Happy Summer!

Summer solstice this week, summer vacation for Sam and first camping trip of the season = happy summer! 🌞💗

On the run front, as we were headed to Southwest Harbor on Thursday for our annual end of school camping trip, and knowing I wasn't planning to get in any big mileage while we were up there, I decided to see if I could still get in 50 miles for the week in my typical 5 runs. Perhaps not as effective in terms of training, but I figured it was a good challenge and a good way to ensure I got in some miles early in the week before we headed out for our trip.

And so it was that at 6:20 on Monday morning, I was out the door for my run. Yes, it was a holiday day from work for me, but the summer sessions of swim practice started this week too so Sam had to be at the Y for 9:00 am, hence the early start. Nice cool morning for a meander on the cart paths, down to the river, and on some of the neighborhood roads. We'll see if I actually manage to complete my intended run plan for the week, but at least I got it off to a good start! (10.0 miles)

Got home in time for a shower and a quick snack and then it was off to the Y. Big, noisy practice this morning with a lot of the older high school kids attending as it was a combined A/B practice. Sam and her group of B practice buddies did a good job keeping up! 

Tired on Tuesday morning, so took the day as a zero day after 5 days in a row of running. I went into the office and Ryan had a morning meeting, so Mom and Dad took Sam up to swim. After practice, they went into Bath for a snack at the coffee shop and to wander down to the water to check out the Virginia replica that is being worked on and then out to Popham for a walk. It was low tide, so they were able to get to Fox Island too. Sam is one lucky girl - sounds like a good morning to me! 😍

Had to head into the office on Wednesday too, so I was out the door at 5:30 am for my run. Ran out on the powerlines and enjoyed the nice, if muggy, morning. The milkweed was blooming, the hay scented ferns smelled heavenly, the blueberries are beginning to turn blush colored and ripen, and I even found a small patch of rose pogonia! 💕And another chunk of mileage checked off for the week. (10.0 miles)

Rose pogonia, a beautiful little orchid 😍

Up and out again relatively early on Thursday to get in a run before we started our drive up to MDI. Headed out at 5:50 am to do a road run around town. Very muggy, misty and overcast morning. Ran out through Mom and Dad's neighborhood and along the Andro, crossing into Brunswick and then back into Topsham via the bike path connector before heading out onto Foreside and then back via the neighborhoods and the back dirt road of Highland Green. A solid loop. Lots of rose begonia, crown vetch, cow vetch, daisies and some lupine blooming roadside. So far so good with the running for the week, but we'll see if I can pull off  the final 19ish miles in two days up there while still leaving time for family fun and hiking! (11.25 miles)

End of School

This week was a busy one in terms of work for both Ryan and I, and just making it through the last few days of school for Sam before summer vacation started on Wednesday afternoon. Which means we now have an 8th grader in the house! Crazy. 

Monday was a walk around Bath during swim practice. Very muggy. (2.1 miles walked)

Tuesday ended up being an afternoon run down to the river and back. Not as hot out as I had feared it would be, but still finished up very sweaty! Two deer and lots of bugs. (6.0 miles)

And then poof, Wednesday was the last day of 7th grade! 🎉Proud of Sam for having another great school year - we are incredibly grateful to have a hard working, kind, social, bright kiddo who does well in school and enjoys being there (or at least enjoys being with her friends 😉) but I know she is really looking forward to summer 😊 

Dad and Ryan played golf in the morning and I had an early morning meeting and then a work training, so Mom picked Sam up after her half day and they went downtown for lunch and gelato. What fun, and a good way to kick off summer!

Got out Thursday morning for a run on the cart paths Thursday morning. One deer, one possum, towhees calling and sheep laurel blooming along the powerlines, plus the blueberries are getting big. Still green but I'm guessing it will only be another week or two before they ripen. (6.0 miles)

It rained overnight and was very overcast, humid and muggy on Friday morning. I headed out around 8:00 to pick up a few things at the farmer's market and then drove over to run on the Chase and Calderwood trails. I always forget that these trails are so unrunnable 😂 but it was a fun meander. Slick roots, overgrown, grassy trails and slow going but on the plus side, it was cool enough that there weren't a lot of bugs! Saw one osprey and enjoyed running through the many patches of sweet smelling hay scented ferns. (7.3 miles)

Ryan joined us for Friday swim practice and it was nice to have company for an afternoon walk! (2.0 miles walked) Then, on the way home, we stopped for ice cream before dinner 😋🍦

Breezy, bright and beautiful on Saturday morning when I headed out for my run. And cool too! Very lovely. Stopped to take a photo of the milkweed starting to bloom along the powerlines and found that it was already host to a monarch caterpillar! 😍Also, so.much.pollen 😶(10.0 miles)

💗🐛

Sam went over to Anne's in the late afternoon, and then we joined in a few hours later for pizza and s'mores and a few hours of hanging out. Always nice to catch up with friends and let the kids have fun together! Thanks, Kristen and Phil!

Cool, windy and overcast on Sunday morning, and with rain in the forecast, I got out a little before 8:00 for a run around the Highland Green block. Not much to report but did see a board winged hawk alight on a branch above me with a stick in its mouth, which was a fun sighting! (6.0 miles)

Then it was a mellow afternoon before we headed over to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads in my life! 💕

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)

Came home and enjoyed a piece of leftover birthday cake alongside my protein drink. Yum! #recoverydoneright 🍰😋