Grey November Days

The warm, almost spring-like weather continued for the start of the week. Monday, Sam and I got out for a late afternoon walk to check out the old high school demolition. The sound of scraping metal is definitely not high on my list of good sounds! But they are making serious progress over there. (1.6 miles walked)

Tuesday morning was another failed morning run. Eh. I'm fine with it. I've got 5 other days to get in my running 😂😁😜 But, it was too nice not to get out and enjoy the day, so the three of us got out right around 4:00 for a quick walk around the block. We beat the sunset, just barely, and the sky was looking quite lovely en route. (1.9 miles walked)

We found out later in the evening that the entire 6th grade was going fully remote due to a staff member having Covid-19 😰 The person was in the other cohort so Sam, while she won't go into school until next Thursday, does not have to quarantine. However, combine this with the fact that cases are going up exponentially throughout the state, and I will definitely say that my anxiety has started to skyrocket again... 😱 

Honestly I didn't sleep much on Tuesday night, but Wednesday was a holiday for Sam and I, so I didn't have to rush out in the morning and waited until the sky was light to head out for my run. A very balmy, foggy morning. Two deer seen. Would have loved to have gone further into the woods but hunting season puts a bit of a damper on forays on the trails at this time of year except on Sundays, so enjoyed a loop on the cart paths and around the Heath instead. (7.0 miles)

Later in the afternoon, the three of us got out for a walk on the powerlines, clad in orange. Overcast but still warm, and nice to get out! Even though November often seems so drab compared to the brilliance of October, there is still beauty out there. The winterberry are a lovely splash of color against all the browns and the asters gone to seed truly is beautiful as little puffs of white along the side of the trail. (2.5 miles walked)

With all of us working at home on Thursday, I was able to start my run a bit later than I normally would. Headed out with the headlamp at 5:50 am but only needed it for the first two miles. Cloud cover was very dense so there was no sunrise and not a lot of early morning light, but it was nice enough out on the powerlines. I stuck to the main trails out in the open, and with my reflective vest and orange hat I felt pretty safe and it was nice to get a bit of trail time mid-week. And in shorts and a t-shirt no less! (7.0 miles)

Friday I did a few errands around town and then headed over to the Commons for a run. It was overcast and rather dreary out, and temps had dropped about 20 degrees from Thursday morning's run! Back to more typical mid-November temps. Enjoyed a quiet meander on the trails. Did push it a little bit on the Westside section to get the CR so at least I worked a little bit out there 😉 (8.1 miles)

Saturday was yet another road run during hunting season. Waited until temps warmed a bit to get out the door so that I wouldn't have to deal with slick pavement after Friday night's rain and temps hovering right around 30 when I woke up. Finally headed out around 8:00 am. It was a bright, crisp morning and I kept the running nice and easy. (8.0 miles)

Temps warmed up nicely later in the morning on Saturday, so we got out around 11:30 for a nice walk, looping on the powerlines and the lower stretch of the dirt back road. Lovely out there, and always good to get outside together! (3.3 miles walked)

💗

Sunday I hit the trails for the morning's run. Thin layers of ice on the Heath, bright sunshine, orange witch's butter on a few logs trailside, and crunchy needle ice (I always called it hoar frost) underfoot. Feeling a bit tired and stressed so didn't run quite as many miles as I had planned, but did enjoy a nice, quiet few hours in the woods. (12.2 miles)

The rest of the day was pretty quiet. I made some blueberry muffins and did a few things around the house, Ryan was watching the Masters and Sam was relaxing, but I just did not want to sit around all day, so Ryan and Sam nicely humored me with a late afternoon walk. It was that typical November type of day, grey, chilly and overcast, but it was nice to get out and loop around through the Mt Ararat woods and get outside for a bit! (2.5 miles walked)

And just for fun... For months now, Gigi has been sitting in a cardboard beer box in the kitchen. We finally got rid of it a few weeks ago because she threw up in it - eww! 😩 - and she has definitely been missing that box, as Wednesday night after getting Otto's pizza for dinner - yum! 😋🍕 - we put the boxes on the floor so I could take them to the recycling the next day. She immediately jumped right on the boxes and was so happy! We took this as a sign that we should get her a more suitable place to rest than in a box or atop pizza boxes, but she is not having it. Here she is, moments after we put the nice, fluffy, soft cat bed on the floor in front of her 😹😹 Should have just gotten another cardboard box! 😉😂

Lady, I don't need no stinkin' cat bed! I've squished these pizza boxes down just right 😹

Update: We did find her actually using the bed a few times over the weekend, but only after Ryan cut a circle of cardboard and put it in the bottom of the bed 😂 Silly Gigi kitty!

Oh Man, It Has Been A Week!

Whew. What a week! 

