by Winding Pathways | Jun 12, 2025 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Nature, Reflections/Profiles

Tracks easily run over a rough surface.
On a spotless spring day, Trackchair® made a delightful afternoon in nature’s beauty possible.
Marion had had surgery, so walking on soft or uneven ground during recovery was challenging. But it was May, the marvelous season of birdsong and wildflowers. We yearned to leave urban noise behind and hike a trail.
Why Nature?
Few activities are as refreshing, relaxing, and rejuvenating as being in nature’s stillness and beauty. For most people, all it takes is a walk in the woods, wetland, or flower-studded prairie. Marion’s walking challenges were temporary during recovery, but many people lack easy access to nature due to a permanent disability.
How We Got Outside
We made a reservation to use one of three Trackchairs® that the Indian Creek Nature Center welcomes people to use for free. Two are adult sizes, and one is designed for a child. The chair was charged up and ready to go when we arrived at the Nature Center. Staff member Michelle Basler gave us a quick orientation. “I love helping people use a Trackchair. They help people who usually use a wheelchair to venture into nature alone or with their more mobile friends or family,” she said.
The Nature Center’s Trackchairs® are made by ATZ Manufacturing in Marshall, Minnesota. “We have a nationwide system of distributors making it possible for nonprofit organizations, like the Nature Center, or individuals to purchase one and have it tailored to their needs. Distributors also service the chairs,” said Adam Henning, Marketing Manager.
How Trackchairs(R) Help
He told us the chairs are being used by a diversity of people with special needs. “We know they give access to nature for people close to the end of their lives. Even injured seasoned athletes use them to observe outdoor sports,” he said.
Our time outdoors wasn’t exactly quiet. We were serenaded by Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Tennessee Warblers, and American Redstarts. Wildflowers lined the trail. The Trackchair(R) itself was so quiet we could hear birds as the chair purred along on its electric motor. “Quietness is important. Various ATVs on the market enable people to access nature, but they are noisy,” said Henning.
Friendly Features
The chairs are also easy on the ground. Marion used the joystick to turn the chair 360 degrees, and it barely scuffed the grass underneath. It has a leveling feature that enabled her to go up and down steep slopes without concern of tipping, and gingerly cross a narrow footbridge.
Where to Rent a Trackchair(R) Locally and Why

Controls are easy to learn.
We were fortunate to have access to one of three Trackchairs® recently purchased by the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids. “The Nature Center held a fundraising campaign to find money to buy the chairs and additional endowment funds to generate income to pay for their maintenance and eventual replacement costs,” said John Myers, Executive Director.
“The Nature Center strongly believes in the many mental and physical health benefits of being outdoors. The Trackchair® helps us extend access to those people who struggle to walk,” said Sarah Botkin, who manages the Nature Center’s Amazing Space Building.
The Indian Creek Nature Center is a private nonprofit organization on the east side of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Annually, it hosts thousands of people for environmental education programming, special events, and rentals. Trails wind through over 400 acres of woodland, prairies, and wetlands and are open to the public for free use every day of the year. For information or to make a Trackchair® reservation, visit Indian Creek Nature Center and the reserve an all terrain wheelchair. You can learn more about AMZ Manufacturing and the many models of chairs they make by visiting their site.
What Is A Trackchair(R)?
ATZ Manufacturing made the Trackchairs® and is based in Marshall, Minnesota. It began in 2008 when a father worked to develop a device to enable his son to access the outdoors. It grew into a company that makes and distributes the Trackchair® we used and many other models suited to different needs. “We have one that enables people to stand and do things like grilling dinner,” said Henning.
Trackchairs® weigh between 400 and 500 pounds. They are best transported in a pickup truck or enclosed trailer, but can be moved on a hitch platform that has a tongue rating of at least 700 pounds. Transportation, of course, isn’t necessary at the Nature Center or the many other nonprofit organizations and government agencies that let people use them on their grounds. They move at three to five miles an hour and have about a seven-mile electric range. “We’re working to increase the range using advanced batteries,” said Henning.
Overall Impression

A Trackchair(R) helps people with limited mobility enjoy being outside.
We were amazed at the chair’s comfort, its quietness, and its ease of learning. After just a few instructions from Michelle, we were on our way up and down the Nature Center’s trails. Even after turning on a mowed section of the trail, the grass was undisturbed. The slower speed gave a leisurely pace. Time to note flowers and hear birds. The faster pace on rough ground was akin to riding a bronco. Kind of fun, but not recommended. The chair has a guard on the back to prevent tipping over. And, users can angle the seat forward or slightly back when going up or down steeper hills.
