Just a Mile Further

Posted on July 19, 2026 by AZAtheist

Another post about my recovery so far

By Don Lacey  ·  July 2026  ·  AZAtheist.com  ·  7 min read

Where the loop crosses Valencia Rd

Another 2500 steps

I’ve been writing on my recovery during the last couple of blog posts. Today, I made another advancement. Yesterday during a drizzly morning, I walked one mile on the Loop. I walked 2 miles today. The Loop crosses Valencia one mile from my front door. That adds up to 2 miles out and back. The weather was clear today and it was apparent that the trail missed my care and attention. Unfortunately, I’m not able to pick up where I left off and pick up the trash on the trail. In enjoyed the walk although the bicyclists passing me give me a bit of concern especially when they pass without announcing themselves or ringing a bell.

“There are rules on the trail of life, but most of them are learned by walking — not by reading the signs.”

I was joined by a recently acquired friend who has been walking with me around the neighborhood. I also got to say hello to one of my four-footed friends that I hadn’t seen for a while.

Sundays Bring Out the Worst

Today was a light day. It is possible that the fact that I’m on the trail earlier could be the reason. I’ve been walking on the same portion of the loop for well over 10 years. Prior to the accident, I usually got started around 9 A.M. I haven’t slept well at night since my injury. Often, I’m awake at 3 in the morning staring at the walls and trying to get back to sleep.

Last night I got a Messager call at 2 A.M. from Uganda, believe it or not. Apparently, I accidentally added a foreign friend to my Facebook account, and he wanted $50.00 to help him with his rent. I think the call was legitimate. I heard chickens clucking in the background. I wished him a good day and told him that I was going back to sleep and I did, eventually. First, I had to remove him from my friends list.

I’m sorry for the distraction…like I was saying…I find that there is a higher percentage of rude bicycle riders on Sunday, but apparently, they come later. It must take extra time to put on all the spandex clothing. These “stone faced” riders seldom respond to friendly greetings. Apparently, riding a bicycle in brightly colored costumes is serious business and doesn’t leave room for pleasantries. I’ve seen them brag about trying to scare walkers by passing them as close as possible. They rarely announce their passing or ring a bell. Sometimes they pass in large groups riding side by side at unsafe speeds. When I hear them coming, I often step off the trail to give them room and as an action of self-preservation.

Not all bicycle riders. In fact, while I was in the hospital I had a rider visit me. We never spoke. Our only interaction was waving at each other in passing. He came to wish me well and thank me for my efforts to keep the trail litter free.

Today, I Wasn’t Alone

Mike was with me. I met Mike on my short walks in the neighborhood. We have a lot in common. We’re both retired from the U.S. Air Force and of similar age. Mostly, our politics are in sync. He likes to tell stories as do I. He doesn’t normally get out of the neighborhood and walk on the Loop, but he decided to join me today. I appreciated the company. Honestly, having two people walking on the trail seems a bit safer. It’s more likely for a bicyclist to see two people walking.

Walking alone doesn’t bother me and i’ll probably mostly be walking alone in the future but it was good to have a friend to help me transition back to some semblance of normalcy.

Four-Footed Friends

I have many four-footed friends—I carry treats. Sadie is pictured. I hadn’t seen her for a while but she remembered me. Sadie is bit skittish about men in hats but will allow me to approach her with a treat, if I move slowly.

I wanted to make it to the crossroads where the Loop meets Valencia because I have another four-footed friend that lives along the loop there. The friend’s name is Jojo, but his owner has become my friend too. I thought I might catch them outside, but it didn’t happen today.

“I have many four-footed friends“

So Far, So Good

I’ll continue to push on. I realize that may not fully recover and if I do it will be a way down the trail. I’ll probably change out my shoes three times before it happens. At end of the day, I still consider myself one of the lucky ones.

2026

Posted in Air Force, Recovery, Retired--A Day in the Life, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time to Cut the Hospital Bands

Posted on July 18, 2026 by AZAtheist

It’s been three months since my life changing injury.

