Where's Armand?

Up On a Pedestal!

Well, he's reaffirmed his position as my hero! On Saturday, Armand and Ann set off down The Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon. If you've managed to keep track of our blog, you'll remember that there was a bit of a last minute scramble to find a room at Phantom Ranch. As usual, Ann succeeded.

Armand has been looking forward to this attempt to hike the canyon for the 16th time. "You just have to wonder, do you have it in you? Like the best-selling novelist who always keeps asking, 'Do I have one more in me?'"

After a mile and a half into it, Armand decided not to go any further. I know it wasn't his cardio-vascular system, his spirit, or Annie. He's lived in that body long enough to know what to expect from it and made some calculations.

"At the rate I was going, we'd probably get there by dark and spend the night, but the hike back out would take us twice the amount of time." There would be no camp site on the way back.  "Well, the word 'selfish' began to sound in my mind."

Then and there, Armand decided to let his pride take a hike, "sniffled a couple of times", and let Annie know what he had decided. Then he turned around and followed his common sense back up the trail. Yessir!

You don't live to be 91 without a lick of common sense. You also don't live at all if the fear of failing or falling, prevail. Traversing the Grand Canyon at 87 was quite a feat, Armand. But to have tried once more at 91?

You're my hero! On to the next adventure!

"I think my next adventure is going to be that awful place called Kona!" I could hear him smiling as he said,  "I'll see you then!"            

        Photo by: Wolfgang Staudt        

                   

 

Reclining

They're baaaaaack.

Armand and Annie are back on top. Read tomorrow's Kona Yoga newsletter.  If you're not a subscriber, a copy will be posted here no later than 12pm EST.

How far did they go? Did you take a picture? Send it to barbara@konayoga.com.

Photo by:btezra

Mule Jam

Did you know that a hinny is the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey, and a mule is the offspring of a female horse and male donkey. Also, mules used in the Grand Canyon are usually bred out of Quarter Horse mares to insure their compact size.

That bit of mule trivia is brought to you by my overriding (hah!) thoughts of Armand and Annie either being rear-ended by a mule train or having to follow a trail of mule poop in the desert heat!

I do hope they're safe in an air-conditioned, sweet smelling room somewhere.

Photo from The Grand Canyon Explorer

Circling the Rim

The NTA, as Armand's daughter has affectionately been called, did it again: she made room at the inn! Jesus would not have been born in a manger had his parents used the NTA for their travel needs. Annie got a room at Phantom Ranch and they will make their descent tomorrow morning.

She called a few minutes ago, just before breakfast with Armand. I know what she's craving: a non-fat, double cappucino-pronto! Father and daughter will then walk around the rim. "It's 20 degrees! I'm not really prepared for this! I need better shoes!S---! Bye, love you!"

REMINDER: If you spot Armand, take a photo and send it to me: barbara@konayoga.com and I'll send gifts from Kona, HI, for the winning photo.

Photo by:greentea-blogs

Watch Your Step!

WARNING: There are no easy trails into or out of the Grand Canyon!That message was brought to you by the National Park Service and the Billy Goats Gruff.

My message from Annie: "He's INSISTING that we go to Phantom Ranch! Call 9-1-1!!!" She had Indian Gardens (4.6 miles) in mind, he has Phantom Ranch (9.8 miles) in his scope. The park service does not recommend a day hike, (is that where the term 'down and out' originated?) and Ann says they have no reservations to spend the night.

What WILL become of them?

Photo by Shambrook.

It's a hike, not a stroll!

This appears to be a little more treacherous than I imagined. Where is the trail? Around the tree and down the side of the cliff?

Armand is probably Guiness World Record material, in more ways than one. I truly doubt that there's been anyone older who has hiked down the canyon. A Google search for "oldest+hiker+grand canyon" results in posts about the oldest rock formations.

Let's have an Armand siting! This Thursday, October 26. The Bright Angel Trail. I'll send you some Kona coffee if you're the first one to provide me with a photo!

Photo by bdinphoenix

He's taking a hike!

We have some catching up to do with Armand! The judge accepted a 'no contest' plea to his failure to listen to a figure of authority (I'm sure there's a legal Latin term for it) in exchange for a course in anger management. Can you imagine a 91 year old in an anger management class? "It's making me mad," quipped my favorite nonagenarian who turns 92 on November 30.

Before he gets too old however, he's taking a hike down the Grand Canyon for the 16th time! There must be a world record somewhere that Armand has broken. His daughter, Ann (observing his uphill gait in the above photo), will hike The Bright Angel Trail next week with him. Annie's tried to talk him out of it, but Armand simply has to see if he has "one more hike left". Let's send him the energy and good thoughts.

Armand will be in Kona next month and I was thinking of having him give an informal talk as a little fundraiser for some senior group or activity. My initial plans to raise money for a few comfort items now pale in light of the earthquake. Yesterday I asked Armand if he would be willing to speak in an effort to raise funds for our hospital. He didn't hesitate for a heartbeat: "Sure! Just tell me what you want me to talk about. You might have to wheel me in if I don't do well on this hike."

We're on! Armand will be here from November 24 to December 16. I'm looking for a time and place and an engaging angle to:

• introduce this energetic world travelling senior to Kona
• celebrate our community's resilience
• raise funds for the Kona Community Hospital Earthquake Fund

Call or e-mail me with suggestions, products, or services you'd like to donate, or simply to cheer us on. Stay tuned to this blog.

The Hitchhikers

Scotty and Fiddy, they're the hitchhikers. I have a special interest in what they're doing because of my brother Jason's involvement and I also immediately thought about Armand as a possible ride. Maybe on his way to his court appearance, he could give the boys a lift and an experience they won't ever forget.

"Of course you know, I've been to all 50 states as well as to all the Canadian provinces and territories," informed Armand. "I'm still waiting to hear if it's necessary for me to show up on the 17th and besides, my sports car would make it quite uncomfortable for someone to sit in the back seat."

Wait and let's see. Perhaps a 50 mile ride in some direction would still be possible for the Hitch50 duo. They won't be disappointed!

Next stop, Ohio!

Armand's attorney represented him in an Ohio court on October 3. The verdict:

Well, up to 2 years in jail or 500 hours of community service, selling Christmas cards on the street corner at inflated prices! You know how cold it can get around Christmas and at inflated prices I won't be able to sell too many, so what do you think?

Armand was careful not to say too much about his next court date, except that it's scheduled for October 17. The incident, is now simply yesterday's news and we wouldn't want to stir things up by having Free Armand bumper stickers moving across I-70, or fans wearing Free Armand t-shirts showing up at the court house, would we?

Armand taunted:
You'd love to see me found guilty wouldn't you? Then you'd have lots to write about and make all kinds of money off shirts and stickers...why, you should have some ballpoint pens made.

He then went on to a mini-lecture of the qualities of a good ball-point pen! Maybe it's time to enlist Johhny Depp and let him stand-in for Armand in court. It'll give him a feel for the role.

The Illusionist

Annie, Armand, and I saw the movie The Illusionist, in Morgantown. Armand is an avid film fan, not easily distracted by the flimflam. All three of us gave the movie a thumbs-up and patiently allowed the credits to scroll by. As we walked out of the matinee, Armand remembered that his father had told him about a murder-suicide involving a Crown Prince of Austria and a woman named Mary Vetsera.

The details from Armand were sketchy but intriguingly included talk of incest and deception. When Annie asked for more details he said, "Well, just look it up in that contraption you have, you might find it."

"Ah, my Blackberry," Annie responded as she reached into her purse. Sure enough, 'Mary Vetsera' googled up, and my jaw dropped. Armand's past is as rich as his memory.