It was awesome to use!
An Update
About a week after we tried the Trackchair® Rich was volunteering at the Nature Center. A school bus drove in and unloaded a class of fifth grade students. One was in a wheelchair with an attendant. The Nature Center had the youth-sized chair ready and a staff member oriented the student right after he was transferred into the Trackchair®.
Then, off he went with his classmates. The chair enabled him to pace right along with the other students on his own. He was thrilled.
by Winding Pathways | Jun 5, 2025 | Energy Efficiency, Ruminations
Buying a KIA Niro in the fall of 2024 ended several months of seeking the best car for us. Our Chevy Cruze was serving us well. We liked it but it was a low-set vehicle. At pushing age 76 we were finding it harder to get in and out of it. So, we went on a quest seeking an ideal car.
We wanted a car that was easy to get into and out of, got exceptionally good gas mileage, was comfortable to drive and ride in, and was well built and durable enough to last for years.
EV or Plug-In Hybrid?
Although we were intrigued by an electric car, often travel takes us to rural areas where charging stations don’t yet exist. So, we sought a plug-in hybrid that would let us buzz around town on battery power yet allow us to use gas for longer jaunts.
McGrath Motors
We needed help locating the right car for us. Garrett Ellard at McGrath Motors in Cedar Rapids proved to be an outstanding resource. He listened to our needs and had us try a few models. One was a plug-in KIA Niro, a model we had never heard of. We liked it and purchased it through KIA’s lease-to-own program. This reduced the purchase price, but became complicated and problematic.
Complications
We picked the car up in November 2024 and have been driving it for half a year.
Here are aspects of the car we like:
- It is easy to get in and out of, and is comfortable to drive and ride in.
- The plug-in electric feature is outstanding. We plug it into a 110-volt wall outlet. We didn’t need to hire an electrician to install a faster charger.
- KIA says the car will run on battery power for 33 miles when fully charged. As expected, it does somewhat less than that during very cold weather, but exceeds the range during warm days.
- The car seamlessly switches automatically from electric to gas power when the battery is depleted. It has equal and plenty of power, whether in battery or gas mode.
- When driving on trips with the battery depleted, the KIA gets over 50 miles per gallon on gas. Once with a headwind, it exceeded 60 mpg.
- Safety items are amazing.
Here are a few things we found challenging or perplexing:
- KIA’s lease-to-own program: We were told that we’d receive a purchase price about $4,000 lower if we leased the car for three months and then made the purchase. That is a chunk of money, so we chose this. It became a frustrating, time-consuming process. We thought when we paid for the car in February 2025, we’d “own” it, but it initiated two months of signatures, changing out temporary plates, and just plain aggravation. Perhaps the dealer or KIA didn’t want us to buy the car, but just continue to lease it. This was resolved, but if the option of lease-to-buy comes up in the future, we would approach it cautiously.
- The electronics are amazing and do remarkable things, but many of them we don’t need or use. For example, it’s easier to turn on the radio in our 19-year-old Chevy truck than in the KIA. Feel for the knob and push it. With the KIA, one has to take their eyes off the road, if the driver, to find the radio function, if it is not one, and push the screen. Seems dangerous. The Cruise control is harder to use than in our old car, and when it’s not on, it’s difficult to manually hold the car at a steady highway speed. The car wants to go faster than the speed limit!
- The gearshift is actually a wheel. Again, the driver has to take eyes off the road to determine if in drive, park, or reverse because the gear shift is between the seats. Also, dangerous because the shift can get bumped and then create situation of loss of control of the car. A gear shift lever is safer. We are used to the wheel, but it is unsafe.
- What WERE the engineers thinking? Novelty is one thing, safety another. We vote for safety.
All in all it’s a great car.
by Winding Pathways | May 29, 2025 | Chickens
Sillier and Smarter Than You Think
Many believe chickens are noisy “bird brains”, yet we have learned from and enjoy chicken wisdom. Our small flock lives in a modest coop in the backyard. In addition to the fresh eggs they lay, they give us education and often a laugh through their antics.
Recently, a hen taught us that chickens can be silly as they demonstrate devotion and intelligence. It started when one of our hens became broody.
Broodiness is when a bird decides to be a mom. She fluffs up her feathers, eats little, stops laying eggs, changes her vocabulary, and spends hours in a nest. We decided to try something.
