A Job Well Done

October 21, 2010

Our walk was this past weekend. I had hoped to post before now, but between aching muscles and travel, I decided to wait until I got home. I thought I would get it done last night, but I had lots to do before going to work this morning and I was still pretty tired. That brings us to this evening and here is my post.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

We were up at 4:00 am in order to dress, eat and catch a cab to Pier 88 for the start of the walk. Make-up was in order as Ashley assured me that most of the pictures are taken on the first day.

We were a bit worried about finding a cab early in the morning, but that proved to be unfounded. We got the first cab we waved down and made it to the site with plenty of time. They provided cereal, granola bars, bananas, yogurt and hot coffee and tea for everyone participating. I was glad we ate before we came. It was cold (somewhere in the mid-40's) and extremely windy (we had wind warnings all day long). Since the site was right on the water, everything was intensified.

We were located right next to the USS Intrepid. I don't know that I've ever been that close to a aircraft carrier. They are really big.

The crowd was very energized and there were lots of cute costumes, hats, sentiments on shirts and pins. I tried to get pictures that would capture the feeling of the morning, but it was dark, so this was the best I could do.



I was surprised by the number of families and the number of men walking. My favorite team name was "Hakuna Ma Ta-Ta's". Our team name was "Fight Like a Girl." We saw lots of t-shirts with that sentiment (we co-oped it rather than creating it). We had it on our shirts as well as on our towel - to be used for wiping sweat from our faces - unfortunately, not used at all for that purpose this weekend. Lots of guys had on the "I'm a breast man" t-shirts. I think my favorite pin was "Save Second Base." I don't think I've ever seen so much pink in one place at one time. I think our tiny top hats were the sartorial hit of the day. People kept calling us the hat ladies and asking if they could take our pictures. I've decided that my plan NOT to have my picture taken EVER was a good one. Here we are in our tiny top hats -


We listened to the opening program and followed through the stretches with the group, even though we had been stretching for about 15 minutes to be sure were ready to go. We hung back in the crowd, so we would have a prime starting location. I was really worried that my right knee was going to give me problems. Luckily, that didn't turn out to be a problem at all.

At 6:50 am, we were given the go-ahead to start walking. Imaging 3,000 people trying to move to and through the same space at the same time. That is what it was like. There was a lot of chattering and whooping and a mass movement of people. Ashley and I started out with a good spurt of speed to get us out of the mass of people. Once we had some breathing room, we got into a pretty good rhythm. We kept a good pace, even fighting the wind. It was very frustrating because it didn't matter which way we walked, the wind seemed to always be in our faces. On top of the wind, the route is very winding and it took us along the water for some time, then we went up a hill that I'm certain was meant to weed out the weak ones in the herd (I wasn't sure I was going to make it and that was really early on). We then turned to the right and followed the water back the same way we came, just up higher. That was kind of a theme all day long. I swear there are more uphills than downhills and a number of my fellow walkers voiced that same sentiment.

Probably the best thing of the day was the volunteers that support the group all the way through. They get dressed up too and expend their energy rooting for the walkers and encouraging them to keep going. They had signs and noisemakers and really helped boost our spirits when they were low. They had different themes (I think most were holidays) and they gave us stickers and candy to keep our spirits up. We had great groups at the quick stops (port-o-potties and snacks) and the rest stops (port-o-potties, food, medical assistance), but there were smaller groups of mostly kids in between that were the loudest. They gave us high fives - for those of you who know me well you will understand that this is a first for me - and thanked us for walking. There were also spontaneous outbreaks of clapping from people on the street. Some would ask what was going on and then thank us for walking. There is no way to explain what that kind of support means when you have been walking for 4 or 6 hours and hurt and want to stop. It makes all the difference in the world. One group of kids weren't wearing anything that would identify them as supporters. They huddled on either side of the sidewalk and had their back turned to the path. When we got up close the jumped up in the air and spun around screaming and shouting and really surprising the walkers. It was fun.

One group of these volunteers are bikers that watched traffic and made sure that the largest intersections on the walk were safe for us. Some were big burly guys, like you would expect bikers to be. There were a lot of women as well. They did a terrific job and spent the days moving from one intersection to another further along the route. They decked out their bikes with breasts on the head lights and other interesting decorations. They were great in supporting us and keeping us safe.

The folks in the sweep vans also traveled from place to place all day long. They provided rides for anyone who was too hurt, too dehydrated or too tired to keep walking. They would honk as they passed us on the way to the next stop. It was great.

I believe I mentioned there was some wind. I think the gusts were up to 40 mph at different times during the day. Ashley and I had walked over the Brooklyn Bridge when I was in NYC in July. We had planned to do it for some time and finally found time on that trip. Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge isn't difficult. It can be a bit challenging, particularly in the heat, but we did it without any problems and ended up walking 10 - 11 miles that day. I figured that in October it would be easier because it would be cooler. Well Saturday it was much cooler, unfortunately, the wind was much worse by the water and up on the bridge it was miserable. This was at mile 16, I believe. We had certainly worked for the rest stop on the other side of the bridge. We grabbed some orange sections and something else - it may have been candy - and kept on going.

