These Better Be Great May Flowers!

Saw someone post online, "these better be great May flowers!," and I gotta say, I do agree 😆😆 March and April have so far not been very kind when it comes to all the wind and rain and snow and storms we've had to endure. Aie! I could really use a nice stretch of sunny, dry, calm days! 

Monday was a day off from school for Sam due to the eclipse, which was a bit of a strange call in my mind, but I don't think the kids minded! I didn't take the day off, but did work from home, wihch was nice as it meant I could take advantage of the sunshine and head out for a run before the start of the work day and my meetings. Looped around Highland Green a little after 8:00 am. (6.1 miles)

Then around 3:00, we headed over to Mom and Dad's house to sit outside in the sunshine and gaze at the eclipse through the special glasses. It was a nice afternoon to be outside, and it was pretty neat to see the moom moving across the sun through the glasses, but honestly conditions did not change much otherwise! We were not in the path of totality and therefore it did not get dark at all. So much for those safety concerns 😜 

Daffodils in bloom out front at Mom and Dad's

Eclipse viewing

View through the glasses

Mom and Dad nicely cooked us an early dinner, as Ryan had headed out west Sunday evening for a conference. While we were eclipse viewing, he was skiing at Brighton Resort. 

Tuesday was another nice day and I headed out for a late afternoon walk around the school block to enjoy the sunshine after work and just get outside for a bit of movement. Bright and breezy. (2.0 miles walked)

While we were working, schooling and I was walking, Ryan got in a XC ski outside of Park City. Looks pretty sweet, especially compared to some of the xc skiing he's did around here this winter 😆

Wednesday, I headed out a few minutes after 6:00 am for a road run around town. Nice morning with a pretty sky. Sunrise is getting earlier and earlier! And thankfully, I beat the rain that started up later in the day. (7.0 miles)

Thursday was a rest day, which was fine with me as it rained all day long, but out west, Ryan was skiing at Snowbird under bluebird skies before a client meeting. What a tough life 😉😁

Rain continued to fall overnight and all day on Friday, accompanied by some wicked wind. So lovely 😐 I hedged my bets, talked to Ryan for a bit when he got home from taking the red-eye into Boston, got my errands done early, did some work on the computerand then finally headed out mid-afternoon for a run around 2:00 pm. Not really rainy but misty and very windy. Trails were very wet and sloppy. River is roaring once again. I think the bog bridge side of the Heath, which they have not been maintaining, might finally be done. So many downed trees, it was like a bushwhack. 😢But also, yay, peepers! 🐸 And first training arbutus of the season in the typical spot! 🌸❤️ (7.2 miles)

So.much.water

hmmm...

Trail meets obstacle course!

Got in a bit of morning relaxing, made a trip to the farmer's market, picked up some donuts and got a few things done around the house on Saturday morning before heading out for a run around 10:00 am. Super messy with lots of debris, some downed trees, a clear cut 😢, so many puddles, mud and crazy amounts of standing water. On the plus side, it was sunny! And saw two bluebirds, a hairy woodpecker, one phoebe and a mourning cloak butterfly flitting about. Plus lots of blooming colts foot, skunk cabbage and of course, had to stop at the trailing arbutus patch, but didn’t see it in any other spots.

Love the bright yellow of the colts foot this time of year!

Then after lunch, we headed over to the Cathance to get in a family walk. It was a bit overcast, but always nice to be out the woods together 💗💗, and we did a good loop. Definitely mucky out there, with the river roaring and peepers peeping. (3.0 miles walked)

Happy 😊

For this morning's long run, I headed out to run roads and trails around town. Had a route in mind, but got stymied by flooding twice 😂 Town Landing trail and the cut through from Foreside Field both were totally flooded with no way through. Not a huge surprise but always amazing to see all the water where it normally isn’t! The Androscoggin in running very high (again!). Nice bright warm morning. A bit windy, but I'll take it! So nice not to be running in the rain. Felt a bit sluggish in the final miles but glad to get it done and finish up with a solid week. (15.0 miles)

Japanese Pieris shrub in full bloom in the sunshine in the Highlands (had to look that one up)

Water way up onto the banks

First bluets of the season along the golf course

Peepers peeping in the Heath

Then it was off to Target to pick up some storage bins for Sam to organize her closet with, and onto the couch to watch the rest of the Masters!

