Now it is Beginning to Feel Like Fall

Almost two weeks since posting - busy as a beaver building a dam. Yardwork, cleaning house, work at work, enjoying the kit cats, and a visit from my brother. Yet I can still do very well a procrastinating.

My walks are mostly after work so it will be 4 milers except the days at the gymn when I may be lucky to get 2 miles in outside and 1 on the treadmill during my workout. I need to get started on my treadmill at home in the AM. I'll start that next Wednesday. I'm only in to work one day next week - the remaining days I'm off with yardwork and then getting ready to visit my niece in Minneapolis on the 6th thru the 8th.

Much different weather now - cooler. Today was warm walking. Saw the geese overhead and could smell someone burning leaves. The squirrels are truly gathering the feast for winter. Every once in a while I am able to catch a glimpse of a fish feeding. The canal is really shallow, but somewhat murky and muddy. Still, I have seen quite a few fish top feeding.

I only see the blue heron in the early morning so will be watching for him tomorrow at 6:30AM. Two more days and it will be "October's Bright Blue Weather"!

Home from Ireland

We had a wonderful time in Ireland, a trip I'd recommend for anyone. I logged the trip here. Stop by and take a look. I did quite a bit of walking, but not the distances or efforts I anticipated. Now trying to get out in the mornings before the heat sets in.

A September Saturday

I had to lower my goal - forgot to consider the decreasing hours of sunlight, travels to visit brother and niece, and bad weather days. I'm working on my aversion to the treadmill - so maybe I'll have a few more hours using the treadmill. I'll be doing a mile on the treadmill at the gymn (that treadmill is motorized) every other day.

Chilly in the mornings this week, but the temperature during the days warmed quite nicely. It is supposed to be warm this week.

This morning was very quiet - I think everyone was sleeping in. The Canal was so still this morning, not ripple in the water. I came upon a flock of geese and some twittering goldfinches and enjoyed the last blooms of summer. Weekends will give a double dose of walking - 4 miles in the morning and 4 miles in the late afternoon.

Beginning New Goals for Autumn

Having made a new ticker with new goals - we'll see what happens. No sure if I'll meet my goal - am hoping for beautiful fall weather and not working overtime. Counting today, I have made an 15 mile dent in my goal since Tuesday morning.

The weather is wonderful today. As I walked out of the house this morning, I saw 2 eagles overhead. Down the road I traveled with my walking sticks click clacking - the rhythm helps increase my pace. Along my normal route, I encountered busy squirrels both eating some nuts and burying some food away for winter. Turtles were sitting on a log in the middle of the canal and then rook a dive in the water.

A fast paced walk this morning and hopefully a second this evening. I'll be working in the yard this afternoon and beginning to clean the garage - I have put the garage thing off long enough!

A Goal Completed

I made it and with a few extra miles! With the wonderful weather we had this weekend I was able to accomplish 2 walks a day. Today was special with seeing the blue heron this morning - very early. Then this evening I saw 4 squirrels and a groundhog, all gathering food. The squirrels were burying the nuts, but the groundhog was chowing down. I saw some really tall sunflowers and some goldenrod. Very appropriate for September.

Tomorrow is a new goal to set - I think 400 miles by November 30.

Almost there!

I may just manage to meet my goal. With the sun rising later, I lose about a mile in the morning and haven't been able to walk after work - too late getting home. But only 19 miles from my goal - I can surely do that in 5 days. Especially since I am on vacation tomorrow with Labor Holiday on Monday. Home over the holiday weekend with lots of yardwork to accomplish. Then wash, wax, clean up the Jeep, and clean the garage. I really need that kind of work right now. Physical, not mental - my brain needs a rest from budgets and accounting.

The Morning Walks have been so filled with God's creation - even saw a muskrat. All the lovely flowers, shrubs, and trees are doing so well this year because of the rain. This summer has flown by - it has been 5 months and 2 weeks since I was in the hospital. How wonderful it is to be able to do things on my own again! :-)

Ready to return

We're getting ready to return to Columbus, and then in September we'll be flying off to Ireland. I don't think I'll reach my goal of 250 miles before Labor Day, but it's been fun trying. Here are some of the sights from my walk yesterday.



Meeting friends along the lakefront.

A gull resting on a rock.

Families gathering to chat.

Early Sunday Morning

A week of walking added 15 miles. Rain and work took a big part of my walking time and since I don't do the "dreadmill", I only have myself to blame. All in all, I met three new puppies and two new acquaintances that live along my routes. I also see that the squirrels are really starting to gather food and hide it away for the winter - and it is only August!

We have had such a wet summer that some of the yards are being mowed twice a week. The lilies and daylilies bloomed so beautifully this year. And I found a garden devoted to zinnias, so bright and colorful. I just made it back to the house before it started raining really hard.

