Weekend Fun and Celebrations

Starting to truly feel like fall, not just smell and look like it 😍 Frost on the ground in the open areas as I headed out across the golf course on Saturday morning, the edges of the brightly colored maples frosted, looking like works of art. Gorgeous. Got in a lovely run out in the Cathance to start the day. (8.0 miles)

After lunch, the five of us headed out for a walk around the Heath. Such a gorgeous day, even if a bit chilly, and so lovely to be out enjoying the fall colors and bright sunshine with family! (1.2 miles walked)

We rounded out the afternoon with big, delicious ice cream cups and cones at Fielder's Choice and apple picking at Rocky Ridge. Perfect!

Sunday, I got up and out early to get in a few miles before Sam's birthday party. Only a few degrees above freezing - gloriously cold - and definitely a hat, gloves, tights and long sleeve morning for me! Headed out with the intent of running Highland Green Road, but the lure of the trails at this time of year was too strong and I ended up out in the Cathance instead 😉 (6.0 miles)

Then it was off to Salt Pump Climbing with the girls! Such a cool space and the kids had a blast! It was really fun to watch them all up on the walls, exploring and having a good time. We will definitely be back!

Bouldering

All set and ready to climb!

Onto the big wall

Sam and Anne 💗

Sam requested the same marbled raspberry donut cake as last year, so that was once again my birthday party task! Thankfully it came out tasting just as delicious as last year and looking like a yummy bright pink glazed donut. Perfect! 😋🍩

Celebrating this kid! Can't believe she's almost 10!!

Then after a quiet afternoon, we met up with more family for a fun celebratory dinner at Frontier! Cheers!! 🍻💗

Midweek Fun and Games

Love these photos from Hidden Valley taken by our talented friend Tammy! The kids had such a blast on the obstacle course  😃

And now onto the week! Tuesday I just plain did not get out of bed. It was dark and rainy and well, just no 😆 So I ran during swim team practice instead. Nothing like a short timeframe to keep the pace honest! Did stop to take in the view of the Whiskeag though. Always a pretty scene, even on a rather overcast afternoon. (5.0 miles)

Wednesday was another rainy morning. Nope. Got another hour of sleep instead. Then headed down to Portland for a Dr. Jamie appointment before heading into work, and the hip definitely felt looser when I headed out yesterday morning. It was dark but clear, oh and 39 degrees! Always fun to get in the first of the season run in long sleeves and gloves! Ran the cart paths and enjoyed the glow of the sunrise lighting up the sky in the second half of the run. One porcupine and three deer seen. (6.0 miles)

Sam's XC meet on Wednesday was cancelled because of the rain and rather swampy course conditions. Ryan was more upset than the rest of us as he firmly believes XC is meant to be muddy and sloppy! 😂 The plus side was that Sam was able to go swim practice in the afternoon and then to XC practice on Thursday, so still two days each of running and swimming despite the meet cancellation.

This morning was yet another dark and rainy morning. Blah. Decided to tackle my to do list and get some of the cleaning out of the way early in the hopes that it would clear a bit for a run before I headed into town for a massage with Lauren. I know, it's a rough life! I am grateful indeed.

Headed out around 9:30. A bit of mist falling from the cloud-filled sky definitely lightening up. Always good color to be seen at this time of year on an overcast day too! Things were a bit sloppy and the bog bridges along the Heath were incredibly sketchy, but had a nice mid-morning meander. (6.0 miles)

Neat Witch's Butter fungi on one of the rotting bog bridges

Love the cotton sedge in the Heath this time of year 😍

Mom and Dad are arriving later this afternoon for their annual October visit in celebration of Sam's birthday. Always fun to have them stay with us! With all of that in mind, I'm off to continue the cleaning and organizing - nothing like family coming to visit to ensure you get all the nooks and crannies cleaned! 😆😃 - and gotta bake Sam's birthday cake too! 🎂🎉

Weekend Fun

Spent Saturday morning making pancakes and cookies with Sam and baking up some brownies and banana bread to bring up to Keri and Tyler's. It was nice to have a mellow, if busy, morning at home with Sam and Ryan!

I contemplated just not running for the day but after a few hours spent baking and doing stuff around the house and seeing how beautiful it was outside, I decided to head out and just do what felt good. My original plan was for around 8 miles to make another 40 mile week, but I wasn't sure if that's what the legs would want. Headed out around 10:45 am into the bright sunshine. It took a few miles for my legs to loosen up but they felt good as I ran out into the Cathance, so I decided to go for a bigger loop. Lots of red leaves carpeting the trail and rocks along the river. Lovely! Glad I decided to get out the door to enjoy the beautiful morning! As always, it was worth it! (7.6 miles)

Along the powerlines, the viburnum leaves are turning and the berries have deepened to a dark purple

We headed up to Waldoboro in the late afternoon and had a fun evening hanging out and catching up and eating yummy homemade pizza with the Lupiens. Thanks for hosting, guys!