April Showers

Got out for an early afternoon walk in between meetings on Monday. Nice out. (1.7 miles walked)

Full day on Tuesday, so knew if I didn't get up early and get it done, it wasn't going to happen. Headed out a little after 5:30 am. So sleepy. Pretty morning for a run around Highland Green with a bright half moon and neat clouds, although not much color in the sky. (6.1 miles)

Another storm forecast to come in on Thursday, so I decided I'd hit the powerlines on Wednesday morning before they were once again snow covered. Didn't quite get out as early as I wanted, so a bit of a shorter run but still, a nice morning to be out. Some blowdowns in the woods and one across the powerlines that required a bit of bushwacking. (6.0 miles)

No school on Thursday and I worked from home, so we were home as the snow and rain fell throughout the day. Very heavy and wet snow, but although we had a few flickers and lost internet, we once again lucked out and did not end up without power for multiple days as others did. There are most definitely perks to underground utilities and being right by one of the main transformers! 

The snow ended up compacting down to about 6" with a very wet base. Over 300,000 people without power on Friday, with tons of downed lines and downed trees due to the weight of the snow, so it was another day off from school. I did some work in the morning and then ventured out to the grocery store before lunch. Finally headed out around 2:00 pm for a run in Highland Green. Down to clear, if wet, pavement, and the back road was plowed too, so that was nice. Dreary, damp afternoon. (6.1 miles)

weather.com did not think it was not an ideal day to run on Saturday. Gotta say I have to agree 😂😂😂 Spitting snow and rain, although the sun was attempting to shine through the clouds. Overall, just damp, cool and windy. More Highland Green meanderings... (10.0 miles)

I have to admit, the road running and wind are getting to me... just felt kind of meh on Sunday. Did drag myself out the door but only did 12 versus the intended 15. Oh well, at least I got out! And there is always next week 😜(12.0 miles)

Ryan and I got out for a walk around the school block after lunch and before he headed to Boston to get on a plane to Utah for the XC Ski Areas conference. (1.7 miles walked)

Sam has the day off from school on Monday due to the eclipse and it is looking like a nice day with sunshine and temps reaching the 50s. Hopefully things will start to melt out soon!

March wrap-up:
189.0 run miles
17.25 walk miles
0.0 XC miles

YTD:
469.51 run miles
43.05 walk miles
0.0 XC miles

Out Like A Lion

March just has not been playing nice, and it was certainly not going out like a lamb. More like out like a lion! Sheesh.

Got out for a walk around the school block with Ryan on Monday in the late afternoon. Nice to get some movement at the end of a full work day. (1.7 miles walked)

Tuesday was another full day at the office with a 5:00 board meeting so I knew if I was going to get in a run, it needed to happen before I dropped Sam at school. Headed out at 5:30 am in the darkness to run out and back on Highland Green Road. Windy and cold with some icy patches due to melting and then refreezing overnight. (6.0 miles)

Some snow and rain made for a very damp and sloppy run on Wednesday. I was working from home so waited to go out until around 10:30 for a loop around Highland Green. Came home to find a single turkey foraging for birdseed out back. They are big birds! (6.0 miles)

More crappy weather with a lot of cold rain and wind on Thursday and Friday. Thursday was a full rest day and Friday, I finally headed out around 10:45 am to do the bare minimum. This weather just flat out stinks! Another Highland Green run. Sigh. ☔☔ (6.0 miles)

The skies finally brightened on Saturday but wow, did we get a lot of rain and boy, was it windy! 💨💨💦💦Yet another mid-morning run after a quick trip to the farmer's market when they opened at 9:00 am. Ryan joined me for the first 6.8 for an adventure run on the cart paths and then for some bushwhacking, flooded trails and very wet feet out in the Cathance. So very soggy! But better to be in the woods than being buffeted around on the roads in the wind, and fun to share some miles with Ryan. Finished up the remaining miles solo. (10.0 miles)

Yes, it really was that windy!

Flooded

So much water!

Guess we are not going that way....

After lunch, despite the cold weather, we headed out for the first DQ of the season! 😋🍦💗

Later in the evening, Ryan and I headed up to Baxter in Lewiston to meet up with Val, Mindy and the other Riverlands aid station captains for a short race meeting and dinner. The fried chicken sandwich was delish and it was great to catch up with everyone! While we were out, Sam went to see the school play, Six, with Lauren and Rohan. It was a busy, fun day!

We had plans to go to Easter brunch with Mom and Dad up at Mae's in Bath, so as I still had plans to get in my long run for the week, which meant, you guessed it, I was up and out early to get in the miles. Headed out a little before 7:00 am for a random road meander to get it done. Nice, bright, calm, quiet morning. A bit tired but happy to be able to finally get my long run up over 12 miles😂😂

Then it was off to brunch, which was delish, followed up by an easter egg hunt at Mom and Dad's and another back at home. Never too old for some easter fun! 🐰

Who doesn't like eggs filled with candy and money?! 😆

We were all stuffed from brunch, but Ryan and I managed to get out for a short walk mid-afternoon around the school block. Then the rest of the day was spent on the couch! (1.7 miles walked)

Gigi and Ronnie were mirroring our feelings on Sunday afternoon 😹😻