before we arrived and made an impassioned apology for the incoherence and inconvenience of the boat issue and the awful 6.2 mile trail along the lake....while "Terri" stood with her head down, 50 yards behind the group, which clearly indicated to me that something was very wrong. Well, I am going on here, but.....I'll try to get to the point. We had a great evening at VVR including a steak dinner. The next morning at about 6 am, "Terri" approached several of us individually and said she was leaving the trip and leaving SYMG, effective immediately, and that Alex Steiner would be taking over leadership of the trip, also effective immediately. In addition to that dramatic news, 4 members of our group decided that VVR would be their exit point (Bill and Sarah due to stomach issues, David due to general misery, and Younga due to her inability to carry the required weight). So we lost another 4 hikers and a lead guide!!<br />
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Early morning on Day 11, enroute to VVR - just over Silver Pass</h3>
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There was good news, however - I knew Alex from many conversations I had with him prior to the hike (he mans the SYMG office in Oakhurst, CA and guides 1-2 trips per year). As a son of the great state of Wisconsin I had grudging respect for Alex ;-), and I actually felt great that SYMG was bringing an <b><u>all-star</u></b> off the bench to lead our trip. In addition to this strong staffing decision that was made, the president of the company, Ian Elman, and his #2 man, Colby Brokvist, made the 3 hour drive out to VVR from Oakhurst at 4 am to apologize to us, to affirm their commitment that the trip would continue and exceed our expectations, and to explain what would happen next. As they say, every company messes up; what distinguishes one company from another is how they handle their mess-ups. I was very impressed with how Ian handled this situation.<br />
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As for "Terri" - she came to a place where she did not feel like she was where she should be - that she did not want to be guiding trips in the Sierra Nevada. She took abrupt action and fortunately Ian and SYMG were able to recover, and strongly. She is a young lady with many talents and I wish her all the best in whatever she decides to do. Her whole life lies ahead, and my prayers are with her and she seeks the path God wants for her.<br />
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Too many words, not enough pictures - but this was the "GREAT DRAMA" of our trip. So, on Day 12, 7 hikers and 2 guides - Alex and Carlos - set off from VVR to take on the final, very rugged, no way out, extremely remote, final 15 days of the JMT. Don't miss the next chapter! <br />
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This was taken at Chief Lake - early morning on Day 11, Orion rising before dawn....</h3>
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Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-58534494069927229312013-09-14T10:42:00.000-07:002013-11-07T06:55:45.176-08:00John Muir Trail, Chapter 1<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/frndstnt13/dkrooker" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Donate Here</span></a><br />
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Hello everyone, I am back at home after completing the JMT!! I arrived home on Monday, the 10th of September and returned to work on the 12th. I have 703 pictures to sort through....I've been thinking about how to document the trip and of course I'll "blog" everything, but I've decided to do it in "chapters" of approximately 5 days each. So, here goes on Chapter 1.<br />
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I love to fly over the Sierra Nevada and try to recognize features - lakes, peaks, etc - it's unusual when I do and this time, I didn't recognize anything as we descended into Fresno on August 12th. The mountains, forests, and lakes seem to go on forever - I was thinking, "tomorrow, I'll be down there, starting the big WALK".<br />
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This photo was taken by Jeff Williams, the 4th member of our initial party, just after we hit the trail on Day 1. Ron Maier is on the left and that's Mike Nix on the right. Mike, Ron, and I were all in for the full JMT, while Jeff was able to join us for the first 3 days, including a major summit of Half Dome. We all started from Happy Isles, which is the official beginning of the trail. The guiding company, Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides, starts their JMT trip from Tuolumne Meadows, which is 23 miles up the trail. They do this for 2 reasons - one, it's very difficult to get permits for large groups coming out of Happy Isles, which is the most popular trailhead in Yosemite and probably the entire Sierra, and two, from Happy Isles you have to climb over 4,500 feet in 3 days - a brutal opening stretch, even if you could get the permits. But - we were sure we were up for it! So, back to the photo - the last item on the list on the sign is "Mt. Whitney via the John Muir Trail - 211 miles"!!<br />
