Aaah, Saturday

Saturday is a very laid-back day here at the FRidge. We started off with a hike first thing in the morning, but the hikes are not as challenging as they are the rest of the week. I chose the West Canyon hike, which is near the end of Saddle and near the beginning of Stop Sign. Basically it starts off, very briefly, on a paved path, and then quickly turns into a wide gravel path. My calves have been very tight, so this mostly flat trail was just what I needed today.

This pavement only lasted about 2 minutes into our hike.

It's a little hard to see in this pic, but that top little rock resembles a seahorse. (It looks better in person.)

Love the contrasting colors. Our guide says this section is sometimes referred to as 

"Red, White & Blue" for the rocks and the "blue" sage.

Two different colors on the same rock formation. 

A welcome sight at the end of a hike. I walked about 6 miles roundtrip today. 

After the hike, I only had one class (pool!) and it was a VERY mellow class. The instructor had us swim a couple laps using a noodle, do a few "core" moves, some arm work, and then we did stretching. Stretching in the pool with a noodle has become my absolute favorite thing! Having the buoyancy to work with, I can stretch my quads without adding pressure to my ankles. And it seems my calf and hamstring stretches are more effective as well. So, if you see me standing at the edge of the pool, you know I am stretching!

Food, glorious food:

Another carefully prepared menu.

I was very hungry for breakfast this morning. That is almond milk for the granola cereal. It was very good!

Pumpkin soup. . . not overwhelmingly pumpkin tasting. Delicious and filling.

Isn't that pretty? Despite the cilantro I knew was in it, the hummus was quite tasty!

This was good, but it was probably the most plain thing we've had all week. I mean, look at that presentation compared with the other meals. Maybe the head chef had the night off. No fancy swirls of yummy sauce for those cooked carrots. :(

Yes, it's a chocolate covered banana. And, yes, I ate it. I ate the banana part first, and then 

savored every last bit of chocolate! So glad they use real chocolate! Yum

After lunch, a few of us had signed up to go to this little artist community close by called Coyote Gulch. It was very tiny (only about 7 shops were open). I was done walking through it in less than 30 minutes, and the van wasn't coming back for another hour. So, I sat in a shady spot and watched some artistic windmills dancing in the wind. (I have a video of it that I would love to show you here. Alas, I do not know how to do that, yet, and I want to complete tonight's entry before I crash.) It was nice to just sit in the quiet and watch. Although it was still hot in the shade. The temperature today was supposed to reach 105, I believe.

Saturdays after dinner is Graduation and celebrations. Remember earlier in the week when I told you I would get a prize if I attended all of my classes, lectures and meals for the week? Tonight I am the proud owner of an official Biggest Loser at Fitness Ridge t-shirt! It is a very pretty purple, and I can't wait to wear it! Yay! Next week, I will get a different prize by having perfect attendance!

After the graduation festivities a large group of us went out on the town to the local bowling alley. It was great! I burned a few extra calories, and scored 106 in my second game (which is pretty good for me).

Tomorrow is basically a free day. No schedule, no classes. This is the resort part of my stay. I have a massage scheduled for the afternoon, and I may see if anyone wants to ride bikes over to a nearby park to play some tennis. Fun in the sun!

Goodnight :)