I figured the Brooklyn Bridge would be the biggest problem with the wind. That was until we walked directly from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Manhattan Bridge and walked over it - yes, back the way we came. The Brooklyn Bridge is 5,989 feet (1.13 miles) from end to end. That is a fair walk. The Manhattan Bridge is slightly longer at 6,855 feet (1.3 miles), but I can tell you that in the wind it seems like we walked to Nebraska. There were times that Ashley walked in front of me so I could "draft" off of her like a cyclist. But I'm broader than she is so it didn't work all that well. There were other times that we felt like mimes - walking against the wind, but not getting anywhere. That was without a doubt the worst part of the walk. By the time we got over the bridge, my left hip, which had been bothering me, hurt like crazy and I was overcompensating by changing my gait to protect it. Ashley kept tempting me by dangling the possibility of a massage at the wellness village if we got in early enough. That kept me walking.

I've decided that wearing jaunty little top hats gave us the audacity to walk thought the regular NYC foot traffic like we owned the city. That was a fun feeling. It helped us to keep our heads high and proclaim that we were here for a reason and nothing was going to stop us. I suppose I should mention that I spent a lot of time catching my hat just before it blew off and putting it back on my head when we found a less windy spot. It stayed clipped to my towel across the bridges. Ashley had her hair in pigtails and her hat was a little stiffer than mine (the glitter no doubt), so she didn't have quite the problem I did. Although my hat took quite a beating, it survived and I will repair it.

The rest of the day was spent just putting one foot in front of the other to get to the Wellness Village. Now there is a bit of an issue with getting to the Wellness Village. You see the footbridge you have to cross, but it looks about 3 miles away (in reality it is only about 1/2 a mile, but remember, we had been walking since 7:00 am). Once you reach the bridge, you have to get up to it by a ramp that is in three parts (very steep at this point in the day). Then you hit the bridge and it feels like you will never make it to the high point and when you do the down hill angle doesn't seem to be anywhere nearly as steep as the uphill side was. Now you make it over the bridge and still have to walk another half mile to get to the Wellness Village. This is the longest part of the walk. We stepped through the pink arch at 3:15 pm. We had been walking for 8 hours and 25 minutes. We were the 355th and 356th walker to come in. That includes all the folks who only walked 13.1 miles and were bussed the remaining 13.1 miles. Ashley tells me this was her best time in three years - go us.

Our triumphant entry to the Wellness Village:



We heading directly to the massage tent - I was GOING to get my massage. We only had to wait about 20 minutes to get a table and during that time we had our energy balanced. That was kind of strange, but it seemed to perk me up a bit. I asked my massage therapist to work on my lower back. It was painful, but did wonders for me. I was feeling better almost as soon as I was done. Ashley had some small blisters so she had them lanced and bandaged. After the massages and the podiatry tent, we headed for our tent to get ready for the evening.

Now, Ashley assured me that the Boy Scout troops would have the tents set up for us. Not so. Apparently,there was a shortage of Boy Scouts this year. Luckily, my intrepid child knew exactly what to do and we set up our tent in a very short time. It was much more secure than many of the tents that were set up before ours (several lost the rain tarp from the top and at least one blew away in the wind). Ashley tells me this is due to the fact we had all 8 of our tent stakes (apparently, that wasn't the case for everyone). We changed into our jammies and out of our shoes and headed back to the service area to take a yoga class and eat dinner.

The yoga class was important to be sure we stretched out, but it wasn't a good time. I was so sore that I could barely follow the instructor. I did great on sun salutation, downward dog and child's pose (unfortunately, I can't breath in this pose). But most everything else was beyond me. I did the stretches, but couldn't hold them for as long as the rest of the group. I guess I need to take yoga if I'm going to do this walk again.

Dinner was okay. Unfortunately, our line ended up with cold pasta. We ate it anyway. There were meatballs as well, but I wasn't particularly hungry, so I only had one. I was incredibly thirsty. I drank 3 cartons of milk. Now I like milk a lot, but this was an unusually large amount for me to drink at one sitting. The carbs make for good fuel, but I was desperately in need of protein. I could probably have had 2 more, but I didn't want to be greedy. We heard the first song in the "Fireside Follies" and than left for our tents, brushed teeth and sleep.