By Don Lacey  ·  July 2026  ·  AZAtheist.com  ·  7 min read

A Significant Milestone

The hospital placed a band on my right wrist the day I was discharged from the trauma unit of St Joseph’s hospital. There were already a couple of bands there. One was an identity band and the other, I believe, had some information that meant something to the people that took the periodic blood samples during my stay. Since they were placing the band just before my release, I figured that perhaps it should stay there. They were a bit of an icebreaker. I started walking in the neighborhood. The bands told people I met on the sidewalk that I was recently in the hospital and that I was in recovery. It was easy to start my story from that point.

Nancy and I don’t really interact with the neighbors except during the month of October when passing neighbors see me in my front yard working on my “home haunt.” I walked every morning but mainly directly to the Huckleberry Loop that passes near our house. It’s a short walk from my front door to the loop. Each day, I would walk two miles before coming back. I wasn’t in the neighborhood long and I rarely met people. After the accident, I walked in the neighborhood exclusively. I met folks (and their dogs) and got the opportunity to chat.

Most people I met during my neighborhood recovery walks knew me from the Halloween display. Some offered to help this year, if needed, after hearing what happened. It was nice to know that they appreciated the effort and were willing to help me keep it going.

“I Never Met a Man I Didn’t Like”

Will Rogers

That’s a great quote from Will Rogers. However, I don’t think he ever met a Trump Supporter!

So Why Is Today Special?

Today is the 18th of July. It is exactly three calendar months since the incident that kept me from walking on the Loop. Yesterday, I attended the Friday Night Sabino Stroll with the Tucson Hiking Meetup Group (The Friday Night Sabino Stroll!, Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 7:00 PM | Meetup )Today, I decided to put my toe back in the water on the Huckleberry Loop (The Chuck Huckelberry Loop | Pima County, AZ). I walked to the point on the loop where I am one half mile from my front door. Fortunately, the was a bit of rain drizzling down and there were no bicyclists to give concern. I reached the half mile point and went on to visit Safeway to pick up a few things.

The walk went well and totaled right at five thousand steps. I might do it again tomorrow. Then again, I might not. It might be an opportunity to visit with fellow Loop walkers that visited me in the hospital.

Time to Cut the Bands

KEY FACT: A FASHION ACCESSORY NO LONGER. Now, Simply a souvenir

A Long Way to Go

Today is a great milestone, but there are many more miles to go.

I can look back over the last three months. I can bemoan or distress over the time that I have lost, but I am choosing to keep working to get back to where I was before the accident. I’m looking forward to attacking my unfinished projects with new vigor while accepting the fact that there are things that I must let go.

“Today is a great milestone, but there are many more miles to go”

Conclusion

Some good came out of this tragedy. It knocked me out a rut that I wasn’t aware that I was in. For example, I got some pleasure from giving our unused BowFlex to the neighbors. It wasn’t doing us any good and now the neighbors can get some good use. It was great to pass on a PineWood Derby track to the next generation of Boy Scouts. Soon, I’ll be letting go of other things, at the same time opening up new opportunities to enjoy what is left of my time on Earth.

This is a great milestone. I’m going to pause for a minute and appreciate all of the people around me that keep me going and try and make sure their efforts are rewarded as well.

Posted in Retired--A Day in the Life | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Rejoin My Life Already in Progress

Posted on July 17, 2026 by AZAtheist

It has been 3 months. On the 18th of April, while walking on the Huckleberry Multi-use Loop in Tucson, I was struck from behind by a careless, distracted bicyclist. I was severely injured through absolutely no fault of my own. As a result, my life has been altered. Tomorrow will be the 18th of July which is three calendar months from the unfortunate incident. Tonight I’ll attempt to walk in the Sabino Canyon with the Tucson Hiking Meetup Group. It is a walk that I’ve been leading for well over 10 years. It’s called the Friday Night Sabino Stroll. I lead the 7 P.M. portion which goes 2 miles up the canyon before heading back to the meeting location near the parking lot. I may not make it the entire way. For sure, I won’t be moving as fast as I have in the past.

