"You're Not Going to Have a Good Run, You Know..."

...were Ryan's words as I stepped out the door. Optimistic, huh? But he was right. It was not a good run. It was 12:30. I was hungry. We had just gotten back from the doctor's (yes, on a Sunday, and Father's Day at that!) for Sam. She had had a fever since yesterday and was just not herself this morning. Although we had a follow-up appointment scheduled for tomorrow, we put a call into the doctor just in case, and he told us to come in. He took a look at her ears, and told her she (or rather her ears) had failed. Another double ear infection (or a continuation of the first). Either way, not good, and we came away with a second, stronger round of antibiotics. Hopefully these do the job.

With Sam fighting the fever last night, things did not go well, so I ended up sleeping with her awkwardly cuddled in my left arm in the guest bed, and as a result, didn't really sleep and my hip felt all out of whack from my strange position I maintained to keep her comfy. I also didn't sleep much Friday night, due to what, in retrospect, was likely the start of her ear infection. Add to this the fact that despite the wind, it was hot, sunny and muggy, and that the temps went up something ridiculous like 8 degrees while I was out, and you see that all of this was not exactly a recipe for a good run. So, when I reached the quarry, I bagged the idea of running a nice 7 miles along the river and through the Cathance trails as I had hoped and instead ran the dirt road down to Topsham Crossing and came back on the powerlines, getting in 3.5 miles at 9:50 pace. I came in the door, feeling a bit defeated, and very sweaty.

But while I was gone, Sam slept and woke up seeming more like her cheery self. We put her in the bouncer and she happily chatted and bounced and all seemed good. I had just started to eat my lunch when Ryan noted that she had pooped (she has a certain 'poop' face). A few minutes later, we noticed that in fact, not only had she pooped but it was leaking out of the bouncer onto the mat below. Ewwwww! And through it all, Sam was smiling and bouncing and happy, not caring that poop was now being bounced everywhere. It was gross, yes, but pretty hysterical. At least until I had to clean it all up :-) So, lesson learned - putting a child, who has taken the first round of an antibiotic that the pharmacist said was guaranteed to give her diarrhea, into the bouncy seat is not a good idea!

And with Ryan still feeling a bit knocked out by his sinus infection, this all added up to not exactly the Father's Day we had planned - I had had thoughts of breakfast out and a nice hike - but regardless, Happy first Father's Day to Ryan! Hopefully next year's will be a better, healthier one, or at least a cleaner one :-)

After the Rain

I must say, my not getting up at the crack of dawn yesterday worked in my favor. After a day of rain, the skies cleared in the late afternoon and by the time I went for my run at 7pm, it was gorgeous out! The sun was shining, the temps were the highest they got all day, the air had the wonderful after-the-rain lush, rich, fragrant smell, and there were a few puddles to stomp through on the powerlines. What's not to love? I did Ryan's 5-mile Homeplace loop and felt great. I arrived back home starved but happy, and thoroughly enjoyed my yummy sweet potato/black bean burritos for dinner :-) Hopefully I'll be able to sneak another 5 mile run in Saturday night after work as well to round out the week. Gotta get the mileage back up there!

Evening

I am failing miserably at getting up at 5am to run. Sam seems to be feeling better, but Ryan has a sinus infection and I still have a bit of a scratchy throat and some congestion. It could be a cold, it could be allergies, but whatever it is, in combination with Sam still getting up a few times at night and Ryan coughing, and whatever else, it means that whatever extra sleep I can get in the mornings has been winning out in the ongoing battle between sleep and running.

But all is not totally lost. I did however, sneak out last night after Sam went to bed and before dinner, to run 3 miles on the powerlines. It was a beautiful evening, warm on the sand in the sun and starting to feel just a bit cool in the shade of the trees. The sheep laurel is in full bloom, the pink flowers making a nice contrast to the greenery, and the bluejays and chickadees chattered as I ran along. I got home in time to take a quick shower before Ryan finished up the chicken/apple sausages on the grill. Yum!

Cupcakes, Pancakes and a Cathance Run

This morning we hosted a small group of our Trail Monster friends for a run on the Cathance trails followed by breakfast. Jamie, Mindy, Valerie and Rick, Linda and Jerry, Katy and Chuck joined us, and it was great fun! Ryan led the group out onto the trails, and I hung out with Jerry while Sam napped. Jerry and I drank coffee, chatted and were thoroughly entertained by the cats, who were putting on quite a show while everyone was gone! Everyone returned looking pretty sweaty, but happy, and we sat around after the run, talking, watching soccer and enjoying pancakes, fruit, banana bread, bacon, parmesan bread courtesy of Jamie, and chocolate cupcakes courtesy of Mindy, plus lots and lots of coffee! Yum! What better way to start a Sunday than with friends, running, coffee and chocolate? :-) Sam was in 7th heaven with all our friends around, and had a blast. She sure is a social girl!