Beach walking

Last week I had a few days off and managed to do some longer walks, on Friday we walked the length of Blakeney Point on the North Norfolk Coast- a walk of 7 miles there and back! The sea was beautiful, the air fresh, with a cooling breeze...bliss!

Sultry Sunday

A sultry morning, but not as bad as afternoons. It is walk early and then work inside in the afternoon. Haven't done much walking in the afternoon because of the heat and humidity.

My route is basically the same - down the 1/2 mile road, into the little town of Colona, then along the Canal bicycle path, and then back to my home. I always encounter new "critters" and fellow walkers, bicyclists, and some trying their luck at fishing.

The turtles are really active and growing and if I'm lucky, I'll see some fish surface feeding. The dragon flies are zipping through the tall grasses along the banks of the canal.

Three hundred and counting

I made 300 miles...whew. Now I'm trying for 200 miles over the next 100 days.

Walking the lakefront

It has finally stopped raining and feeling like a steam bath, so today I got out and walked 2 miles. I think I'm at about 125 in my 250 mile goal to meet by Labor Day. I'll certainly have to hustle, won't I? We are going to Ireland in September, and I think I'll be doing some walking while on tour. Despite all the fabulous ice cream stores here, and eating out more, I think I'm sticking with my weight loss which was reached in February. Took a writing class and watercolor workshop this past week, and attended some lectures on Asia. You can catch my Lakeside entries at http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/Lakeside

Busy Weekend

Another 26 miles. Busy week and totally stressed out about having to go to workshop. Seems like everytime a workshop is planned, all the problems start the workday before. Would rather be fixing the problems.

Missed my walk this morning - raining.Then, it was too hot and humid and I was busy getting my act together for the next week. My Jeep decided to have a problem with the back door latch and dome light so I'll be leaving at the dealer to fix while I'm gone.

The walks this week were early in the AM. Saw lots of baby turtles and baby rabbits. One squirrel was hauling off a big walnut. Almost every walk I stopped to pet a big orange cat that lives near the canal.

More next Sunday.

Friendly Sunday

Another week as gone with an additional 29.5 miles. All week has been good walking weather. But it will be warmer this week. My walk today was filled with meeting friends and talking so I really was not very speedy. The walk down my country road was filled the gold finches sitting on the fence, singing and chattering. By the canal, I came across a ground hog just heading to his burrow, met up with the rabbits and squirrels, and spotted some turtles diving for a meal. On the way back, stopped by friends to see their puppy and stopped at another friend's garden to discuss tomatoes and peppers. Then back home. I did a little work outside, but way too humid for much more than about an hour. Taking a few days off this week to work in the yard in the morning and clean house in the afternoon. Next week I'll be in at a Dept of Labor training session. Hopefully the hotel will have a treadmill so I can at least get a mile or two in.

Beach walking

3 miles today- it was beautiful!

More photos here

Twelve more miles

I'm twelve miles short of 300 this morning - having walked more than 30 miles while on retreat 10 days ago. My goal is to finish the 300 miles by the weekend - then commit to another 300 before the new Church year begins!

I told my spiritual director that I think I pray with my feet...and have some serious discerning to do in the next days and months, which I hope I can walk and pray through!

Rethinking A Goal

Time to rethink my original goal. Since I've added 2 - 1/2 hr exercise sessions to my program and on August 1 am adding every other day at the gymn for weight training, I've reset my miles to 230 miles. I need to build up my stamina and endurance, hence the weight machines. Plus the hours at work have slowed me down since I am working later than I had planned.

Still my walks are joyous. This week it was rainy and I couldn't walk for two days - no treadmill (dreadmill) for me. I'm trying to get out by 5:30 to 6AM - beautiful sounds. There are families of bobwhites, meadowlarks, and whip-poor-wills living in the fenceline. The whip-poor-wills usually sing in the evening, but I hear soft songs at sunrise. The whole 3 and 1/2 miles are filled with bird songs.

Monday, Monday!

Aonther week has passed. I wasn't able to walk last Monday, but have every day since. The secret for me is up and out just before dawn. I see so many creatures in the early morning. The blue heron was hanging out over the canal - waiting for breakfast maybe. Two squirrels, a black and a grayish red, were having a game of tag. A turtle was catching his breakfast. There are so many dragonflies and butterflies this year - I did not know they were such early risers.

Finished the walk with watering the potted plants and then off to get ready for work.

Technology failure!

My laptop failed to bootup yesterday, so I'm in the hotel lobby. Won't be doing much blogging until I can get it fixed back in Columbus. It was too hot on Monday and Tuesday to do much walking, but I have been riding my bike. That keeps the air moving. Yesterday a lovely cool front moved in, so today I'll have no excuse.

Walking, swimming and gardening

Well I haven't done much walking apart from last Friday about 4 miles at the beach, but on Saturday I did lots of lifting and carrying, on Sunday I swam 3 miles, and today I've spent a few hours in the garden.... lots of excercise one way or another and I'm feeling good!!!