Pre-VT

Summer has been really busy already but we are plowing right ahead with yet another adventure-filled weekend coming right up as we head to VT for the VT 100 tomrrow! Ryan is taking his third go at this race, after having completed the course 1.83 times (his words, not mine, but it is technically true...) Woohoo! At least this year we are going in with no broken bones, so that is a huge win already!!! And yes, nothing like both of us running a 100 miler within a month of each other 😂😂 Apparently, we are nothing if not nuts!

Meanwhile, Sam had a great last few days down in NC. I am so grateful to my parents for having her these past few weeks. Truly special 💗 and seriously, what fun!

💖💖

Helping in the food pantry 💓

On our end, my Facebook memories have been showing me images of the wood lilies in bloom over the past few days, so I knew I had to get out to see if I could find some out along the trail this week.

I headed out on the powerlines Monday morning and stopped to enjoy a few handfuls of ripe blueberries as well as the first of the raspberries before hitting the open grassy fields where I have found wood lilies in the past. I was not disappointed, as there were dozens of them out there blooming. I do so love their color and singular nature, rising up so beautifully from amongst the greenery.

I also wish I could just bottle up the smells of summer from this morning's run so that I could open it up and release it mid-winter. The sweet heady smells of rose rugosa, hay-scented ferns and milkweed are heaven indeed. (5.4 miles)

And here is an actual chat between Ryan and I from later in the morning:

5 miles this am, huh?

it was lovely.

i wanted to get out by the alpacas to the fields where the wood lilies are.

nice and easy with lots of stops .🙂

" i wanted to get out by the alpacas to the fields where the wood lilies are"

yup

🙂

that's what I run for 😉

Sounds like a yoga instagram post

ha ha ha

no, just me being me 🙂

I think Ryan may have thought 5 miles was a bit much early in recovery but I really did want to see those lilies, and honestly I felt pretty good too! And truly, this is is the sort of stuff that makes me happy 💗 Oh, and probably weird too 😏😉

No running on Tuesday and then Wednesday, I headed out for a run around the Heath. It was like slogging through soup - so muggy, humid, heavy and nasty out! And my legs felt less than peppy too. Ah, summer running. Gotta love it! On the plus side, saw two deer, one great blue heron, the canada geese family along the Heath and stopped to enjoy a few wood lilies and pick some blueberries on the way home. (5.0 miles)

Both of us worked a half day and then headed into Portland to pick Mom and Sam up at the airport! Mom graciously offered to fly with Sam to Maine and then turned right around and headed back to NC. A big travel day. Whew! Thanks, Mom. We so appreciate it, and all the time you spent with Sam these past few weeks! I know she had a great time! 💗

Knowing we are going to be rushing around tomorrow morning to get on the road to VT, I decided to get in a run this morning instead of trying to get out tomorrow. A much nicer morning, with a nice breeze and less humidity. Lovely! Ran the extended neighborhood loop, with a quick stop for a handful of blueberries along the powerlines in the last mile. Can't resist 😉 (4.0 miles) Now onto chores and packing and organizing!