Later that afternoon, I headed out for my own run on the Cathance trails. Not quite the same as running with the gang, but nice nonetheless. I did the 7-mile loop, breathing in the smell of all the ferns along the trail and listening to the sound of the river. The woods were lush and green. I was happy to feel back to my normal self, and finished off the loop in 1:06:30. Even better, I had one more cupcake waiting for me at home after the run. A two cupcake day - now that makes for a good day :-)

Saturday Morning Run

Sam woke up at 5:30am to eat, and after laying her back down in her crib, I quickly got dressed and had a snack so I could head out for my run while the house was quiet. But, alas, just as I was about to sneak out the door at 6am, she started to chatter and move around. So much for her going back to sleep! I knew Ryan was going to be watching her all day while I was at work, and would probably appreciate another hour or so in bed, so I took her downstairs to play for a while. She has a few "new" toys, courtesy of Morgan, and loves the piano!

Little piano player

We are also working on tummy time again, so that she can eventually get to crawling. If she's feeling like it, she will get up on all fours and rock back and forth, and look at me and smile, all proud of herself. It's very cute! She is also doing great holding her own bottle and the sippy cup.

Big girl with her sippy cup!

Amazing how much she changes almost every day now!

Around 7am, I took her back upstairs to hang out with Ryan while I went out for my run. The air was heavy, and as I ran through the low area past Highland Green Road on the powerlines, I breathed in that wonderfully fragrant aroma that a nice patch of ferns gives off. Reminded me of hiking through many a forest floor covered with them while on the AT.

Walking through the ferns along the AT near Bennington, Vermont

I listened to a pair of goldfinch singing, and noticed that the blueberry bushes and blackberry brambles are starting to bear their fruits. Yum! I did Ryan's 5-mile Homeplace loop, and felt pretty good. I'm a bit bummed that my mileage this week was so low, but such is life with a little one, especially one with a double ear infection!!, and am looking forward to ramping things up a bit this coming week! Also looking forward to seeing some of our Trail Monster friends for a run and pancakes tomorrow morning :-)

Three

I had every intention of getting up at 5am today and heading out for a run before Sam woke up for the day. Instead, she woke up at 4am to eat, and when I got back into bed, I realized my throat was still killing me and there was no way I was getting up in under an hour to run. So, instead we all slept until 7am, and I felt a bit better and wondered why I hadn't just gotten up and gone for my run. Oh well. But, the thing is, I still had a chance. We've started dropping Sam off at daycare around 8am, not because I have to be at work that early, but because it seems to help to get her there and settled for a bit before her morning nap. It makes me a bit sad to drop her off so early, but we also want her to nap and have a routine, and this is what seems to be working. So, after dropping her off, I drove back home and went for a quick run. I ran the 3 mile Highland Green loop, in the rain, feeling a bit clunky from taking the past three days off due to my sore throat, but it did feel nice to be out running!

The flora and fauna highlight of the run was spotting an osprey sitting atop one of the powerline poles near the high school. I had to look twice to make sure I was really seeing an osprey, as they aren't your typical powerline dweller, but indeed, it was one. They have a pretty distinct look about them. And the reality is that the Cathance River and the Androscoggin aren't that far away, so he was probably just taking advantage of what is no doubt a good rodent population along the trail and in the low vegetation. Hopefully he was successful and found something good to bring home to his brood!

Sam at 8 Months

Sam is going to be 8 months old tomorrow! Wow! Almost as much time spent out here in the real world as not :-) Crazy!

Typically there isn't an 8 month check-up but the combination of a rough Sunday night and yesterday's incredible screaming when we tried to put her for a nap, and violent coughing all the way through the nap that she finally did take in the car, made me decide to put a call in to the doctor just in case. In the end, the nurse suggested we come in, and I'm glad we did! Sam has ear infections in both ears. Poor little munchkin! But the good news is that I trusted my mommy instincts and made an appointment, and hopefully the antibiotics that she is on will clear things up and she'll be good to go!