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This is a precious picture of Jeff and I on top of Half Dome on day 2. We camped at "Little Yosemite Valley" on our first night after climbing about 1700 feet from Yosemite Valley's floor. This day, we had to gain another 2700 feet to the top of Half Dome - with the help of the cables you see below. The slope gets as high as 48 degrees on the final pitch to the top - it's dizzyingly steep, and hard to capture that sense of the slope on film. Anyway, when I was in the throes of chemotherapy and getting ready for the transplant, Jeff said "Dan, <u><b>you will get through this, </b></u>and you and I will stand together on top of Half Dome again". (Jeff and I had climbed Half Dome once before, in 2000). I was game but unsure. What a great moment with a great friend. I can't tell you how encouraging and supportive Jeff was throughout my ordeal. That's what friends are for! </div>
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The 4 of us out on Half Dome's "diving board", with the valley 4,000 feet below.</div>
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This is Mike, descending Half Dome with the assistance of the cables. I thought this photo gave the best perspective on what a 48 degree slope looks like. Yes, it's THAT STEEP. On day 3, the next day, we had to say goodbye to Jeff, and he headed back down the trail and to pressing matters at work. We were now the 3 musketeers (or something) until we connected with the guiding company a few more days up the trail.<br />
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Below you will see a sunset photo taken at our next camping spot, the Sunrise High Sierra Camp. The hike that day was a "butt-kicker", 9 miles and 3200 feet of elevation gain with the last 1500 feet coming over just 2 miles of trail. The camp is at 9400 feet, and features a dining room, very small store, about 25 'tent cabins', and a backpacker camp. We stayed in the backpacker camp (natch), but we were able to invite ourselves to dinner for a mere $30 bucks a head. The dining room luckily had a few extra seats so we dined on roast pork with cherries, polenta and mixed vegetables, plus salad, soup and a lovely pineapple upside-down cake for dessert. A fantastic feast compared to the "trail gorp" we brought with us.<br />
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Mike and I the next day (day 4) on our way to Cathedral Lakes. Cathedral is one of the most picturesque areas in Yosemite so we wanted to give ourselves some time there. Our hike that day was only about 4 miles, so we arrived at our campsite at around noon, giving us plenty of time to enjoy our surroundings. This photo was taken on the trail enroute to Cathedral Lakes. The peak on the left side of the photo is Cathedral Peak. John Muir was the first person to summit. I have not and will not - it's way steeper than Half Dome!<br />
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Here Mike is setting up his prayer flags. Mike is a Buddhist and also brought along the elements needed to set up a small altar. Not my cup of tea, but it did add a spiritual dimension to our spectacular surroundings.<br />
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I spent a good part of the afternoon fly fishing. I brought the hand-made fly rod that my brother-in-law's brother, Keith McElrath, made for me, and many of the hand-tied flies that Dan Lofaro made for me. Unfortunately the fish did not cooperate on this afternoon - but what a setting, with Cathedral Peak as a backdrop!!<br />
