On The Way To A Bit More 'Normalcy'

A lot of change this week! Spring continues to slowly seep into the landscape, the tops of the maple trees tinged red with new growth. The peepers and wood frogs call from the wetlands. More trailing arbutus blooming and the first of the season coltsfoot. We have a large flock of red winged blackbirds, cowbirds and grackles feeding out back. They sure are noisy!

Sam had a good, if tiring, full week back at school. She seems to be adjusting well to her new teacher and new classroom, even if there was a bit of grousing about having to go in each day and a bit of pushback about reading each evening. However, by Friday, she was worked! It's a big adjustment to be back to waking up at 6:30 every day and being in school 5 days a week after 13 months. 

Tuesday was the last swim practice of the season with the end of the season "state meet" swim trial on Sunday morning. 

And perhaps most exciting of all, both Ryan and I got our first vaccination shots on Wednesday! Incredibly grateful for that, and I must say that it was extremely efficient and easy. We are lucky indeed. Yay for science and a great community coming together to ensure we can all get vaccinated!

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It rained on and off all day on Monday and the wind was whipping. Sam was in school and Ryan and I were working at home for the day, which felt a bit odd as I am definitely going to miss the extra time we've been able to spend together the past year while we've all been home. I suggested a walk but then wasn't quite enthused to head out at the appointed time due to the weather 😂 Ryan said, suck it up buttercup! and I begrudgingly got on my raincoat, hat and gloves and off we went. It was most definitely rather dreary out, but good to get in a bit of nature therapy and time with Ryan, and as always with these things I was glad to have gotten (dragged) out 😉 (2.0 miles)

Tuesday ended up being an afternoon run. It had warmed up considerably but was still rather overcast and windy. I ran out on the trails to loop down to the river and back. Peepers and wood frogs calling and squawking en route, and a pair of mergansers and canada geese out in the Heath. Stopped at the vernal pool but did not see any movement. When I looped around on the back dirt road, there were several patches of coltsfoot blooming on the sunny side. (6.0 miles)

Got up and out at sunrise on Wednesday morning, although with the heavy cloud cover, there wasn't much color. Ran the cart paths in reverse. Three deer seen. Nice, mild, overcast, damp kind of morning. (6.0 miles)

Then it was off to get Covid shot #1! Super impressed by the process, which was quick, easy and efficient. My shot was scheduled for 9:01 and I was moving away from the shot chair by 9:02 down the line to make my 2nd appointment and then was able to leave by 9:17 after my requisite 15 minutes of remaining in the facility to ensure I didn't have any sort of reaction. 

Must admit that the arm felt pretty sore the rest of the afternoon, but otherwise, I felt fine, and just so happy to be part of the growing group of those working towards full vaccination in the state and beyond!

Unsure of how I would react to the vaccination, I had planned for a rest day on Thursday. Arm was quite sore when I woke up and I was a bit tired, but otherwise felt OK. Fascinating to see how we all react so differently to these shots!

It was such a warm, sunshiney afternoon that we decided to get out for a short family walk on the powerlines after Sam got home from school. It was good to get a bit of gentle movement, and so nice out! (1.9 miles)

Friday was another beautiful day and I headed over to the field house after dropping Sam at school to run out through the Commons and Coleman Farm. Definitely that early spring kind of day where it is cool in the morning but warms up quickly. I wore tights and definitely was a bit warm by the end of the run! Bright blue sky, sun shining, the red buds of the maple trees beginning to really show, pussywillows and catkins along the roadside, one bluebird, two Hairy woodpeckers and a number of chickadees and phoebes, and lot of bird call. Explored some of the Coleman Farm side trails and looped back on the new Landing trail I discovered last week, which made for a nice loop. Took it easy, but felt decent after shot #1! (8.1 miles) 

Mom and Dad came over for dinner and Sam and Mom got some pansies potted in the pots for the front of the house. Always nice to have flowers by the front door! And in the garden beds, things are greening up quickly. 

