Week #8 of Life at Home in the Midst of a Pandemic

Feeling like we've finally settled into a routine of being home, even if we are not always happy about it 😉😆😁 Yes, it's week #8 but it seems truly official now. There is still an undercurrent of low anxiety at the state of the world around us, but we have had the time to process and reluctantly accept that there will not be a return to classrooms for the end of school, no summer camp, that this stage of life is simply different. At work, we're loosely planning to continue on with our staggered, part-time in the office schedule through the summer. Ryan and I are hopeful that we will at least be able to take some in-state trips once school is "out," and I have not yet given up on the idea that we'll be able to get down to NC, although I think it is more likely that that will have to happen in August if it can happen at all.

As things "open up" a bit more, both in Maine and elsewhere, I am just keeping my fingers crossed that there will not be a big resurgence of the virus. Again, the undercurrent of anxiety is still there - this is such an unpredictable situation and it seems inevitable that there are going to be setbacks and changes needed, but hope springs eternal, and so we just try to do our part, wear our masks, continue to stay home as much as we can, and look forward to better and brighter days.

Monday: Typical Monday rest day, but we all took an afternoon recess and headed across the street for a late afternoon walk. Nice and warm, but in the continued theme, windy... (1.6 miles walked)

See her hair whipping around?! 😂💨

Because the swim season ended so abruptly along with everything else, LRSC never had a chance to do their season end banquet. After a month-long furlough in April, they were apparently back at work this month and scheduled a virtual banquet for Monday evening. Even though Sam and the kiddos couldn't see each other, Jay and Sponge more than made up for that. They truly are quite a hysterical duo, and of course, really and truly are wonderful swim coaches. We feel so lucky Sam is a part of this team 💙🏊

Tuesday: Up and out around 5:50 am for a run. Sunrise has gotten so early that I don't even see it anymore on my runs with our new at-home schedule! But a lovely morning, nice and sunny! Heard and saw the first Eastern Towhee of the season, along with two deer and an osprey floating overhead, and some Hobblebush blooming. Ran the cart paths and around the Heath. (7.1 miles)

Came home to find that one of the squirrels out back was really hoping to get in and party with the cats! 😹🙀

Headed into work for the day and then once I got home, Sam and I set out across the street for a walk while Ryan finished up work. Always nice to walk and talk with the kiddo, and it was warm out too! (1.6 miles walked)

Wednesday: Up and out onto the powerlines for a run on the Lover's Lane loop before a work from home day. Only 31 degrees when I left the house but bright and windless. There was a tinge of frost on the leaves of the trailing arbutus and the grasses - pretty! Two pileated woodpeckers seen, one calling loudly, plus a towhee and a phoebe. Lots of other bird call. (7.0 miles)

Sam had several Zoom meetings with the last one ending around 3:45, after which we headed across the street for a walk. A bit chilly but nice afternoon. As we cut through one of the sandy powerline paths, we found one patch of violets blooming in the sunshine. Lovely. (1.8 miles walked)

Thursday: I had had thoughts of getting up and running, but then I just really wanted to sleep, except the cats were being annoying as all get out, so in the end, I was out of bed earlier than I wanted. Sigh. Went into work until lunchtime, stopped at the farm stand up the road for a few things on my way home, and then finished up work at the kitchen table for the afternoon. Sam was feeling kind of tired and dreary, so we skipped the walk. I don't expect 7 days of exercise from myself, so I don't feel bad about her having a rest day or two herself!

Friday: Wanted to get in a slightly longer run today so that I could keep it short on Saturday due to forecasted rain, snow and high winds. Gah. Wait, isn't it May?!?! Up and out around 5:40 am. A bit on the cool side but sunny. Kept in the woods to avoid the wind and meandered out to the edge of the Heath, along the fringe of the Cathance and to Head of Tides. Really pretty morning to be out in the woods! Quiet trails, with three deer, one cormorant out at Head of Tides, a beaver swimming lazily through the water at the edge of the Heath and one yellow warbler seen, along with the first purple trillium and wood anemone of the season!