Since they always do a weigh-in at each appointment, we ended up finding out that Sam is up to 15 lbs 7 oz. Gotta love those chubby little baby thighs :-) The funny thing is that while we think she is so big, our doctor was laughing to see her sitting up so well on the table, saying she normally doesn't see such a tiny baby sitting like Sam does. Guess she's still a little one after all!

Due to yesterday's events, I did not get a run in. And last night, I woke up with a sore throat, so I skipped running today too. Ugh. Oh well. I suppose another down week won't hurt, but I was really looking forward to getting in some longer runs this week! Maybe tomorrow...

Soggy

Sam slept until 7:30 this morning, which felt luxuriously late compared to 5:00 yesterday! We hung out, enjoying a lazy morning, and I made chocolate chip pancakes for us while Sam ate her breakfast. The new food we're trying this weekend is Cheerios! She can pick them up perfectly off her tray, but for some reason doesn't think to put them in her mouth. Which is odd, because she loves to put all her toys, her fingers, the cat's tails if she can brag them, and anything else that comes her way in her mouth. But actual food, like the Cheerios or pieces of banana, nope! What an odd child :-) But she would open her mouth for them, so we were able to get her to chomp on a few. Of course, some of them ended up doing this instead... :-)

Fun with Cheerios!

When she finally went down for a nap at 10:30, I got dressed and headed quickly out the door for a run in the rain. I decided to just run an easy 3 miles on the powerlines. Boy was it soggy out there! The puddles had yellow outlines from the pollen, but hopefully all this rain means the pollen will be pretty well knocked out of the air and trees and we'll all get a little relief. Despite the rain, the birds were chirping, and the pink sheep laurel looked pretty against the greenery. I was happy to feel pretty good, so I'll hope to do a longer run on the Cathance trails tomorrow.

And although they are almost a week old at this point, I can't help posting the following two images. Our friend Jamie, who is a great photographer, sent me these two adorable photos he took of Sam at the Saturday Pineland Farms Trail Festival races. So cute! Thanks Jamie!!

Having fun watching the races with Daddy

Yeah, I'm cute :-)

Another Evening Run

I really like to run in the morning. But this week, for some reason both of the runs I've managed to fit in (aside from Pineland) have been in the evening. Sam was up yesterday at 5:00 am. I knew she was still tired but she did not want to go back down in her crib. So, I laid down in the bed in her room with her in the crook of my arm, hoping she would sleep for just a little bit longer, and she fell asleep for another 2 1/2 hours! It was great, except that I had been planning to get up and run, and get things done, and instead I was her pillow, and therefore could do nothing more than cuddle her, and kiss her head, and feel her breath on my arm, and fall back asleep while she slept next to me. OK, maybe it wasn't that bad after all! :-)

Therefore, I was once again running last night at 7pm. It was a beautiful evening. The swamp irises were blooming in the gully near the start of the powerlines, and the scent of the laurel and the flowering shrubs along the way filled the air. The towhees and phoebes were singing. I felt pretty good, still a bit creaky but more like myself.

As I ran along, I kept thinking about Sunday. Ryan proposed the idea on Monday that we run next year's 50k at Pineland together. Both of us have things to prove in this race, our time goals would be similar, and we would have each other to lean on during the race. I like the idea, and am already looking forward to my revenge on the Pineland course, but part of me also wants to run a 50k before then. A year is a long time to have this unfinished business with the distance hanging over my head! However, there aren't many 50ks out there until September rolls around. I could stick with my original thought for the year and run either the Maine Marathon or the Stone Cat trail marathon in the fall - I would probably lean toward Stone Cat since lots of our Trail Monster friends run it and it sounds like such a cool race atmosphere, and besides, it's on trails. The other option that keeps popping up is The Pisgah Mountain 50k in mid-September over in New Hampshire. It's on a Sunday and it is relatively nearby. Plus George said he's planning to run it! Hmmm... What do you think?

Foggy

After taking yesterday off, I decided I should get back out running today. It didn't happen this morning, so I headed out tonight at 7pm after I put Sam to bed. It was eerily quiet out, perhaps due to the low fog and light mist. As I ran along the powerlines, the pink sheep laurel and white blossoms on the blackberry brambles shone against the greenery. I felt a bit creaky, and had a few twinges in my left ankle plus a bit of tightness in my quads, but all things considered I'd say I felt pretty good given Sunday's effort.