Lazed around a bit Saturday morning but finally got out the door around 8:00. Another cool, bright and beautiful morning! Headed out on the powerlines and looped down on the Riverside trails and out onto the Gone Fishing trails for a nice run. Trails are in pretty good shape, fairly dry, with the exception of the trail along the beaver dam out on the Riverside section. Got some wet feet there for sure! The alpaca was out sitting in the shade, totally unimpressed by me stopping to say hello 😂 (10.0 miles)

Temps warmed up dramatically and quickly and by 2:00 when we headed out for a walk it was 70 degrees! Wow. That is a serious shift in a matter of hours, and out in the woods with no tree cover and the bright sun shining above, it felt hot. Crazy. We did a nice loop out in the Cathance, enjoying the roaring river and the quiet trails. We stopped at the snow hole farther out in the trail system, and there was still a fair amount of ice - it will be interesting to see how long it lasts! (2.8 miles walked)

The snowhole

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Then it was off to Fielder's Choice for big ice creams to wrap up the day. Perfect weather for ice cream for dinner! 😋🍦🍦

Sunday morning was Sam's final swim meet of the season. Instead of the typical big State meet, the teams were all doing smaller time trials and the results will be compiled to produce a "State meet." Although swimming has not quite been the same this season, I've been impressed with how the Y and the LRSC staff have adapted and handled things in these Covid time, and we are so happy that Sam has been able to swim and get to enjoy time in the pool with her friends. Sam swam well in all her morning events, and came home one tired kiddo!

I got out for a run after she woke up and Ryan was in charge of getting her up to the Y. It was overcast and rather raw out when I headed out, especially in comparison to yesterday's beautiful weather. I looped through town on the roads and connected up to Highland Green for a few cart path miles before heading home. (10.0 miles)

There's a whole island of gnomes in one neighborhood that I pass through, but this guy caught my eye and made me laugh. Couldn't resist stopping to take a photo! 😊

We wrapped up the weekend with dinner and watching the end of the Masters over at Mom and Dad's, and then came home to get Sam into bed early so that she survives this upcoming week of school before April vacation 😉 Of course, I went to bed early too! 😆

Happy Easter!

We received the final word this week that Sam is officially heading back to school 5 days a week starting next Monday!📚 It's amazing to think that it has been more than a year since these kids have been in a classroom full time. Last spring was rough all around for everyone, but I know we have been lucky this year in that Sam has thrived in the hybrid model despite the challenges. She is incredibly conscientious in completing all of her at-home school work and has enjoyed and done well the days she has been in the classroom as well. This change to full-time means moving classrooms and teachers so that the school can accommodate all the students coming back, which will no doubt bring with it its own challenges and anxieties until everyone settles in. And that includes us on the parent end too! After 13 months of having one routine, we'll be on to something new. I will miss having more time together at home, but I know that it will be good, and we are grateful for the thought that the school district has put into the entirety of schooling in this Covid era. There is no way to please everyone but they have done a good job navigating it all. So, wish us luck! It almost seems like the start of a new school year except that it's 8 months into the year and there are only a few to go 😂😉

The other excitement of the week is that the governor accelerated the vaccination plan allowing everyone 16+ to receive vaccinations as of next Wednesday, 4/7. For those of us waiting anxiously, this was welcome news. And even better, after a bit of compulsive refreshing, I happened to get onto the Midcoast site when they were adding new slots for next week and so both of us were able to secure spots for Wednesday 🎉🎉 We feel incredibly grateful and I have never looked forward to getting a shot more! 😷

It was also a busy work week for both Ryan and I, and honestly by the time I got off the computer at 7:05 pm on Thursday after a 6:00 pm conference call, I.WAS.DONE. With everything going on, my running over the weekend felt a bit flat and it was a good week for a down week!

The wind was whipping all day long on Monday with temps only in the low 40s. We decided to skip the walk. I probably should have just gone out anyway to clear my head after a long, busy day at the computer. Sigh.