Keri and I got up to have coffee and breakfast in the pre-dawn darkness and headed over to Hidden Valley for an early morning course check. A very dark start at 6:00 am but it only took about 30 minutes before the sky lightened and the woods were awash in light. We had fun chatting away as we ran along. The fall colors are starting to pop, especially along the edges of the ponds and swampy areas. We stopped here and there to fix signs, take in the views and stop gagging on the bugs that we swallowed and wipe away the spider webs😂 so the pace was comfortable but I always forget how rugged to the HVNC trails! They definitely take work are but the course provides a really nice tour of the trail system and is a lot of fun! Keri peeled off at around 8 miles to get back to the start for registration and I continued on the rest of the course. So pretty, and such a great morning to be out! (13.0 miles)

Once back at the start area, I got changed, helped with the rest of registration and then did some work on the post-race food table. There was also a good amount of catching up with friends which is always fun! The girls had a blast together and must have run the obstacle course at least four times! 😀 There was pizza and beer and laughter and a lot of fun had! A great way to wrap up the weekend!

Midweek

Didn't run on Monday or Tuesday. I did intend to on Tuesday but it just didn't happen in the morning, and I was at work late due to a board meeting and decided I'd rather have dinner and have a bit of time with Sam and Ryan versus running into the darkness once I got home. 🙈 Ah well. Sam had her first swim team practice of the season Tuesday afternoon, so things are gearing up!

So, with that I was definitely up and out on Wednesday morning for a run. Right hip/glute were very tight. Grrr. Ran the loop around Highland Green and added on Canam. It was an overcast morning so the darkness seemed deeper. I do so love this time of year but the loss of morning light is hard for an early morning runner like me! (6.0 miles)

Just barely light with 1.5 miles to go

Wednesday afternoon was the first XC meet of the season. As a 5th grader, Sam is running the mile! I walked the course with her and the three other girls on the team who are milers. Twin Brook is definitely a good place for the meets and the course was quite nice with some good rolling sections in the second half of the course. Beautiful afternoon for it too!

Sam was a bit nervous about the distance and started off looking a bit stiff, but finished up strong and looked really great coming into the finish! She had to stop to tie her shoe midway through 😩 but finished in 10:37. Proud of her for being out there, doing her best and supporting her friends too 💗 I think she was proud of herself too!

Yesterday morning, I headed out onto the cart paths. Started about 10 minutes later than Wednesday and a very crisp, clear morning, which meant a glowing sunrise and a sliver of moon to keep me company as I ran along. So pretty! Also saw a porcupine and four deer. Right leg still tight. (6.0 miles)

This morning, I decided to do some exploring! I've been looking at the map of the Freeport Conservation Trust trails for a while now and today was the day! I headed out to Flying Point Road and parked just inside the Brunswick line at the Chase Preserve parking lot. This led me out onto Jack's Trail, which was just lovely! Lots of mushrooms, brilliant red fallen leaves, the sweet scent of evergreen and hay-scented ferns and some nice cushiony singletrack.

Out at the marshy, beaver pond was a nice new bridge and a sign that I was entering the Freeport trails on the Antoinette Jackson Trail. Except that it was so overgrown right in that area that I wandered this way and that before figuring out which way to go 😂 Once I managed to go the right way, it was a nice run through the woods out to the Forest Ridge Trail, which I followed out to the Brimstone Hill Trail.

 Definitely a few hills out there! And some lovely sunshine at Brimstone Hill.

Wandering back down the lollypop that was Brimstone Hill, I took the Kelsey Brook Trail, which crisscrossed a stream and was quite overgrown with lots of aster, brambles and goldenrod. Lots of leg scratches along this stretch!

Cool dewy web shimmering in the sunshine

Yup, that's the trail

Wanted to take Bessie's Trail back, but couldn't find it, or maybe didn't go far enough?, so backtracked back along Kelsey Brook and then took Moose Crossing, which started as a gravel road and then turned off into the woods. Except the sun was so bright and the turnoff was so hidden that I meandered about for a while on the road trying to figure out where the heck to go 😆 but eventually back into the woods I went, for more technical, rooty singletrack with some lovely moss and ferns trailside. 

The final stretch of trail was along the Calderwood Preserve trail back to Flying Point Road. I knew there was a short loop on the opposite side of the road, so I decided to explore that too and see if it would have a view, which it did! A nice little side path brought me to the water's edge in the bright sunlight. Pretty!

All in all, a very lovely Friday morning meander on some fun new trails. Technical and slow going, with lots of stopping to take photos and map reading, some walking on the slick bog bridges and through the overgrown section and a bit of lost meandering today, but really pretty woods and fun singletrack. Always a good day when you get to explore new trails! (7.4 miles)

And just because... looks like Gigi wants to go to school with Sam 😻 So cute!