My plan is to take it relatively easy through next week, and then start to ramp things up again. I don't want to lose out on the nice base I've created, and since I didn't totally wreak myself with a 50k run on Sunday, I don't see any reason to totally back off on the mileage. Part of me wants to find some long race in the next month so I can go out and use the training I've logged these past months for their intended purpose, but part of me thinks I should just wait and get ready to put in a really solid effort in a fall marathon (either Maine or Stone Cat), and then get my revenge in the 50k distance at Pineland next year. We shall see.

Pineland Farms Trail Challenge (Not So) 50k Race Report: The Race That Was Not Meant To Be

DNF. I do not like these three letters. And I really do not like that they are now next to my name when it comes to this year's Pineland Farms Trail Challenge 50k. I was intending to cross the finish line in triumph, not come riding up to it on one of those golf carts that zoom around the course that pick up injured runners, and I especially did not intend to finish feeling depleted, sad and upset and only having run 22 of the 31 miles. But such things happen in life, and Sunday just wasn't my day.

But before I say anymore, I have to say a HUGE thank you to my parents, who not only came over to our place at 6:30am to watch Sam so we could go to Pineland together, but who also came with her to the race, hugged me when I came walking in from the sideline and told me they were proud of me not matter what, and who helped immensely by keeping Sam entertained and fed while Ryan and I both sat in our tent, trying to feel human again. We could not have done it without them! Also, a big thank you to Erik and Ian, and all the volunteers, for putting on such a great race! As always, things were well-run, fun and we all enjoyed the festive race atmosphere.

The morning started out with me wondering where in the world I was going to pump before the race. The YMCA was closed, which I hadn't anticipated and I needed an electrical outlet for the pump. I was getting a bit frantic, as I already knew I'd be going a long time without nursing/pumping and had expected to be able to pump right before the race. Jim realized I was getting upset, and told me he'd get me what I needed. What a great guy, and a nice friend! He walked over to Erik and told him I needed a private place with an outlet. Erik looked at us like we were crazy (private? you mean now? and here?), but told us I could use the outlet over by the refrigerator. There were people everywhere, but Jim set up the chair for me, and Ryan took over, covering me with a towel while I pumped. I'm sure we got some funny looks, but it worked, so whatever!

After that and a quick run to the port-a-potties, it was race time!

Me, cheery at the start, before it all went bad

I lined up near Four and George, with Ann a little further back in the queue. A few quick words from Ian and Erik, and we were off! I knew I was likely to go out a bit too fast, so I tried to reign it in and just be comfortable. I was feeling good, and settled in next to a nice guy, Brian, from the Boston area. Soon after, Nate joined us and the three of us ran together, walking the hills and making our way along the course. The day had started out nice and overcast, but after an hour of running, the clouds burned off and the sun came out. It started to get warm, especially in the fields.

I stuck to my fueling plan pretty well for the first miles, but as I hit the aid station before the return up the Campus loop, when I tried to eat the PB&J sandwich I had in my fuel belt, it just wouldn't go down. Still, I felt good as I worked my way up to the Grove. It was nice to come through and see all our Trail Monster friends who were there cheering, and waiting to run the 25k. I crossed the road to Oak Hill, and stopped at the port-a-potty in the hopes that that would relieve the bit of unease I was beginning to feel in my stomach. I drank a cup of Gatorade while I waited. As I headed back out, Nate caught up with me. The trails along Oak Hill was quiet, and Nate and I ran along together, alternatively talking and just quietly running next to each other. I definitely walked a bit more on this stretch, and couldn't stomach the fig newtons I was carrying. I also didn't drink much.

I came back to the Grove and stopped at our tent to pick up new bottles and some more food. I knew I didn't want to take the figs or PB&J, as neither of those had sat well on the first loop, so I threw a few GUs in my belt along with two new bottles. I noticed the clock reading 2:34 as I headed out, and I knew I had been slowly but surely slowing from the start. But still, I hoped I could pull off a decent time if the second loop went OK. Well, that obviously didn't happen. I started to feel even more unease in my stomach, and I just didn't feel like eating or drinking anything. I plodded along, alone, through the fields and into the woods. I noticed I wasn't really sweating. Then around 18 miles, my quads seized up. I've never had this happen before. It was upsetting, to say the least. I stopped to shake them out, and then was able to keep moving. But the cramps kept returning. Ugh!

