Rebecca and the outdoors! Great Chemistry!
She drove past the 40-foot-wide clock for the last time and never looked back. This particular clock was seen in the movie, The Insider, with Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. It's an octagonal timepiece which faces the Ohio River in Clarksville, Indiana and is known simply as the Colgate Clock. It sits on top of a multi-story building and is held up by an Erector Set looking structure that's almost four stories tall. The second largest clock in the world has been owned by the toothpaste company since 1924. This is not a story about the clock, but rather a portrait of an impelling retired person who lives her life to the fullest. HUH? What's up with that? caught up with former Colgate chemist, Rebecca Beyerle.
After graduating college, Rebecca began her career in 1977 at the Colgate-Palmolive plant across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. She retired 31 years later. For many of those years, she worked in quality control making sure procedures, protocols and requirements were met. The chemist also was involved in raw material and end-of-process testing. She says she enjoyed her work, but when the company moved to Tennessee in 2008, Rebecca was offered an opportunity she couldn't refuse.
Retirement wasn't a door that suddenly opened allowing Rebecca more time for leisurely activities. She always did a variety of things that she merely did more of once she was no longer held back by cumbersome restrictions such as work and related matters. But, throughout her life, her love of the outdoors and hiking have been constants.
A good part of Rebecca's passion for hiking is due to her father. She told me it was the norm for she and her dad along with her seven siblings to go hiking in state parks. Interestingly, all eight brothers and sisters still hike. Today, Rebecca belongs to two hiking clubs and enjoys traveling with her fellow members to less well known national parks like Big Bend in southwest Texas, Pinnacles National Park in central California, Canyonlands National Park in Utah, and Great Basin National Park in Nevada. She also enjoys the planning stages of each adventure including lining up airlines, hotels, and sight-seeing tours, as well as pinpointing the highlights of each place she travels.
In addition to destinations in this country, Rebecca has hiked in Southern Switzerland, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and the Canadian Rockies. I asked her if she was ever in harm's way, and she said she had never felt any danger, but she did see some bears while hiking in Glacier National Park in Montana. But, as much as she enjoys her explorations, hiking isn't all that keeps her busy.
When she retired, Rebecca said she imagined herself getting up in the morning, pouring a cup of coffee, and leisurely working a crossword puzzle. Her reality is far different.
Rebecca serves on the board of Bellarmine College's Veritas Continuing Education Program for people 54 and older. Her ongoing enchantment with learning motivated her to take a six-week class on How Hitler Came to Power. Classes are offered twice a year plus a shorter class in summer. She's taken classes ever since she first signed up 10 years ago, and as you might expect, Rebecca is an avid reader too.
She joined two book clubs that meet regularly and is an active member of two trivia teams that compete every week at local hangouts. Rebecca gets out her favorite bicycle as often as weather permits, and loves to ride at the Parklands, four thousand acres of land over four parks in Louisville.
Flatwater Kayaking is also a hobby. Rebecca said kayaking among the Mangroves and alligators in the Florida Everglades is unbelievable. I'll take her word for it. When she's ready for adventure on the water, she has a group she travels with and dives into the planning stages the same as if they were going hiking.
Pickleball anyone? This fast-growing sport caught Rebecca's attention some time back and she has her favorite place for pickup games.
In addition to a basically outdoor lifestyle, Rebecca volunteers twice a month at a local airport where she gives out first-hand knowledge about sights to see. She said she enjoys making sure visitors don't miss anything memorable. This remarkably active woman has been extremely successful as a retiree. But, not everything involves the outdoors. Take for example something as sedentary as her Bridge lessons twice a month. HUH? What's up with that?
She drove past the 40-foot-wide clock for the last time and never looked back. This particular clock was seen in the movie, The Insider, with Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. It's an octagonal timepiece which faces the Ohio River in Clarksville, Indiana and is known simply as the Colgate Clock. It sits on top of a multi-story building and is held up by an Erector Set looking structure that's almost four stories tall. The second largest clock in the world has been owned by the toothpaste company since 1924. This is not a story about the clock, but rather a portrait of an impelling retired person who lives her life to the fullest. HUH? What's up with that? caught up with former Colgate chemist, Rebecca Beyerle.
After graduating college, Rebecca began her career in 1977 at the Colgate-Palmolive plant across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. She retired 31 years later. For many of those years, she worked in quality control making sure procedures, protocols and requirements were met. The chemist also was involved in raw material and end-of-process testing. She says she enjoyed her work, but when the company moved to Tennessee in 2008, Rebecca was offered an opportunity she couldn't refuse.
Retirement wasn't a door that suddenly opened allowing Rebecca more time for leisurely activities. She always did a variety of things that she merely did more of once she was no longer held back by cumbersome restrictions such as work and related matters. But, throughout her life, her love of the outdoors and hiking have been constants.
A good part of Rebecca's passion for hiking is due to her father. She told me it was the norm for she and her dad along with her seven siblings to go hiking in state parks. Interestingly, all eight brothers and sisters still hike. Today, Rebecca belongs to two hiking clubs and enjoys traveling with her fellow members to less well known national parks like Big Bend in southwest Texas, Pinnacles National Park in central California, Canyonlands National Park in Utah, and Great Basin National Park in Nevada. She also enjoys the planning stages of each adventure including lining up airlines, hotels, and sight-seeing tours, as well as pinpointing the highlights of each place she travels.
In addition to destinations in this country, Rebecca has hiked in Southern Switzerland, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and the Canadian Rockies. I asked her if she was ever in harm's way, and she said she had never felt any danger, but she did see some bears while hiking in Glacier National Park in Montana. But, as much as she enjoys her explorations, hiking isn't all that keeps her busy.
When she retired, Rebecca said she imagined herself getting up in the morning, pouring a cup of coffee, and leisurely working a crossword puzzle. Her reality is far different.
Rebecca serves on the board of Bellarmine College's Veritas Continuing Education Program for people 54 and older. Her ongoing enchantment with learning motivated her to take a six-week class on How Hitler Came to Power. Classes are offered twice a year plus a shorter class in summer. She's taken classes ever since she first signed up 10 years ago, and as you might expect, Rebecca is an avid reader too.
She joined two book clubs that meet regularly and is an active member of two trivia teams that compete every week at local hangouts. Rebecca gets out her favorite bicycle as often as weather permits, and loves to ride at the Parklands, four thousand acres of land over four parks in Louisville.
Flatwater Kayaking is also a hobby. Rebecca said kayaking among the Mangroves and alligators in the Florida Everglades is unbelievable. I'll take her word for it. When she's ready for adventure on the water, she has a group she travels with and dives into the planning stages the same as if they were going hiking.
Pickleball anyone? This fast-growing sport caught Rebecca's attention some time back and she has her favorite place for pickup games.
In addition to a basically outdoor lifestyle, Rebecca volunteers twice a month at a local airport where she gives out first-hand knowledge about sights to see. She said she enjoys making sure visitors don't miss anything memorable. This remarkably active woman has been extremely successful as a retiree. But, not everything involves the outdoors. Take for example something as sedentary as her Bridge lessons twice a month. HUH? What's up with that?
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