Night time in the Sabino Canyon

Small Steps

Life since the incident that put me in the hospital has been abbreviated. I left the hospital on the 24th of April after surgery to repair my 9 broken ribs. I was flat on my back for most of the time. Eventually, I was able to get out of bed and walk with assistance short distances. Once, I was able to walk on my own, I was discharged with a tag on my wrist that said, “Fall Risk.” My broken scapula was left to heal on its own, but I was given a sling to support my shoulder. The chest tube was removed. I left the hospital with a bag of pain meds, and 41 pages of discharge instructions. Since then, I’ve been sleeping in a Lazy Boy recliner. I can lay on the bed, but I have trouble getting up due to the shoulder injury. Things are slowly getting better, but I’m told that it may be up to a year before my shoulder will work properly again. This is hell for me. Prior to the incident, I was constantly in my workshop. If I wasn’t working in my workshop, I would have been working ON my workshop. I love being retired. If I wasn’t in my current condition, I would be preparing for Halloween. We’re halfway there and I haven’t started. I can’t. Also, I’d be traveling to California to attend my first Open Sauce Convention—The Festival for People Who Make Things. (Open Sauce Technology & Creator Festival | July 17 – 19, 2026) It starts today! I’m missing it.

Instead, I’ve spent the last three months trying to find other ways to pass the time that don’t involve my favorite creative outlet—making things. Streaming Video and YouTube are sad replacements.

“Walking is recovery in motion — each step gently reminds the body how to heal.”

— An AI Quote, who knows where Copilot got it!

Walking

More from AI: “Walking captures the idea that movement doesn’t fight the healing process; it guides it. Walking boosts circulation, reduces stiffness, calms the nervous system, and helps the mind settle — all without overwhelming the body.”

As soon as I could, I started walking in the neighborhood. The surgeon that performed my rib repair, Dr Ali-Osman, remarked on a follow-up visit on how well my recovery was going. He chalked it up to my health prior to the incident. He knew that I walked about four miles every day. Of course, I haven’t been able to do that since the incident. Daily, I usually get about half that. I walk just after the sun comes up for about a mile and finish the day when the sun goes down with another mile. I walk slowly. I carry treats for the dogs I meet. Sometimes I chat with folks who also walk in the neighborhood.

The Next Step Toward Normalcy

Tonight I’ll try to walk a bit longer in the Sabino Canyon. The neighborhood walks are fine by not the same as a stroll in the canyon with a group of fellow hikers and surrounded by wild vegetation and natural noises. In fact, there are no cars on the tram road when we walk on Friday evening. There is an occasional bicycle, however. That may cause me some concern.

Sabino Canyon is one of the few places in the Sonoran Desert where water flows almost year‑round, thanks to winter snowmelt from Mount Lemmon and the summer monsoon storms that recharge Sabino Creek. (US Forest Service)

The Canyon is Alive

A walk in the canyon, particularly at night, feels almost magical. Wildlife along the trail is often seen and heard. Some folks, particularly the tourists, like the fact that many people carry black lights so that they can observer the small bark scorpions fluoresce green under the ultra-violet light. They are often impressed with the fact that: The Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus) is the most venomous scorpion in North America and the only scorpion in the United States capable of causing human fatalities. Often, I like to tell them that they are in luck because this time of year, they don’t fly. (That’s a joke!)

I like to tell them that they are in luck because this time of year, they don’t fly

Conclusion

In short, I’m looking forward to tonight’s stroll. I hope I’m able to complete it.

Posted in Retired--A Day in the Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trying Out a New Template

Posted on July 16, 2026 by AZAtheist

I’d like to make my blog posts more regular. If I can work it out so that the job is easier, the posts should be more often


By Don Lacey  ·  July 2026  ·  AZAtheist.com  ·  7 m

From our trip to the Galapagos Islands

Introduction

Secular commentary earns its audience through intellectual honesty, not rhetorical tricks.