I mostly walked the fields after the aid station, but everyone around me was doing the same. I walked more going up the hills in the Hemlock section. I was feeling a bit faint. But I kept going. Finally, after walking through the fields off Hemlock and seeing a bit of shade ahead under the threes along the dirt road, I just decided I really needed to sit down. I put my head down on the ground. Two runners behind me stopped to make sure I was OK, and one guy poured some of his water on my back. The woman said she would send someone back to check on me. I sent them off on their way with thanks, wanting them to continue on with their own race. After a few minutes of laying there, I decided I could get up and try to walk. I walked through the woods and along the road until I reached the point where the race course went left through more fields. I stopped. I looked left at the course. And right, at the Yurt aid station, just 100 feet away. I hated to do it more than I can even say, but I knew the thing to do was to turn right and go to the aid station. Sometimes doing the smart thing just sucks.

When I pulled up to the aid station, I told them that someone had probably checked in to tell them about me, sitting back there along the side of the trail. They had already sent someone out there to look for me, but said it wasn't a problem as they were patrolling the course regardless. They sat me down in the shade, and I was able to drink some water and eat a few orange slices. Then I had to decide whether I wanted a ride back to the Grove. I had to say I was done. D*&#. I really didn't want to do that. But I did.

I was feeling pretty low as the cart pulled into the Grove. I couldn't believe that I had dropped out. I really thought I could do it. I saw Ryan, hunched over after his 25k finish, surrounded by my parents pushing Sam, and Kristen and Morgan. I had to walk up to them and tell them I was done, that I hadn't made it. And I had to keep telling all our friends throughout the afternoon. It sucked. Everyone was supportive and really nice about it. Still, I couldn't help wondering if I had made the right decision. Sure, when I got back to the tent, I sat down and was shivering and could still barely eat and drink. My quads kept cramping. But who cares, I should be good at suffering! Should I have kept going? I'm 99% sure I did the right thing. But that 1% has been nagging at me. I hate to quit! Yes, I realize I have a 7.5 month old baby who does not sleep through the night. Yes, I am still breastfeeding. Yes, I haven't had all the time in the world to devote to training. Yes, it was hot out there. Yes, the Pineland course is tough, and it's the first time I was trying to run a 50k. Yes, in the end I still ran 22 miles in 4 hours and that is nothing to scoff at. Yes, I will definitely chalk this race up to experience and learn from it. But, that still doesn't mean that I'm not disappointed in myself.

However, in the end, I gave it my best shot. I got out there and ran. It just wasn't my day. There will be other races. And I'll finish a 50k. You can bet on that.

And on a happier note, congrats to all my Trail Monster friends who had great races out there this weekend! Woohoo! :-) And to Ryan, who is a bit disappointed in his race, I'm still proud of you!

As recovery, today we met up with Mom, Dad and Morgan at Wolfe's Neck State Park for a walk. It was gorgeous down at the coast, and nice to move my legs and get the blood flowing. And as Ryan said to me on the ride home, Sam loves me no matter what, if I finished, if I didn't. Yes, it would have been more impressive if I had finished. But it doesn't really matter. And what is better than that? :-)

Ryan and Sam down by the water (notice Ryan's lovely facial hair!)

Cousins

Tomorrow

Well, tomorrow's the day of the big race! I am nervous, but not as much as I was earlier this week. Of course, all that could change later today :-) Plus, the weather forecast is looking a little more promising for us runners, so that makes me feel a bit better too! I got out this morning at 7am for an easy 3 mile run. The sheep laurel are now blooming along the powerlines - very pretty! As Jamie suggested, while I was running along, I worked on visualizing a strong and steady race, and how happy I would be to cross the finish line feeling good. It was good to think about running through the Grove with everyone around, running through the fields and out on Oak Hill. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing and cheering on all our friends out there on the trails tomorrow, and am really thankful that my parents are such good sports and are willing to get to our house at 6:30am tomorrow morning so that we can pull this whole race thing off. We are indeed lucky not only to be able to do this crazy running stuff, but to have friends and family to support us in it too!

The rest of the day today is going to be a bit busy, as we have a new show opening at the gallery and a reception late this afternoon. But I'm hoping that once I get home, I can relax and get to bed early. Hopefully Sam will grace us with a good night too :-)

Nerves

I had intended to get out for a run yesterday, but the hot weather sapped my energy, and by the time it cooled down, dinner was already done and I was practically ready for bed :-) Thank goodness it's taper week! One more day off likely won't help or hurt me at this point, so I was OK with not running yesterday. I did however really want to be sure to get out today, so I was out the door at 5:55 for a quick 3-mile run of the Highland Green loop before the rest of the house was awake. I was feeling a bit off. My stomach was doing flip-flops and I was feeling nauseous. Ryan said it was all in my head, and that there was nothing wrong with me, that I was letting my nerves get to me. I wasn't convinced, but I must say, after I put it out there to the world (ie. Facebook) that I was getting pretty nervous about the race and got back a few calming responses, I really did start to feel better. Now I just have to keep in the right frame of mind for the next few days and get myself ready to run and have fun out there on Sunday!