Tuesday, I headed into work early and left early so that I could get in an afternoon run in the sunshine. Warmer but still quite windy. Headed over Mt. A and onto the cart paths but then decided to run down to the river and back. The trails are drying out quickly and the river was roaring. (6.0 miles)

Wednesday I headed out around 6:15 am onto the powerlines. It was already fairly light out by then, as sunrise is moving steadily earlier and earlier these days. Still managed to catch some nice color in the sky. A mild, breezy morning. The ice has melted out on the powerlines but things are pretty soft. I think I was pretty lucky things were semi-frozen, as if not, there would have been a whole lot of sinkholes to fall into! The singletrack through the woods parallel to Homeplace is completely dry. A bit tired but happy to have gotten out. (6.0 miles)

It rained through the night and into the early afternoon on Thursday. I know we need it, and Thursday was a rest day so it was ok with me! Took Sam to swim practice and decided I would get out for a short walk instead of sitting in the car (we still can't go into the Y to watch practice yet due to Covid-19 capacity constraints). The skies had cleared and it was nice to get out and move a bit. I walked a loop on the sidewalks, enjoying the crocus and snowdrops blooming in the yards, and then headed behind the Y at the end of my walk to check out the trails, where I found the first trailing arbutus patch of the season and a garter snake attempting to warm itself in a semi-sunny patch. Fun sightings for the afternoon! (1.77 miles walked)

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Checked all the vaccine sites early on Friday morning with no luck. Everything was filled. Dropped Sam off at school and then headed out into the Cathance in an attempt to avoid the wind and enjoy the woods. It was cold - only 27 degrees - brrr! - and the ground underfoot was soft and semi-frozen. The river was roaring and I found a fair amount of needle ice. One deer and one turkey vulture seen, along with one patch of trailing arbutus in a sunny spot. (8.0 miles) 

Came home and while eating a snack, decided to check the vaccination sites again. Found that Midcoast had opened up some spots next week and both of us were able to get slots on Wednesday, the first day of eligibility for anyone over 16+! 🎉 Never has an appointment for a shot sounded been so exciting!

Did the typical Friday errands and cleaning and then enjoyed a yummy dinner of sushi with Mom and Dad to celebrate the coming vaccines! Yum 😋🍜🍚

Wasn't really feeling it on Saturday morning, so relaxed for a bit longer on the couch and headed out a bit later than normal. Cold and windy once again but the sky was bright and the sun was shining nicely. Headed out on the powerlines and looped down along the Riverside trails. A lot of needle ice on the powerlines making for some interesting footing! (8.2 miles)

After lunch the three of us headed across the street for a wander on the powerlines and Mt. A. trails. The sun was warm, the breeze cool, and the wood frogs were calling in one of the deeper pools at the edge of the woods! 💚🐸 (2.4 miles walked)

We could see all the movement of the frogs in the water! Love hearing these early spring sounds!

I had been going back and forth over whether this week should be another week with a 15-miler or a down week. In the end, I decided on the latter, so Sunday morning, I headed out a little before 8:00 for a road run. Another cool morning but bright and sunny. (8.0 miles)

Then it was home for a small easter egg hunt and key lime pie baking!

Show us how you really feel about juicing all these limes 😂

Mid-afternoon, Sam and I headed over to Mom and Dad's by car while Ryan commuted over by foot to get his run in. We were going to head out for our walk while he ran, but we dillydallied enough that he got to the house just as we were heading out the door. It was a lovely afternoon with a lot of people out walking and working in their yards. A nice loop around the Topsham Heights neighborhood. (1.8 miles walked)

Then it was onto the easter egg hunt around Mom and Dad's house! They were much more extravegant with 28 eggs hidden! Sam had fun searching for and collecting eggs, and she certainly now has enough candy to last a while 😂

2-foot candy snake! 🐍

Dinner was delish and finished off with the key lime pie, which was delicious and very nicely decorated with an easter theme! Happy Easter everyone! 😋🐣🐰