Last we left off, I was gearing up to take that hike… Mother Nature doesn’t always consult me in her plans like I’ve asked her to, and she threw a weather curveball at us so we had to alter the hiking program a bit. Here’s how it went down:
Since extreme fire danger caused most of the areas with bathrooms to close down over the 4th of July holiday week/ weekend, we came up with plan B and decided to try hiking around the family cabin. I mean, the family cabin sits on about 3 acres on the side of a (steep) hill, so hiking the area around the cabin allowed me to still be close to a bathroom when needed and reach my goal of hiking.
On one hike I took the dog, my 6-year-old niece and 8-year-old nephew for a walk. We navigated our way down the very steep drive way to the road. We followed the road for a bit, getting pretty far down the there…however, the cabin never left our sight!
I still felt like I needed to try to go as far as I could.
Although I knew it would be a trek to get back up the hill/ drive way to the bathroom (I mean, cabin) I still felt like I needed to try to go as far as I could. The entire hike took about 20-25 min and I returned to the cabin just in time, avoiding an accident.
On the back side of the cabin there is an area for gathering and games; horse shoe pit, a fire pit (although could not have fires this year), a zip line and swings for the kids, etc. The trek down to this area is almost as steep at the drive way up to the cabin. I trekked up and down to the lower area several times over the trip…luckily about half way up to the top there is a back entrance into the cabin with a bathroom just inside that door…which I visited several times!
I made the trek down a few times to watch the horse shoe tournament this year; the last couple years I could only watch from the deck above. This year a couple of the grown-ups set up a water fight for the kids in this lower area and I was able to help out some with setting up the kiddie pools, running the hose and moral support! Although I missed the fight due to being in the bathroom. But hey, I made it down to socialize WAY more than I have in the last couple years! On the deck of the cabin was a bag game and I was able to play a few games!
Saturday was a town festival at the local park…I even felt good enough to go walk around a bit and watch the kids play on the various bouncy houses. We were at the festival for about 3 hours and I only used the bathroom twice.
as much fun as I had on this trip, it has taken me a little over a week to recover
However, as much fun as I had on this trip, it has taken me a little over a week to recover! I have been down and on the couch for a week now. No abdominal pain, just extreme fatigue and joint/ muscle pain…I could not sleep enough for about the first 3-4 days home. I would unpack a few things then sleep for hours, unpack a few things, sleep for hours…this went on for several days. BUT the trip was sooooooooo worth it! I may not have done things the way I use to on this yearly trip, but I have done and enjoyed myself more than I thought I could have just a few short years ago.
it was made possible by having an ample supply of Cannabis
The almost full week of vacation, family, fun, adventure and maxing my body out as far as I could take it was made possible by having an ample supply of Cannabis (including some medicated paleo lemon cookies) to keep me going and feeling great. So, as promised, we’re going to cover the different dispensary styles, so you too can get your hands on whatever medication works best for you!
FOR BEGINNERS:
Free Range Store with Pre-Packaged products –
Browse products on shelves and in cases on your own or with a bud guide and place your order at the counter – The buds are usually pre-weighed, pre-packed and ready to go. This style of shopping allows the patient to browse through all of the goodies at their leisure with plenty of time to ask questions and get recommendations, which is a huge plus if you are new to the world of Cannabis! These spots also typically have floating bud tenders (guides) to help guide you on your visit without sales pressure or a feeling of being rushed into a choice. The only downside we find with the pre-packaged style is that the buds can sometimes, although rare, be a little dry already. We have found in our experience however, that these stores are typically considered “high end” and while the price tag can be higher, the quality is also higher.
NOT A NEWBIE BUT NOT A PRO:
Personal Budtender and Deli Style –
Usually a large selection of buds to choose from with containers you can see into or even open up to smell and inspect the quality.
This type of store is usually laid out with a series of counter stations managed by one bud tender each. You’ll be assigned to a budtender who will discuss with you each of the items at their station. Once you select your strains, the bud tender will pull out choice bud pieces and weight it out in front of you before packaging it up. That makes this the “Deli Style” dispensary.
This style of service isn’t usually the fastest, but not nearly as relaxed and shopper centric as “Free Range” shopping. Dispensaries that serve up tasty nugs in this style are usually great for Cannabis patients and users who have a bit of knowledge about what they already like or what they’d like to try but still enjoy a little slower pace with some knowledgeable staff.
FAST TRACK, IN AND OUT:
Personal Budtender with Pre-packaged goodies –
This style of dispensary usually runs pretty quickly. The goal here is to get your goodies and get out quick so the next one in line is ready to go. You’ll typically see a waiting room about half full even in non-peak hours here. You’ll want to know what you want before heading into these locations (check out leafy) and you’ll want to grab and go quickly. These spots are great for deals on Cannabis, getting larger quantities for a great price and scooping up your “staples”. The bud tenders are almost always super friendly and caring, but you won’t get the extended one on one attention like at some of the slower moving retail spots.
A good dispensary, no matter what style they run, will have testing results available
Now, let’s talk quality. A good dispensary, no matter what style they run, will have testing results available for the flower and other products they are selling to patients. Why is that important? Because most people want to know if they are ingesting pesticide, mold, chemicals and other additives to help flower grow.
Do you like to buy locally sourced organic vegetables? You should treat the Cannabis you buy the same way. If test results are not already posted at the store or on the website it’s good to ask, so don’t be shy about that. If test results are not available, then purchase product at your own risk and try to do as much research as you can on your own, you can even take the products to get tested yourself! Ask around, the Cannabis community loves to share the good and bad stuff they find.
Thanks for visiting!
Thank you for coming back and checking out My Green Journey, we’ll see you again next month!