Mid-May

Tuesday was an afternoon run to the river and back. Azaleas and daffodils blooming in the garden, and fiddleheads and false hellebore coming up along the river. Warm and breezy. (6.0 miles)

Thursday was an afternoon run to loop through Topsham Crossing. Another warm and breezy afternoon. (6.0 miles)

I seem to not be managing to get in a long or early run on Fridays these days. After work and errands, I finally headed out around 3:30 for a run down to the river. Overcast. Trailing arbutus in bloom, one patch of mushrooms and calla lilies coming up in the Heath. (6.0 miles)

Saturday I got out around 9:20 for a run on the powerlines. A cloudy, quiet morning on the trails. First goldthread and anemone of the season! Five deer seen. (10.0 miles)

Sunday was a run out through Coleman Farms, Landing and Commons trails. Many stops for flowers. Always love these trails in the spring 🌸 Wild oats, trout lilies, daffodils, so many patches of goldthread, wild ginseng, two beautiful red trillium. Also two bobolinks chattering in the brush along the Pennelville fields, and one deer. Cloudy and damp. (12.0 miles)

Also, a female oriole out back!

Last week was a slow running start, with first run of the week on Wednesday. 6:00 am run to loop out through Topsham Crossing. Overcast with lots of birdsong. Legs felt a bit clunky. Blueberry bells in bloom out on the powerlines! (6.0 miles)

Miracle of all miracles, Thursday was another 6:00 am run, this time out on the powerlines. Damp but nice out. Hobblebush in bloom, and saw the magenta from the fringed polygala but didn’t stop to take photos as I was trying to get out of the way of the friendly early morning golfer on the hole. (6.0 miles)

Friday was a 3:15 pm run looping out into Topsham Crossing. Damp. Rhodora buds out but not yet in bloom. Can’t miss that magenta! (6.0 miles)

Saturday I headed out around 9:15 out through the Cathance to Head of Tides. Went out on the trails and came back on roads and powerlines. Very squishy in the woods, and river is roaring and overflowing its banks. Lots of greenery on the forest floor but not a ton of blooms. Got warm. Should have worn my pack so I’d had more water than my 6 oz bottle 😂 not to mention the allergens, so not the smoothest run but nice to be out in the sunshine! Goldthread, anemone and a blanket of lily of the valley not quite in bloom out at Head of Tides. Also bleeding heart is going nuts in the back garden 😍 (10.0 miles)

Sunday was a mid-morning wander on the trails and roads around town. Heat and pollen definitely giving me a run for my money this morning 🤪🥵 but a nice breeze. One garter snake, and first of the season rhodora in bloom! 🤩 (12.0 miles)