Election day, full of hopes and dreams 😎

So many red states and the seemingly never ending vote tallying 😱 

An uptick in Covid case 😫

New mask mandates from Governor Mills 😷 

The cancellation of swim team practices for the next month (at least) due to the two prior items 😥 

Frankly, it's been exhausting and anxiety-producing. 

Thankfully, we did end the week on a high note, after several days of hardly daring to hope and look at the results, wondering if these final few key states were going to turn blue, and finally, the race was called, with Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris, his running mate, the first woman to be named VP. Woohoo! 

Wishing it could have been less-drawn out and more decisive of a vote versus so much of the country voting red, but thank god! At least reason, and humanity, won out. There is a lot of work to do, inevitably, but for now, we can all take a deep breath and smile and celebrate that we don't have to endure four more years of idiocy and that we have someone in the role of President who will be thoughtful and metered and think of the country and not himself first. And with a kick-ass VP by his side. There is hope for a better tomorrow!

So, with that as the backdrop to the week...

The wind was whipping like crazy Monday afternoon and cold temps had settled in, but bundled up and got out for a walk anyway. Definitely chilly but the colors in the sky just before sunset were quite lovely. (1.8 miles walked)

And then finally, a Tuesday morning when I got out for a run! It helped that I knew I'd have light for the second half of the run. A chilly but windless morning with iced over puddles, spitting snow and one deer seen. Also saw a number of people lined up to vote well before the polls opened at 7:00. Yay democracy! (6.1 miles)

Sam had the day off for election day, as they were using the high school as the town polling place, so I went into work for the morning and enjoyed 5 productive hours in an empty office before coming home for lunch. From there, the three of us headed across the street for a road walk. Once again, chilly and windy but not quite as brisk as Monday. (2.0 miles walked)

After that, Sam and I headed out to Fielder's Choice to get ice cream because why not?! and they have a drive through so you can remain warm and toasty in your car while eating ice cream on a November day! 😋🍦Then it was on to Dollar Tree for slime ingredients. Sam was quite pleased with all her purchases 😃 and hey, she makes like three batches of slime a day, so why not get some $1 beads, glitter and paint to make things fun! 

Finished up the day with swim practice and a quiet evening not watching election results. Nice to be able to take the afternoon off. 

Woke up on Wednesday to no solid election results and no running. Too stressed, didn't sleep well, even though I went to bed early in an attempt to avoid both. Sigh. 

Thursday morning, I got up and out for a road run. Decided I really had to run across the connector bridge to take in the glow in the sky and was rewarded with a lovely view of fog rising off the still waters of the river and pastel colors on the horizon. Magical and calming. A nice, balmy, windless morning to be out. (6.0 miles)

Mom and Dad came over in the evening after swim practice to celebrate Dad's birthday with thai and wine and crazy cake. Yum! Happy Birthday, Dad! 🎂🎉 We love you and so grateful to be able to celebrate with you in person!💗 

Headed over to the Commons on Friday morning after dropping Sam off at school and stopping at the farmer's market for some veggies. Definitely overdressed on what was a rather muggy, warm and overcast morning, but at least I was wearing enough orange to be safe in the woods! Added on a loop on Old Pennelville Road and the newer Westside Commons trail that is a fun addition for a bit more mileage. (8.5 miles)

Another warm morning on Saturday and back to shorts and t-shirt for the morning's road run. Nothing special, just rolling along. Really wanted to be out in the woods, but you know, hunting. (8.0 miles)

Met up with Mom and Dad later in the morning out at Woodward Point for a walk. It had warmed up a lot and was bright and sunny. Felt like spring, not November! Enjoyed a beautiful walk through the fields and out to the edge of the ocean, and came back to the car to discover that the AP had called the presidency for Biden! Hurray! There was much happiness, and what a gorgeous day to be outside! (1.6 miles walked)

Then it was home for lunch and leftover birthday cake and relief at the news for Biden and Harris, before baking some cookies and heading over to Anne's house for an evening of hanging out outside around a bonfire, the girls racing around the yard smashing squash and throwing glow sticks, and the joy of spending time with friends in an appropriately socially distanced way. It was a good day indeed! 😍

Roasting hot dogs over the fire

Glow stick fun!