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The next day, day 5, we hiked into Tuolumne meadows to meet up with our guiding company and new fellow backpackers. We had about 7 miles to go so we took our time. We arrived at the Tuolumne lodge, which resembles a High Sierra Camp, at about 2 pm and checked in (Ron had secured us a reservation just a week prior to our trip, so we were going to sleep in beds that night), and had a cold beer. After sorting through our gear and deciding what we could live without, we headed down to the meeting place. Not too much to report, except we met our guides, "Terri" (not her real name), the lead guide, and Carlos, the number two. Carlos was full of personality and jocularity, while "Terri" was more serious, but she seemed competent. I had asked about how many times they had guided the full JMT and the answer was that "Terri" had guided it once for SYMG and this would be Carlos' first time guiding the full trail, but he had done many shorter trips on and around the JMT. Hmm.....did they have enough experience?? We shall see.....I will continue with Day 6 soon....stay tuned......<br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-46469346356889447842013-08-06T09:25:00.000-07:002013-08-06T09:25:21.716-07:00T-minus 6 days....Hello everyone, if you're still out there :-)<br />
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Today is Monday and I have been meaning to get this post out for a week - this may be the last before I fly out next Monday for Fresno and the High Sierra....to say that I am excited about this trip is a huge understatement. I'm not sure what the right words would be...a combination of elation, trepidation, anticipation, all at about 10,000 volts.....There's a lot to update you on, so let me get started.<br />
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Renee's finger and hand are getting better, but very slowly. This bite has put a huge damper on Renee's summer, to say the least. The doc still cannot rule out surgery or some loss of motion and strength. Here's the latest pic:<br />
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So, physical therapy daily and doctor visits every 2 weeks continue. <br />
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On the hike front, I am making almost daily jaunts out to REI for last-minute supplies and gear additions and changes. I think I will be tweaking things until the last minute. Physically all systems seem to be on "go", as I had my last routine checkup with Dr. Kritz today and my counts were strong again. Thanks be to God for that!<br />
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Our fundraising progress stands at just about $70,000, though we are still a hair short and there's an opportunity for someone to push us over that milestone! Donate <a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/frndstnt13/dkrooker#My-Fundraising-Page" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></b></a><br />
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I wanted to share a video with you that tells a little more about the 8 year old girl who was miraculously cured by a team of doctors in Pennsylvania - I think I posted a link to a Wall St Journal article about her which was published last December. This video is just amazing.<br />
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<a href="http://focusforwardfilms.com/films/72/fire-with-fire" target="_blank">Fire with Fire Video</a><br />
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My sister Jill is organizing a prayer strategy that will cover me in prayer for all 28 days of my journey. If you want to get involved in this, email her at jilldicicco@gmail.com. Obviously you can pray for me anytime you are led....and it will be deeply appreciated. The main things that I will be praying for will be (a) health and safety for me and for Renee and the kids while I am gone, (b) physical stamina, (c) fellowship with my fellow adventurers and (d) spiritual insights and revelation. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunburst at St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, June 22</td></tr>
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As a reminder, the key dates for my trip are:<br />
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- depart August 12<br />
- enter Yosemite wilderness Aug 13<br />
- Arrive Tuolumne Meadows Aug 16<br />
- meet up with Southern Yosemite mountain guides - Aug 17<br />
- leave Toulumne Meadows Aug 18 with SYMG <br />
- exit wilderness at Lone Pine, CA Sept 7<br />
- Shuttle back to Fresno Sept 8<br />
- Fly back home Sept 9<br />