Golf Ball Trickery
We put a new nest in a separate coop, lined it with soft pine shavings, and filled it with golf balls. Yes, golf balls. When we showed the nest to the hen, she moved right in and kept the golf balls toasty warm. That’s not too smart, but shows persistence.
How Long Will It Take To Incubate Golf Balls?

A private nest for a broody hen.
It takes a chicken egg 21 days of incubation to hatch chicks, but hens, like most animals, can’t count. And, hens do not know the difference between “fake eggs” and real ones. She would sit for weeks trying to hatch golf balls. After she sat for about three weeks, we bought six chicks at a farm store and kept them in their tiny travel box until dark. Then, with only a flashlight to help guide him, Rich reached under the broody hen, retrieved the golf balls, and replaced them with the six balls of enthusiastic peeping fuzz. Baby chicks.
Would she adopt them?
We didn’t know if the hen would “wake up” from her trance and adopt the chicks. So, twice in the night, Rich woke and went out to check. Success! The new mama hen had gently tucked the babies under her soft warm feathers. The adoption was successful, saving us the trouble of brooding chicks.
Compassionate Mother Hen
We marvel at the outstanding care the new mom gives her babies. We learned that these admirable chicken traits are not always shared by people.
- The chicks aren’t biologically hers. Doesn’t matter. She’s a devoted mother.
- Some chicks are black. Others white. Still others have different colored feathers. Doesn’t matter. They’re tiny babies that need care that she readily gives.
Our mama hen practices Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Admirable trails, all.
She Just Knows How to Raise Chicks
Our mother hen was hatched in an incubator and raised in a brooder without the benefit of a mom. Yet, without child-rearing resources of books, friends, and the Internet, she just knew how to give her babies good care. It’s an admirable instinct.
She does more than just keep her babies warm. With her varied vocabulary of clucks and peeps, she shows the chicks where food is. She scolds the babies from time to time with a harsh screech sound. They listen and obey. She’s a wonderful and caring mother.
-
-
Placing After Dark
-
-
Adopted chicks
-
-
Happy mama.
A Valuable Lesson For All
Broodiness can be a bother. When sitting on eggs and caring for babies, a hen won’t lay eggs, and often a family needs eggs more than chicks. However, watching the process of chicken reproduction is a fascinating and fun learning experience.
by Winding Pathways | May 22, 2025 | Ruminations
Post Three – Three to Eight Weeks and Beyond
(Think Buzz Lightyear – All is Possible)
Mummy was Right!
Here I am! Starting to feel better. Thinking I can do things. And I can. However, as friends near and far remind me, “Take things easily.”
As kids, when we’d get up in the morning feeling kind of crummy, Mum always said, “Wash up, get dressed, have breakfast, make your bed. Then, we will decide if you need to stay home.” Most of the time we were good to go.
I found the same with this period of post-surgery. This link has fabulous insights on post surgery care.
Below is a rhythm I found helpful.
Usually, some movement, healthy food, and getting dressed did the trick. My body is stiff, I feel sweaty from hours in bed, I’m hungry and sometimes ‘hangry’. I started off doing the “baby” leg exercises important following back surgery. Then, I’d get the other tasks done. Doing these few routine tasks settled me in. Adding any needed OTC medication helped. Then, rest. Yep. Back to lying down but not in bed. That is too easy. And, I want bed to be for sleep not slumming. So, I kept items near the couch and would lie down for about 20 minutes. Alternating ice and heat on various complaining body parts helped. Then, up to do a few simple activities.
After a time, I incorporated light house work like dishes, tidying up spaces, computer work to keep in touch and pay bills, walking the driveway horseshoe loop for exercise. Always mindful to avoid bending, twisting, over-reaching. The vertebrae and hardware need to fuse.
Remember to send TY notes to folks. I would do a few each day. I kept a list and postcards pre-addressed and stamped to send. And, found the Jacquie Lawson ecards helpful to send to people who unexpectedly helped.
Connect with people a few times a week to lessen feelings of isolation. I’d ask people close by to help arrange visits. From a distance, I simply sent periodic, and sometimes idiotic, emails to people. Usually, I got idiotic replies back that made me smile and laugh.
Here is one from another childhood friend: “Thanks for the update–keep ’em coming. I was going to ask how things were going and I’m glad you seem to be hanging in. HMMM perhaps coming up with strategies to complete every day activities will be good for your brain! When my yoga teacher introduces a new pose that sounds really wonky, I call it “Yoga for Alzheimers prevention.””
Moving
Walk on safe surfaces several times a day. On warm days, I could walk the horseshoe drive a few times each day. Then, I’d increase the distances. Some days, I simply did less. The upward trajectory of movement and health is the goal. Physical therapy may not start for several more weeks. I did the simple but important leg exercises as per the medical booklet.
