What's Next?: Early June

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Early June

Feeling and looking like summer out there! So much green, so much pollen and most of the spring wildflowers gone.

Got out Monday for a walk around the Bath block during swim practice. Lovely out. (2.1 miles walked)

Tuesday was a busy work day including a luncheon at Bowdoin for the fellow we are having join us for the summer. Couldn't help but take a photo of these lovely white iris blooming on campus!

And this is what happened after Sam got home from school 😂😂 It is tough work being a 12-year old with only one week to go in school!

Once Sam had ensconced herself on her bed with her phone and a snack - her preferred situation! 😉😊😄- I headed out for a run down to the river and back. Warm and breezy. Definitely felt like summer! (6.0 miles)

Wednesday morning the wind was whipping and rain was pouring down, so I opted for a zero day, instead heading out early on Thursday morning for a road run across the Androscoggin into Brunswick and back. Overcast and muggy. (7.0 miles)

Friday morning, after dropping Sam at school and doing a few errands, I headed over to Wolfe's Neck for a run. Gorgeous morning with a nice breeze and blue skies. Parked at the bridge and ran up the road to loop around on the trails in the park and then out onto some of the farm trails. Legs felt a bit heavy so it was just a mellow meander, but a great day for it. Cows, 40 ladyslippers, osprey on its nest in the park, ocean views, one flicker, one cute fawn running right at me on the back farm trail, and fields full of buttercups, daisies, clover and with swallows and bluebirds flitting overhead. (10.0 miles)

In the afternoon, Mom, Dad, Sam and I headed downtown for the Art Walk in Brunswick. Anne had set up a table there, selling her jewelry and other crafty items, and we had fun walking around enjoying the nice weather and seeing all the interesting art on display. I think a lot of other people had the same idea, as wow, it was busy! Then headed home to celebrate Mom's birthday with yummy indian food take-out and crazy cake! 💖🍰🎉Happy birthday, Mom! We love you!

Saturday, I headed out around 8:00 am for a run into the Cathance. Lots of bugs, including the emergence of the deer flies, many spider webs and very watery eyes and runny nose from all the pine pollen, but beautiful greenery and the river is flowing nicely after all the rain we've had. Bullfrogs were croaking loudly in the Heath and vernal pool. (7.0 miles)

Sam joined her friend Lauren and family for an overnight trip down to their condo in OOB - what a lucky girl! - so Ryan and I had the rest of the weekend to ourselves. After lunch, we went out for a short walk around the school block, because it was just too nice out not to, and yes, I do not like to sit still, 😆especially knowing we'd be sitting in a movie theatre for 2 1/2 hours a bit later! (1.7 miles walked)

Then it was off to the movies to see the Top Gun sequel. It was amazingly ridiculous, and just what you'd want a Top Gun sequel to be. And they must have had a lot of fun filming it. It really was a lot of fun. By the time we got out of the movie it was close to 6:00, so we headed to Moderation for a drink and to pick up a pizza from Otto's to eat outside at one of Moderation's nice garden booths. It was the perfect evening for it!

Meanwhile, Sam was wandering around the shops at OOB with Lauren and going on rides in the Palace Playland. Looks like we all had a fun afternoon!

This morning, I headed out around 7:45 am for my long run. Another beautiful morning! Not many interesting flora or fauna sightings today, but the air was filled with the wonderfully sweet summer smells of hay scented ferns, honeysuckle, remaining lilac and blackberry brambles. Ran roads to and between the short stretch of trail in the woods behind Mom and Dad's place and the other short stretch of trail along the Androscoggin below Elm Street before heading up into the Highlands to run on the trail there. Then it was back on roads out to the trails off Homeplace and onto the Gone Fishing trail system. I knew I'd come up short in miles if I headed right back home from there, so I looped onto the Foreside field trails and the powerlines and then took the back road into Highland Green. Skirted along the Heath and then finished up with roads to the house. Very sweaty and covered with bugs, and was trailed by deer flies for the latter part of the run as it got warmer out. Wore my new Nathan VaporAiress pack, which is very comfy. Even was smart enough to fill a softflask with Summit Tea and between that and the bladder, managed to not run out of water. Felt decent, although probably took too many stops and too many road miles, but still happy with the mileage. First 50 mile week this year! (20.2 miles)