Mid-Morning Six

For some reason, I was feeling a bit unmotivated this morning. But regardless, I knew I would feel even worse if I didn't run today, so I snuck out during Sam's morning nap, and did the six-mile Hillside loop that heads out on the powerlines, down Foreside to some park trails and through a little neighborhood before popping back out on the lines. Man, was it hot out! 77 degrees. Wow! I felt a bit like I was melting. I hope things cool down a bit before Sunday. Yikes!! I'm getting pretty nervous about the 50k as it is, without the thought of running it in heat like today's. Aie. What have I gotten myself into?!

After my run and Sam woke up for her nice 1 1/2 hour nap, we hung out together for the day while Ryan worked. I took her out for a short stroll around the neighborhood in the B.O.B. with her out of the car seat, and facing forward in the stroller like a big girl. She looked so cute! The harness was set on the smallest setting :-) In the end, it was just too hot to stay out for too long, but she seemed fine with the change, which was good. I'm not sure she'll nap as easily in this position, since she'll be looking out on the world, but she can't stay in the car seat forever! Plus, without the seat, the stroller should be a little easier to push for a bit, at least until she starts to get bigger herself!

After a bit more playtime, I tried to get her down in her crib for an afternoon nap, but she wasn't having it, so we went out for a nice air-conditioned car ride instead. There really are some beautiful spots on the outskirts of Topsham and Brunswick, and out in the countryside of Pownal, Durham and Lisbon. All of the unmowed fields I passed were glimmering with buttercups and dandelion, and I even spotted a few Bobolink along the way too, which made me smile! After a bit of cooing and playing, Sam fell asleep as we drove along, which meant she was a happy girl for the early evening as we all sat and rolled around on her playmat before bedtime. We're trying to encourage her to crawl, but so far she just isn't having it! :-) I know she'll get there, and for now, we'll enjoy the fact that she isn't yet mobile, which certainly makes things easier!

Here she is, dressed for the day (well, at least until an afternoon spit-up) in a custom onesie courtesy of Tank and Willow. Thanks guys!

Sunday Busy Sunday

Today was a busy day, but it was lots of fun! We started off the day by meeting up with Nate, Shannon, Finley and little Charlotte for breakfast at the Broadway Deli. Yum - fruit pancakes! And lots of coffee. What more could I ask for?! Sam was really good through the whole meal, sitting by herself in the regular high chair and enjoying the whole scene. She also polished off all of her own breakfast, and why not? I mean, who doesn't like green beans for breakfast?!

Sam took a nap when we got home, and when she woke up we headed to the bike path for a short run. My original plan had been to run 7 to 8 miles before breakfast, but that just didn't happen, so I decided to run with Ryan today, and just do the longer run tomorrow. We had a nice easy 3 mile run, and then came home and after a quick snack, suited up for outing #3 of the day. The plan was to head over to Wolfe's Neck State Park in Freeport for a short hike, but Sam fell asleep on the ride over, so we drove around for a while first. By the time we got to the park, the day, which had been so bright and beautiful, was looking awfully foggy. The whole coast was socked in with a nice, thick and cool fog. Luckily, we had brought a jacket for Sam, but I was cold the whole time we were out walking. There must have been a 15 degree difference between Brunswick and in the park out near the water - crazy!

Anyway, we really enjoyed our walk. The woods were beautiful - lots of ladyslippers (I was too busy entertaining Sam and enjoying the views to count!), a number of jack-in-the-pulpits, bunchberries, starflowers, trailing arbutus and false lily of the valley - and the trails were really nice. There were numerous chances to head down to the rocky ledges and small beaches, as well as lots of picnic tables and a nice, grassy area where we stopped to let Sam stretch out on the blanket before we got back in the car. We couldn't believe we hadn't been out to explore the park and its trails before! We'll certainly be back!

Here are just a few shots from our excursion:

Misty ledges

You're funny!

Family portrait on the beach

On the ledges

Happy girlie!

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Talking with Mommy