Feel so lucky to have these woods to run in, and to feel safe doing so. That is not the case for everyone. I didn't stop my watch at 2.23 miles but I was thinking of Ahmaud, who, as a person of color, was shot and killed by two white men, while out running, simply running. Something I do 5 days a week, almost every week of the year, 99% of the time without thinking of my safety, without thinking anything bad is going to happen, simply enjoying my right to move and exercise and be in nature. He was shot for being black, and for running. I know our world is not perfect, but this, this is not right. We should all be privileged and respected enough to move our bodies if that is what brings us joy, keeps us sane, keeps us healthy, regardless of our skin color. Rest in peace, Ahmaud. May we all work towards a better world where this is not acceptable and does not happen. (10.1 miles)

Grocery shopping was relatively quick, easy and things seemed to be in stock, although I did not venture into the paper goods/cleaning aisle. Then it was onto cleaning and laundry. Not exciting but has to be done!

After lunch, Sam worked on her science project for the week - a bird count/observation, which seemed simply perfect since there are always a ton of birds (and other creatures) right out the back door! She did a lovely rendering of the red winged blackbird too 😍

Once that was complete, the two of us headed across the street for a walk. Windy but warm, and we got in a nice loop out through the Mt. Ararat woods complete with a run down Suicide Hill. Fun! (2.1 miles walked)

New shoes for Sam 😎

First wild oat of the season!

I've been putting up the menu for the week on the fridge so it can be checked and thoroughly discussed 😃😆 and Friday was 'takeout'! After much discussion, we settled on Thai, and I called early in the hopes that I would actually get through, unlike several weeks ago when we tried for about 15 minutes to no avail and finally ended up getting pizza. This time, my call was answered on the first ring, and we enjoyed some yummy Bangkok Garden thai food for dinner! Then Ryan and I watched the second Indiana Jones movie while Sam ensconced herself in her room, playing games on her phone. How's that for good parenting?! 😂😂😁😁 The second movie is definitely not as good, but that music though...

Saturday: Ronnie woke me up around 4:30 so I quickly went downstairs to put food out and then got back into bed. I was determined to get some extra sleep! Amazingly, Ronnie didn't start to yowl and continually bother me, and I managed to fall back to sleep until 7:00. Glorious! Good to get some extra sleep after not sleeping much the prior few nights. Of course, I woke up to snow falling, although at least it wasn't accumulating (much) on the ground. Good grief! It's May 9th! Crazy weather!

The squirrels don't seem to care, but seriously?! 💦..🤪❄️❄️

By 9:30, it was still snowing, but based on the forecast, it appeared if I waited until the precipitation stopped, the wind was going to be kicking into high gear. So, I put on my winter running gear and headed out. Ran an abbreviated cart path without holes 1 & 2 and added a loop around the Heath. Cold and windy and snowing and wet, just nasty. I mean, WTF, Mother Nature? Glad I didn't have to do much for mileage at least! (6.0 miles)

The snow stopped later in the morning but the wind whipped all day long and temps never got over 41 degrees. A good afternoon to stay inside, bake muffins and brownies, and sit on the couch and relax!

Sunday: Happy Mother's Day to all the special moms is in my life! 💖

All I wanted was a good long run, a walk with the family and a big ice cream sundae and I got all three plus pancakes and bacon, so I'm a pretty happy lady 😍 Headed out around 6:30 for a big road and trail loop that links together all of my favorite Brunswick trail systems. This is always a fun time to be out on the trails with all the wildflowers blooming too! Enjoyed wandering along, stopping for photos and listening to podcasts. Chilly but sunny, and thankfully, the wind wasn't too bad until the final three miles as I headed home on the roads through town. Felt good to get in a solid long run! (20.0 miles)

Lots of wild oats blooming!

Love this stretch of blueberry fields

Pond view somewhere mid-woods

Ferns unfurling

Some good patches of wood anenome

One of the main reasons I love this route in spring - the daffodils along the Coleman Farm pond 😍

Coleman Farm tidal river vista

The one purple trillium I always look for along this trail

Came home to find Sam and Ryan making pancakes and bacon - yum! Can't beat that for a post-long run snack 😀😂😋 

Shortly after, we headed out for a walk in the woods. The winds had gotten pretty strong in the final miles of my run and were not abating so we chose what we thought would be fairly protected, a nice loop through the Chase and Calderwood trails on the boundary of Brunswick/Freeport. I really like these woods and the trails, while technical and rooty and boggy, were great for a mid-day exploration. (2.6 miles walked)

Jump!

First goldthread of the season

Mossy, evergreeny woods

💗

💕💕

Lots of horsetail through the boggy sections

The perfect face!

Just an old mailbox out in the middle of the woods along an old road...

We wrapped up the day with big old ice cream sundaes from Fielder's Choice. YUM! I'd call it a pretty perfect Mother's Day and a good way to wrap up the week! 💓