Sunday morning dawned clear and bright. I headed out for a loop around the Heath and then down onto the powerlines. Quiet trails and warming temps. Definitely sweaty by the time I finished! Nice to be out enjoying this nice, if slightly unseasonable, weather. (12.1 miles)

Later in the afternoon, we headed over to Head of Tides with Mom and Dad for a nice walk in the woods, and then finished up the weekend with tacos and homemade chips and guac. Yum! (2.5 miles walked)

 

October into November

It's definitely been feeling like late fall around here. This time of year can be a struggle. It's getting cold. It's dark. Hunting season starts. The brilliant color of early fall has disappeared and we are left with a muted landscape of browns and greys. And it's been dreary, rainy, cool and overcast this week in general and that is not helping. I am much happier when it is bright and sunny out. Add in a pandemic, with numbers spiking everywhere. Plus a big presidential election. And frankly, I'm feeling it. A bit on edge. Anxious. Weighed down. Trying to keep my spirits up, but ooofff... So I decided it was time to get the happy lights up this week! You may say that it is way too early for colored lights, but I do not care. Whatever works, I say. Nothing like a little extra sparkle in the darkness!

Monday and Tuesday were a wash. I had planned on a zero day on Monday and had hoped we'd be able to get out for a walk, which is always nice after a long day at the computer. But it was cold and rainy. Tuesday, I just could not get out of bed to run in the morning and my work schedule for the day meant I didn't finish up until after our board meeting ended at 6:30. Sigh.

So once again, Wednesday was the start of the run week! I got out a little later in the morning so that at least half of my run would be in the daylight! Headed out at 6:30 in the darkness. Heavy cloud cover meant there was no glorious sunrise, but I enjoyed the hints of red that show up so well at this time of year along the powerlines and there was still some nice light in the sky near the end of the run. (7.0 miles)

In a repeat of last week's Thursday morning run, I woke to dense fog and mist, and did the same run out and back on Highland Green and along Canam. Not an exciting run, but at least the street lights cut through the mist and I could actually see! (6.0 miles)

Woke to temps hovering around freezing and another dreary, overcast start to the day on Friday. Brrr! Met up with Mindy and Val over at Bradbury at 10:00. We ran out and back on the connector to the powerlines. It was certainly chilly but warmer in the woods, where the browns have most definitely settled in. No photos but it was nice to catch up and share a few miles with friends! (6.5 miles)

Saturday, it was unseasonably cold, only 25 degrees. I procrastinated getting out and enjoyed a bit of quiet time in the morning darkness in front of the heater before finally gearing up and heading out the door around 7:30. It was Maine Resident's Hunting day so I stuck to the roads. Calm, crisp and bright with fog rising along the river and some nice reflections in the still water. (8.0 miles)

Then it was time to carve the (very frozen!) pumpkin! Actually, I think it might have made getting the guts and seeds out easier for Sam and Ryan, and the design turned out very cute! Happy Halloween! 🎃

After lunch, we met up with Anne, Thistle and Kristen for a walk in the Commons. We've gotten together every year since the kids were little on Halloween, taking the girls to the Halloween Parade and enjoying dinner at Sea Dog together, but sadly none of that was practical or safe this year with Covid 😢, so we got together for a lovely afternoon for a brisk walk in the woods instead. Not quite the same, but still nice. (2.2 miles walked)

We followed up the walk with gelato! Yes, it was way too cold to be sitting outside eating a frozen treat but it was delish and a fun treat 😋🍨 

Looking back through Facebook memories, they started trick or treating together back in 2013! That is a long standing tradition, and even though this year was different, it was still good to give Sam and Anne the chance to hang out a bit and have some fun!💖

So little! 😍

We finished up the evening with take-out from Frontier, which has just opened back up. We ate there last way back in March, the evening school was first cancelled and things kind of went to hell in a handbasket... In any event, happy to see Frontier back up and running and the sushi rice bowl was delish! And wine in a can, why not?!

Daylight saving time occurred overnight. I like getting a bit of extra light in the mornings, at least for the next month, until things go dark again, but the switch always take getting used to, especially when darkness comes earlier in the afternoons! 

The most apt title for Sunday morning's run was "Cold November Rain." Yup, that might date me, but it seemed very apropos. Headed out around 7:15 for a cold, damp, rainy, icy, puddly, slippery run out in the Cathance and on the powerlines. Ran just enough to get 40 miles for the week and called it good. Of course, the sun came out a few minutes after I got back in the house, soaked and chilled from 2+ hours out in the woods. Classic 😂 (12.5 miles)

Thin layer of ice on the Heath

Pretty much sums up this morning's run...

After lunch, we headed down to Harpswell and met Mom and Dad out at Mitchell Field, one of the few Harpswell Heritage Land Trust properties that Sam, Ryan and I have yet to visit this pandemic season. We'd avoided in the height of summer, thinking, rightly so, that it was a popular spot, but on a cool, overcast November day, it was fairly quiet and the perfect place for an easy walk. We walked the perimeter road of the property, stopping to walk down to the water's edge and take in the view at the beach. Interesting piece of property, decommissioned by the Navy as a fuel depot back in 2011 and taken over by the town. Happy the rain gave us a reprieve and we were able to get out for a bit! (2.2 miles walked)