This blog is for the secular community and others as well. Some blog episodes are simply “a day in the life of …” They are written from my perspective as a retired United States Air Force Major, an engineer, scientist, technician, program manager, nerd, and maker of things. I may include memories and experiences that fellow boomers will share. Gen X, Millennials, and subsequent generations may learn from those stories from before the internet, satellite navigation, and social media. On occasion, I may share a political viewpoint.

“Reason is the greatest engine of human progress — and the surest defense against those who would substitute authority for evidence.”

Steven Pinker, CANADIAN AMERICAN Cognitive psychologist

The Next Few Posts

Likely as not, the next few posts will be about a personal tragedy that happened on the morning of the 18th of April. In short, I was seriously injured by a careless bicyclist on the Chuck Huckleberry Loop (The Chuck Huckelberry Loop | Pima County, AZ)

The “Loop” is a paved, shared-use path that passes close to my home in Rita Ranch. Some people share it more thoughtfully than others.

More Details to Follow

I’ll have more to say about the “Loop” and what happened to me in future posts. The main purpose of this post is to practice with a new blog format and Word to WordPress interface and outline what is to come next.

This change is only Necessary because Microsoft 365 no longer supports the handy wordpress template included in previous versions of word.

Soon

Once I’ve updated the blog on all the details of my personal tragedy, I’ll continue to post blog entries on the general topics concerning Skepticism, Atheism, and Humanism. Also, there will be post about Camp Quest, Halloween animation, Solstice, retired life, art, freethought, scams, politics, and other topics that I may find that I’d like to share with the readers.

Hopefully my voice will be clear and grounded in evidence. Secular commentary at its best is rigorous without being cold, and passionate without being shrill.

Arizona where the weather is good and the politics aren’t.

— Donald J. Lacey

Conclusion

I’m going to save this in Word and try and use it to create my next blog post. If all goes well. I’ll use this template to make future posts. I’m retired—so I have the time. I’m injured—so my activities outside the home are limited. Perhaps, this blog will help me cope with my current situation while I heal and hopefully recover some of my previous abilities.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A VERY official looking phishing attempt

Posted on April 14, 2026 by AZAtheist

Yesterday, I received a letter that appeared to come from the Department of the Treasury–The IRS. It looked very official. The envelope was addressed properly with all the right names. It is as if the sender had access to my tax return. However, something was off. It said my income tax return deposit was rejected by my bank. I wasn’t expecting a refund this year. Because I turned 73 this year and I had to make a withdrawal from my IRA, I had to make a very significant payment. My bank already paid the IRS!

But the letter looked VERY official, complete with QR codes and correct nomenclature for the type of notice that I would receive if, in fact, the bank had rejected a deposit.

Again, I wasn’t expecting a refund.

A.I. helped me out. I typed the situation into Copilot. Copilot validated my suspicions and asked a few questions. The back and forth went on for a few exchanges. In the end, here is what A.I said:

Don, this seals it — your letter matches the known scam pattern almost perfectly.

Based on everything you’ve shared — especially the exact wording — your letter is not a legitimate IRS notice.

It is a phishing scam, designed to:

  • Trick you into scanning the QR code
  • Steal your bank information
  • Potentially harvest your identity

The scammers copied the CP53E format but made a fatal mistake: they claimed a refund that never existed.

That contradiction is the definitive proof.

In the end, A.I. helped me out. The use of the U.S. Postal Service and the very official (and detailed) letter almost had me fooled. I would have potentially opened myself up to serious loss had I followed the instructions in the letter.