My walking mantra is: Heel-toe. Low belly up. Shoulders back. Chin parallel to the walking surface. Use your peripheral vision. Cane as a guide and as per an Occupational Therapy friend, Increase your Stride.
The six-week checkup was positive, and the reminder to limit bending/twisting was good. Lifting about 15 pounds is OK. One and a half gallons of milk is about 15 pounds. I still do morning preparation and chores, then rest. After about 6.5 weeks, I successfully put on compression socks by myself. So, Rich’s morning task is about done.
The cane for going out and about is helpful. Around the house, I manage all right. And, reachers! Keep them! So, I bought several.
None Of Us Is As Smart As All Of Us
Years ago, when trying to figure out something, a Kansas colleague, Lila King, stated, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” By golly, we figured out a sticky problem. That mantra has proved helpful many times since. How do I get things done? Ask! People want to help.
Continuing to have and accept help is important in these weeks and beyond. I found that I tired easily, so I rested. The prioritized list of “things to do that are helpful” made it easy for friends and family to visit and pitch in, which they all did graciously. And my saying, “Yes, thank you!” helped all around. What are some of these tasks?
Having family come help healed more than just the tasks. Great company and was reassuring.
Friends and family measured the space for new shower curtains, researched the best sites to order from, and helped install. Hotel-quality and style make freshening shower curtains easier without awkwardly removing the rod.
The family helped wash the insides of windows where the painter had inadvertently left smudges and install screens for the season.
Our daughter pulled the paint cans from storage so the painter could finish one small project. Our son and son-in-law hung pictures and screens, split wood, and were attentive od my getting into and out of the car. They all did many small deeds of kindness. Rich was close by and helpful over the many weeks.
After six weeks, the toenails were long, so our daughter suggested a pedicure so that a professional could trim them. How lovely to have someone nurture the feet. I didn’t think about that as an option. None of us is as smart as all of us.
An East Coast friend mentioned ways to care for the surgical scars to loosen up tissue and avoid binding problems in the future. None of us is as smart as all of us.
When I mentioned that the doctor visit showed high blood pressure, a friend said, “Wait five minutes and do again.” Yes, of course. When we first come to a visit we have been walking, are nervous and breathing shallowly. Deep breaths and resting a few minutes reveals normal blood pressure. Why didn’t the nurse do this? Hmmmm. None of us is as smart as all of us.
Soup Cubes to the rescue! Again, from our daughter, I learned about these handy ways to freeze food, pop out the back, place in labeled freezer zip-locks, label, and pull out when we needed a quick meal. This is helpful now that the MealTrain is done. None of us is as smart as all of us.
So many more acts of kindness, generously shared.
Time for Pleasure
Not everything was work. A puzzle kept us entertained and our daughter is so strategic on putting it together. While I rested, family took walks on the many trails that now link the area. They met with long-time friends and met new people. Coffee shops rock and are new to them, so Cedar Rapids has changed positively in that regard. Nice meals out. Chats in the living room and on the back deck in nice weather.
Giving Back
What Can We Do When We Feel We Can Do So Little? Healing completely takes time. Many people have helped over the weeks. And continue to do so. At first I thought I could not do much to help. What could I do with such limitations? Well, it turns out to be quite a bit.
I asked our daughter if she would share her music. She brought her accordion along and played songs for a friend who had recently been injured. We sang – sort of – and laughed. A hospice nurse colleague asked me to work with a patient and family with healing energy. An honor, indeed. A labyrinth colleague and friend accidentally double-scheduled a time. She asked if I could do the one-hour Veriditas Friday ZOOM hand-held finger labyrinth walk. Veriditas has offered this activity EVERY Friday since the Pandemic began in the US in earnest in March 2020. My theme was easy: “What Can We Do When We Feel We Can Do So Little?” Four continents were represented as over 50 people worldwide zoomed in and shared their perspectives. Another honor to give back. And, so it goes as we receive so we share – The Ketchuan philosophy. From you I receive to you I give. Together we share and from this we live. A Unitarian Universalist hymn. Inclusivity.
Well, moving on here. As I wrote in the beginning, take whatever is useful and leave the rest behind. These were simply my observations of recovery which will take about a year to be fully realized.
by Winding Pathways | May 15, 2025 | Preparedness, Ruminations
*Apologies to Ben Franklin*
It’s funny how quotes get attributed to people. Franklin might not have actually said the quote above, but he did have the right idea with his quote: in the 1737 Poor Richard’s Almanack: “A penny saved is two pence clear.” When you save something today, it likely will grow in worth over time.
