Training Log Archive: bl

AM DP, frozen January, flakes drifting down. No snowfall, however.

Out back with dogs, thinking an hour, off trail, no map/compass, wander, keep in motion. Alot of up, fair amount of green, alot of ice (several slips but it was so important not to fall that I did not - should have had YakTraks), some moving water around 2 beaver dams but ice was thick enough. Wet foot in stream at 36' but got over it. Zoe slipped at about 20' & was slow to get up - but they'd run themselves into the ground in their old-fashioned manner anyway. Did not know where I was for maybe 10' - roughly perhaps but nothing recognizable. Thinking if out of contact with a trail at dark, it would be a stretch to figure stuff out. A cold, quiet, oblivious world out back. Didn't think I'd get 4 out of it. Hard to get FR to cough up the route - even froze Firefox.

Asleep or drab or both



Snow tires today
Beth was quoted $894 for 4 new Nokias, mounted, balanced, align as well (same rims). Too much, even for her. Ask Mark I. at work - maybe 60" later, Mark comes up with 4 (Swedish even) nearly new (1.5 winters) tires on perfect, unscathed rims in Deerfield, maybe 20 mi ENE - $500 firm. Drive there takes us right by Bear Brook SP. Just what we were looking for. Owner is outside (nice country location) with 2 West Highland Terriers. Tells us last dogs were a choc & yellow lab & their son had a blk lab - shows us a photo of those 3 clamping onto stick. Was able to send him a photo of Z&M & Nero, Zoe's blk lab son. Quite a coincidence. On to Mark's place in Strafford, a "Dogs of March" type of place. Mark has everything, if a bit decrepit in some cases. Onto the hydraulic lift in barn - pneumatic tools & compressor (as well as torque wrench) & job is done except for tomorrow's 3' re-torque. Was meant to be....

Gray, could smell snow. Decent energy. Got hot, removed wind breaker after 17' for just the right amount of chill.

Keep forgetting to bring some O maps to pass the time.

TGI
"Friday, huh? Where we going?" (Molly*, Abby & Rosie, May, 2000)



*wearing a bone on her collar from a steak for a 1974 Duke birthday (in Chicago). Still have it!

At SPS, walk/jog, deenervated by boring, idiotic morning mtg etc. Got to love it when AC, one of your patients calls you a "mother fucker" because you tell her she'll have to have clear liquids for her abdominal pain. You're not particularly empathetic because in the past 4 days, she swallowed two pens at what I once figured was about $6,000/swallow but billed for nearly 12 thou. I'm low on empathy for such a habit and the resulting stomach discord. Once week in the past year she swallowed 5 pens - the lifetime total is too high for me to care to know. Psychiatry's treatment plan gives me my own abdominal pain.

South on South with the turnoff by Rollins Pk, to Ironworks, then Clinton...agreeable temp, calm. Some 50 on 50 off. Left achilles was fine for this day - positive feedback is a world apart from negative. Hoping new shoes will turn it around.

Quick PM DP as light faded. Expected to see a moon, felt like one should be there rising, into the pale blue. Horsed around in the Sandbox. Dogs quite agreeable to returning for supper.

Mouse Chronicles
It's been some 2 weeks into the Comfort Inn stay. No new guests. At either end of the Inn is a most spacious suite but these guests prefer to live in the hallways with tattered bedding to their own taste. This must be the 6th year the Inn has been open, under construction at various times. In the past, guests have bore babies. That would be a nice treat for this winter. Mice are so prolific they've been known to change sex to that end. In any event, should some appear, I'll try to spend time to tame them from the start. Recently saw a photo of a chickadee perched on a palmful of seed. I'd like a mouse that would sit in a front shirt pocket and take in the world from that vantage with no need to run away.... People with their silly fright or disgust deserve witnessing such for enlightenment.

Wee glimpses; infrared at night would likely improve

AM DP with Beth to view yesterday's find. 14F, calm, there before the sun's rays discovered us...frozen January.

Pawprints (retracted nails) Cat!

Water Tower loop w/o the tower, dedication has its limits. Mild, calm.

AM DP, winter again. To slough, frozen and judging by SM tracks was ok over weekend. Saw paw prints that impressed: large front paws, adjacent and the two rear prints were one in front of the other as in a lope or jog - wondered if it could be a bobcat - don't know if they're sighted around here but print & pattern was most interesting. No camera & could not tell fm Google prints for b'cat - these were in snow & showed all 4 in a movement pattern. They'll likely look about the same tomorrow.

Stopped at BHS with idea of something paved but bulb turned on & linked it up with BMS for a very nice figure 8ish loop: 2.5 mi from home on the way home, virtually no traffic (one road crossing), generally lit, mostly at the HS, not uninteresting, not too long or short, can count on its being plowed. Ran by 2 tracks, running on school grounds feels young and watched the Nordic team finish up - surprised to see them but they had a 300 m oval of decent surface.

BMS-BHS

Of note, new running shoes - decided in future I'll continue to buy on line vs going to a store as I did today. Entered the Scottish 6 day meet, Oban, '11. Wasn't flight shopping so this will get me going vs the other way round.

Faraway series, photos from elsewhere, #47
Last of Ireland, Cliffs of Moher, December, '07


Visited just before Christmas, not many visitors there

At SPS, third day straight after leaving NHH. Quite a change but usable in several places. Misty/foggy over fields under a smudgy sky.

More burning but no work involved; Earth, fire, air, water as essential ingredients