Posted in Retired--A Day in the Life, Skepticism | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Follow Me in the Sabino Canyon

Posted on March 20, 2026 by AZAtheist

Every Friday, I lead a group of hikers on the 7 P.M. Tucson Hiking Meetup Group Sabino Canyon stroll. I’ve been doing this for over 15 years. Everyone walks at their own pace. We leave at 7 P.M. We walk a bit over 2 miles, then we return. Our walk starts in the daylight this time of year. The light from the Sun is with us longer each day, as the Spring turns into Summer. The walk takes about 90 minutes–give or take. There is no requirement to keep the group together so everyone can walk at their own pace. It’s a very informal walk that’s why we call it a stroll and not a hike. Many of the hikes sponsored by the Tucson Hiking Meetup Group are limited by the trail. In Sabino Canyon, there is no such limitation. We’ve had as many as 50 people show up for the Friday Night Stroll. It’s okay that dot everyone registers. There is plenty of room on the tram road for everyone. If someone needs to stay longer at work or miss for some other reason, it is okay to not show up if you did sign up.

I guess the only potential negative is that there is a parking fee. However, daily, weekly, and annual park passes are available.

Types of Passes Available

  1. Day Pass: $8 per vehicle, valid for one day.
  2. Weekly Pass: $10 per vehicle, valid for seven days.
  3. Annual Pass: $40 per vehicle, valid for one year.
    These passes can be purchased at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, online via Recreation.gov, or at a kiosk near the entrance.     2

Also: The Coronado National Forest honors the eight types of passes.

Seven of the passes are honored nationwide at all Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Fish & Wildlife Service sites charging entrance or standard amenity fees. The eighth pass is honored only within the Coronado National Forest.

All types of passes admit the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private, non-commercial vehicle. The Coronado National Forest does not charge any per-person fee for visitors walking or bicycling into a site.

More information can be found here: Coronado National Forest | Recreation | Forest Service

Posted in Arizona Politics, Art, Retired--A Day in the Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

March 18, 2026–The Road Ahead

Posted on March 18, 2026 by AZAtheist

Greetings! Another day in paradise. Regular readers, if there are any, might recognize my “tree spirit.” I have the luxury of doing similar things over and over again. Currently, my routine is to walk over four miles every morning, except for Friday mornings. On Friday, I lead a hiking group from the Tucson Hiking Meetup Group up Sabino Canyon at 7 P.M. It’s a fixed routine. But on occasion, I get to mix it up a bit. Walking on the Tucson Bike Loop has been going on for a while. I have been walking the Tucson Loop for over 15 years. It is my effort to “stick it to the man.” You see, as long as I’m alive, I get three retirement checks each month. Walking four miles a day may help me live longer–so–it’s my way of “sticking it to the man.”

I listen to podcasts and pick up all the trash that I see along the way. Today it was a warm but pleasant. In times past, I would decorate my “turn-around” tree with bits and baubles I would find along the path. The tree had quite a bit of stuff attached to it until someone told me that they considered the decorations as littering. Apparently, art is in the eye of the beholder. I’m not an expert in art. As an engineer, art is an anti-skill for me. My feelings weren’t hurt at all. I took most of the stuff down, packed it in the reused Safeway grocery bag, and dropped it in the trash barrel.

However, I did leave the “tree spirit” up.

The “tree spirit” started out as a pair of water bottle lids and the rubber part of a bicycle brake caliper. Later, I moved him to a more prominent position on the stump and added a few more details. The brake part became his(?) hair and a dropped bicycle reflector became his mouth. His nose was a paper binder clip.

Then, the “tree spirit” got a nose. The one shown was temporary. The current nose is the bottle top off of a small Fireball bottle.

As you can see, the “tree spirit” got a bit darker. The Loop maintenance workers refinished the benches located near my turn around tree. Apparently, they had a bit of brown stain left over and gave my “tree spirit” a darker complexion.

Finally, the “tree spirit” got a mission in life. He was to wear the “No Kings” badge on his head.

Nobody bothered my “tree spirit” for quite a while. Then, some moron didn’t like the “No Kings” message. They broke it off one day. That’s when I had to make sure that the badge was mounted a bit more robust. I could see that the moron still didn’t like the message. Every day the badge sustained a bit more damage until…The moron finally succeeded in removing the badge entirely.

Never fear! I have patience and tools. Now, my “tree spirit” is as you see it at the top of this blog. The badge is inset and there are four long screws and Gorilla Glue holding it in place. Let’s see how long this configuration lasts…

Posted in Arizona Politics, Art, Repurposing Material, Retired--A Day in the Life, Separation of Church and State | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s December!