We are on the far side of age 75 and enjoying financial security that has resulted from a lifetime of careful spending, good advice, and a bit of luck. A penny saved here and there added up.
We’re not financial experts so this is just how a lifetime of money management enabled us to emerge into good money health despite years of lean income.
Over many years of talking with people facing financial stress we often hear them say, “I need to find a job that pays better.” Well, you might not need to do that. You simply need to spend less and perhaps live in a more affordable geographic location. Dr. Laurie Santos, professor at Yale University, hosts a series on the Science of Well Being. She also hosts a six-week course, the Science of Well-Being for Teens. Participants look closely at their lifestyles and where they spend time and money that drain them, causing them to think they need more. Often it is not true. It’s a great course to take online.
Our Background
We worked in the nonprofit sector, which provided slim salaries and sparse benefits. We liked what we did so never felt compelled to change jobs for better pay. Rather than seek higher pay we used what money we had efficiently.
Financial Philosophy

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
Our basic financial philosophy is that however much money a person earns, if he/she spends a little less and consistently invests the difference, financial health increases. Of course, that was partly back in the day when financial institutions gave better interest return on money customers deposited.
Decades Long Strategy
Here’s what we’ve done for over a half century to be financially secure.
- Avoided compulsive, ego spending. Keeping up with the Joneses costs money.
- Developed a long-term relationship with our bank and brokerage as partners. Their advice is free.
- Avoided paying rent and borrowing money. Yup, we drove old cars we could pay cash for and regularly put money in the bank. This earned us interest and avoided loan interest. Then, when we needed to buy a car, we withdrew money and paid cash. We rented apartments briefly but invested in a house purchase. Because we live frugally, we were able to pay off a mortgage early. Now our housing costs are utilities, taxes, and maintenance. No monthly rent or mortgage! It’s a pay-as-we-go philosophy. Granted, we did not “enjoy” some of the exotic trips or coolest stuff and we are better off for it.
- Avoided voluntary taxes. People complain they don’t want to pay taxes. (Benefits exist to paying legitimate taxes) Then, what do they do? Some buy tobacco, alcohol, and gamble.
By doing so, they pay self-imposed high taxes and often end up with health issues. We’ve never smoked, don’t gamble, and enjoy a beer or a sip of wine occasionally. A pack of cigarettes in Iowa costs about $9. If we each smoked two packs a day, our daily cost would be $36. That’s over $13,000 a year. If we’d done this for our 50-year marriage we’d have spent far more on tobacco than to buy our home.
- Embraced life cycle cost. For example, it’s common for the least expensive refrigerator to consume the most electricity. Life cycle cost means figuring out what an object will cost during its likely lifespan. Usually paying slightly more upfront for a well-made, efficient device saves chunks of money over time. Energy efficiency saves money! BTW, ditch the inefficient refrigerator or freezer you’ve held on to. Recycle it. Likely you don’t need all the extra stored food. Your electric bill will go down and you have more space in your home.
- Embraced inexpensive recreation. People often carefully calculate the cost for business and home functional items, then spend ridiculously on recreation.
Hobbies
Rich’s hobbies are reading (library books are free), walking, birding, and fishing. He also scrounges and crafts items like bird feeders.
Fishing’s a good example. It can be expensive but doesn’t have to be. A cheap rod and reel costs about 30 bucks and won’t last long. A better one costs about $100 and is durable and efficient, but the very best is around $500. Sticking with the $100 model is the most cost efficient…..and he catches fish from an ancient rowboat purchased at a garage sale. In contrast, an expensive powerboat and electronics need insurance, storage, maintenance, and fuel. Not needed for catching fish.
- We love gardening, which helps lower food costs. Even a small patio can support vegetables you may enjoy.
- Avoid being nickel and dimed to death. It sounds cheap. Only eight dollars a month for a streaming service. $96 a year. Multiply that by six streaming services and that $96 a month costs close to $576 a year. All sorts of other things that seem cheap per month put a constant drain on finances. A few bucks here. A few bucks there. They add up!
- Use our credit card carefully and always pay off the balance on time to avoid interest costs.
Final Words
The upshot is, most people do NOT need to earn more money, they need to learn to use what they have wisely.
We spend carefully yet live richly and have avoided the terror of a heavy debt burden. Our financial strategy has led us in a good direction and we believe it may help others to achieve the same result.