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I will have no access to a cell phone between August 18 and September 8. I hope to put up a brief post from Tuolumne Meadows on the 16th or 17th of August but that will be about it until the end of the hike. Thank you all so much for your support!!! God is good!! I could not have made it without Him - as Jesus said, "apart from me you can do nothing". <br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-4979274203986779042013-07-23T05:20:00.001-07:002013-07-23T05:20:44.889-07:00Countdown to the JMTWe are getting really close - 20 days now until I fly to Fresno, CA for the big hike. I have been feeling great after my recent 'clean bill of health' from Dr. Kritz and doing a lot of training - cycling, stairmaster, and of course, hiking with weight on my back (40 lbs is typical). I wish I had better news on Renee's hand. While she is definitely improving, it is very slow - her hand remains swollen and she cannot make a fist. She sees the doc every other week now but does physical therapy many times a day, which is very painful. Poor thing!<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflpQxroxIB7fpwvRe3S-ZeWWyCMQim-pV8CPYjVAnaZ4NhK1Mk9SsT9sRoHjqO__ZZDyERXs_cxpBVPnoaKsx1xGKAN5PJrinq-Uh-yUhZJubXwoTK_asNnMcmKu19Yt1G-BekreAWUk/s1600/IMG_0724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflpQxroxIB7fpwvRe3S-ZeWWyCMQim-pV8CPYjVAnaZ4NhK1Mk9SsT9sRoHjqO__ZZDyERXs_cxpBVPnoaKsx1xGKAN5PJrinq-Uh-yUhZJubXwoTK_asNnMcmKu19Yt1G-BekreAWUk/s400/IMG_0724.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my sisters and Shirley and Don Skinner</td></tr>
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On the 4th of July I traveled to Los Angeles to attend my cousin John (Skinner's) wedding - he's the youngest of Shirley and Don's 5 kids, the 5th wedding out there - I've been to all 5 - the first was cousing Joan's in 1988. Laure and Jill were there too, none of us had spouses or kids with us so we had a unique 'sibling time' together - a great blessing. My parents would have been there but my father took a little spill on the tuesday before the wedding so could not fly. Still, it was a great time. I played a round of golf with cousin Jim at the Riviera CC and shot one of my best scores of the year, 78. Jim is an outstanding player and he carded a 72. But the best part was just being able to walk the gorgeous golf course catching up with Jim on all the happenings with the Skinner bunch.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Jim Skinner at the 6th hole, Riviera CC</td></tr>
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From California I went straight to Emerald Isle where Renee's family was already ensconced in an 8 bedroom beach mansion - there were 26 family members in the house! We had a nice time there but back to work last Monday. The changes at work have been great - I am much more at peace, with time to do my early morning bible study and prayer time, my workouts, and help with dinner - while still putting in a "full" day at the office. And of course my health and well being is much better.</div>
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I am making final equipment choices and checking and re-checking flights, shuttles, and other logistics for the trip out west. I've really enjoyed reading "My First Summer in the Sierra" by John Muir along with his biography. What an incredible life - his love for nature seemed to be God-given - no one really "inspired" him, he just was born with a craving for solitude and natural beauty - and his influence on the development of the national park and national forest system will endure for generations. I will be thinking about this a lot while I am on the trail. </div>
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My sister Jill is creating a 'prayer strategy' for my hike. Of course anyone can pray anytime they are led and I hope you will, but just to make sure that I'm covered in prayer every day, we will have 4 prayer leaders each take a specific week, then assign days within that week to their friends and family. My two sisters, plus my parents are each taking a week and I will have a week to assign out to my friends. </div>
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More on that next week....gotta run now....remember - nothing comes to you which does not go through the Father first - for all your trials, He is there and wants to redeem them for His and your future sanctification and glory. Trust Him, for He loves you.</div>
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Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5473965037575975406.post-15958485188590963192013-06-30T11:10:00.001-07:002013-06-30T11:10:59.327-07:0018 Months, Cancer-free!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW066hw1zF4hxgpS7MbwHiTs4WFmi-6Kp1ym8Vzk1P4AmDPoASjRmX2nqi6A5kHh96NOXxgI5AAaK9qrfGhrJC0Z08kPSYOrr_ff-7SusoTFCohdIudNoDJBWIIfz339zmFeMw-Ix3xU/s1600/IMG_1747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW066hw1zF4hxgpS7MbwHiTs4WFmi-6Kp1ym8Vzk1P4AmDPoASjRmX2nqi6A5kHh96NOXxgI5AAaK9qrfGhrJC0Z08kPSYOrr_ff-7SusoTFCohdIudNoDJBWIIfz339zmFeMw-Ix3xU/s400/IMG_1747.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's Basilica, Saturday, June 22</td></tr>