Posted on December 13, 2025 by AZAtheist

Winter Solstice is right around the corner. In fact, it is one week from today on a Sunday this year. What that means is that I can have the annual winter solstice celebration start a bit earlier. I can light the celebratory fire a little closer to the actual sundown. The solar lights I planted in the ground last year didn’t survive. I needed to replace them all and there are 40 of them. This year, I’m putting in some waterproof light pucks although; I won’t bury them so that they’re at ground level this year. I’ll put them on the ground protected by some 3D printed PETG cups. Did I mention that there were 40 of them? For a maker, doing a thing once is kinda fun. Doing something 40 times becomes work! However, putting in the extra effort and doing something right usually works out in the end.

I made a prototype cup and used in on the top of my UFO lawn ornament. Actually, being a respectable Tucson resident, I don’t really have a lawn, per se. What I have are rocks and a few hardy plants that do well in our Sonoran Desert. I’ll post another entry as I get closer to the actual event. Should be a great one this year!

Below is the prototype “cup” mounted to the top of my UFO lawn ornament.

My UFO lawn ornament and the Aliens pulling it–the Aliens from Saturn–the Saturn Aliens

Posted in Art, Maker, Retired--A Day in the Life | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

In All, a Good Day

Posted on November 26, 2025 by AZAtheist

Today, started off a little iffy. Our garage refrigerator died. We didn’t always have a garage refrigerator. A while back we had only one refrigerator. It was a big one in the kitchen. While we were on vacation, it failed. We came back to a smelly house and a lot of spoiled food. Then, we had a challenge of having NO refrigerator before we could get a replacement. If that wasn’t bad enough, we had a similar experience with the replacement. However, the second failure was more of a partial failure. The refrigerator part quit working but the freezer and ice maker was still okay. When a replacement came, we put the partially working one in the garage. ***A miracle occurred*** the partially broken refrigerator, when put in the garage, started to work again. It was then that we officially had a “garage refrigerator.” We of course got used to it. What was once a “nice to have” became a necessity. When it failed today, we HAD to replace it. Hopefully, in a week when the replacement arrives, we’ll be back to normal.

Posted in Repurposing Material, Retired--A Day in the Life | Tagged | Leave a comment

Halloween 2025–Best Ever–Now it’s Over

Posted on November 15, 2025 by AZAtheist

Loyal readers,

My Halloween display was the best ever. However, the experience this year was VERY demanding and could have been a bunch better. On the good side, I lost about 10 pounds, but I was worn to a frazzle. Halloween day, I needed a back and elbow brace along with several bandages. However, I’m back on the mend and feeling a bit better every day.

While I was busy with the preparations, I cut back my daily walk from four to two miles. Don’t worry, I still got my 10,000 steps in each day. However, I didn’t get to my “turn around” tree every day. It may not surprise you, but I’m not a big fan of our current president. I wear a “no kings” badge on my shirt and on my hat. I also made up a couple of hundred badges to give away at rallies.

I put one of my badges on my “turn around” tree before I got busy with the preparations but, as I said, I didn’t get to it every day. Apparently, one day someone took exception to the badge and broke it off of the tree. It was held in with a single drywall screw and it was made of PLA 3D plastic. It was easy to break and eliminate.

After Halloween, I resumed my walk and saw that someone had destroyed the badge. So…I went back the next day with a new badge. The new one was reinforced with a metal plate, attached with 3 drywall screws, and Gorilla glued to the tree. Well…someone tried to remove the new badge and found it a bit more difficult to deal with. It remains where I put it. It’s a bit bashed, but it remains…

P.S. I’m trying to post this using the WordPress editor. My old way of posting no longer works with my new computer and new Microsoft Office Software…we’ll see how it goes.

Posted in Arizona Politics, Halloween, Maker, Retired--A Day in the Life | Tagged , , | Leave a comment