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Hello friends, family, followers, and everyone....the last few weeks have been tumultuous but I feel like we have some through the rapids into (hopefully) some calm waters. I returned from Italy last Sunday and was reunited with Renee. We went to the doctor together on Monday - she had been to this doc 5 times, each time with a different caregiver - and when I introduced myself to the doc as "the husband", he said "well, it's about time". Fair enough! Renee's hand is improving. The heinous blister popped and the swelling is down considerably. She keeps it bandaged now because of the exposed and broken skin, and she is working hard on physical therapy to restore the full range of motion in the finger. I owe a big thank you to Rachel and Kenyon, Bob and Vaun, and Laurie and Mamie for taking such great care of Renee while I was on duty in Italy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyNo9JTWeUNt-ScFXCihyOLGZ7TuaRSb7TcrzbO2B5ewIpBa2BpApkcRlBTx6YDIzf_cfQV8aAsQSEi8muEeym0ozHTHYfNHQrLUPJwkBZaELSpoiyHFqdevyvxBjFaeVhM1Ep1NrxDU/s1600/IMG_0582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyNo9JTWeUNt-ScFXCihyOLGZ7TuaRSb7TcrzbO2B5ewIpBa2BpApkcRlBTx6YDIzf_cfQV8aAsQSEi8muEeym0ozHTHYfNHQrLUPJwkBZaELSpoiyHFqdevyvxBjFaeVhM1Ep1NrxDU/s320/IMG_0582.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renee's finger, 2 days after the bite. It would get much worse.</td></tr>
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Friday was a big day for us because I had my follow-up CT scan on Thursday morning. You may recall that 6 weeks ago my re-staging CT scan showed a 'little something' in my lung, hence the need to re-scan this past week to see if it was still there. IT WAS GONE. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!! That means that I am now 18 months (plus a few days) post-transplant and continuing to be cancer-free. Still is amazing to me. In addition to the clear CT scan last week, I also registered the best blood count numbers in a couple of years - platelets, hemoglobin, neutrophils, and immunoglobulin all registered highs.<br />
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Last week also marked the transition at work from VP of supply chain transformation to procurement strategist and project leader. Everything in my life comes from the hand of the Lord - my "success" at work included. I felt clearly the Lord leading me to step down from VP life, at least for the foreseeable future, as a result of my various health issues over the past several months. I continue to trust Him in all things. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzx6p5XnI0u0d4YOQhnw6v2WZI49R34z2DtyV3VsO0ZvujoeR8d1r7dzl58vNl9Vclb5bpLQ3c1rdZiMVJkZe5begDQ0ZQLORCv8XsbO5eMPPQ5sZqmCEuDCf70YHE203uUgqxOs0CH0/s1600/IMG_1664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzx6p5XnI0u0d4YOQhnw6v2WZI49R34z2DtyV3VsO0ZvujoeR8d1r7dzl58vNl9Vclb5bpLQ3c1rdZiMVJkZe5begDQ0ZQLORCv8XsbO5eMPPQ5sZqmCEuDCf70YHE203uUgqxOs0CH0/s400/IMG_1664.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Villa Laura, Cortona, Toscana</td></tr>
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In what seemed like an affirmation of my decision (with my doctors) to alter my work responsibilities, I was asked to be the speaker at a fund-raising dinner for the MD Anderson Chaplaincy department on October 24th. I want to develop a selection of "talks" that I can give at hospitals, survivor organizations, churches, etc....as a ministry - so this was a really timely request for me. I will be in Houston that week for my next restaging, which will include CT and PET scans plus a bone marrow biopsy.<br />
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The next event comes quickly - I'm going to Santa Monica (near LA) for my cousin John Skinner's wedding - leaving on the 4th of July. I'm looking forward to playing a little golf with John's brother, Jim, who was an elite collegiate golfer at SMU "back in the day". <br />
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Also, of course, the big trek is coming closer - less than 45 days now. Preparations are getting more intense, both physically and in terms of equipment, logistics, and reading. I'll provide more details in my next post. Key links:<br />
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<a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/frndstnt13/dkrooker" target="_blank">Link to TNT Fundraising site</a><br />
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<a href="http://themuirproject.com/journal/" target="_blank">Link to my blog on The Muir Project site</a><br />
(scroll down to June 3 entry)<br />
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God bless all of you!! Happy fourth of July!! <br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194319929286992563noreply@blogger.com0