My idea of camping is the Holiday Inn. So the idea of sleeping in a tent, in a sleeping bag, ON THE GROUND, is not my idea of a good time. My sleeping bag was very toasty and Ashley's wasn't quite so warm, so we switched - my hot flashes make up the temperature difference. The tents were very close together and you could hear every conversation in every tent near you. We bedded down - I think it was about 8:00 pm - but there was too much going on around me and I had trouble going to sleep (I'm sure the rock hard ground under me wasn't helping). We had turned the light off about 10 minutes earlier and I asked Ashley a question. She didn't answer because she was already dead asleep. My girl is a survivor. It took about 30 more minutes for me to fall asleep, but I was awake several times during the night to change positions due to the hard ground.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

We planned to get up at 5:00 am so we would be ready to go by 7:30 when the walk was opened, but I think I was awake by 4:00 at the latest. The alarm went off in the tent to our left and the guys in the tent to our right started talking. Then a lot of the other campers started milling around - trying to get hot showers before we started walking, etc. At 5:00, I started moving around and realized that I hurt in places I didn't even know I had. The walk was tough, but the hard ground aggravated every pain I had. I tried to dress inside the sleeping bag because it was cold. Unfortunately, I'm not nearly coordinated enough to pull that off, so I gave up and just dressed as normally as possible when sitting in a 6 x 6 tent. Then off to brush teeth and wash faces, get breakfast and visit the PT tent - my left leg was killing me, I didn't know that the muscle behind the knee could hurt like that. I got a good stretch before we ate and a healthy dose of Icy Hot. It didn't clear up the problem, but I could walk, so I did. Breakfast was eggs, sausage and oatmeal - luckily all hot - and more milk. We decided to pass on the tea and coffee in lieu of the first Starbuck's we passed. We headed back to our tent, pack up, broke down the tent and dropped off our stuff at the trucks.

We were at the arch just before 7:30 so we were out with the first group of walkers. I told Ashley I would do my best, but that I wasn't sure I could make the full 13.1 miles on Sunday. She wouldn't accept that I would quit this far into the game. We hooked elbows and pretended that every uphill was flat (Denial is my happy place). We did make a stop at the first Starbuck's for hot, sweet, tasty treats. That helped - sugar and caffeine, the perfect combination. We walked on. We only stopped when we had to and when we hit the lunch break - I think at 9:00 am - Ashley grabbed a sandwich and I headed to the medical tent for more Tylenol and Ben Gay. The thought of eating at that point didn't appeal to me at all. I think we stopped for less than 10 minutes and headed out. We were counting down the miles. When we hit 7.3 (the lunch stop) we were under 10 miles to go. After that it was just pushing through. At least we weren't fighting the wind all day.

Again the hardest part of the day as the last. We hit the West Side Highway and could see the cruise ships far, far away (I think less than 2 miles). Then you could see the planes on the Intrepid, still very far away. At least we were in the sunshine and people were lining the path to welcome in their own walkers and cheered us as we walked past. We were wearing our jaunty little top hats again, so people liked us.

We had someone take our picture as we stepped across the finish line, but it didn't turn out :-( We were number 325 and 326 of 3,000 walkers and finished at noon. We did the final 13.1 miles in 4 1/2 hours. Great time, I'm told. It was good to be done.

We headed straight for the medical tent for Ben Gay for me and to have Ashley's blisters checked. We were good and headed to pick up our walk t-shirts which will be worn proudly. Then we went to get our gear. Ashley was excited because she thought they were dropping our stuff on the pier this year. However, they just routed us differently than in previous years. We had to walk about 5 blocks to where the trucks were dropping luggage. Our stuff was on truck J and they had just started unloading truck H/I when we got there. Ashley was surprised because that had never happened before. I choose to believe it was because we were so awesome rather than that it was a logistics issue that delayed the trucks - I told you Denial is my happy place. We waited until we could get our stuff, walked 2 avenue blocks (much longer than street blocks, in case you aren't familiar with NYC) and caught a cab back to the apartment. We groaned our way up the stairs for showers and a Epsom salt soak for me (Ashley's tub is small and she can't stretch out in it so she passed on the soak). I was ready for bed by 4:00, but Ashley made me go back out - yes, down the stairs - to get dinner and then back home. We watched TV until 8:00 and then I was done. I went to bed and was asleep in about 30 seconds.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Monday we slept in until 9:00, then went out for manicures and pedicures, trying not to walk like we were a hundred years old. We had wonderful massages, a soak in a hot tub and a steam that made us feel human again.

All in all a great weekend.

Doing a walk like this is a little like having a baby. It is a great experience, but you need to get a little distance on it before you commit to going through it again.

My daughter and I have always been good friends, but I think this experience has taken our friendship to a new level. Sharing something like this can't help but make you a slightly different person.

What did I learn?
* My daughter is an incredible woman, who has committed to doing this walk three years in a row. I am amazed by her strength and leadership.
* I've still got a lot of life in me.
* My body won't let me down.
* I need to train more if I do this again.
* If there is a next time, I'm bringing a big air mattress.

Thanks to all of you who followed this blog. It has been an experience I never expected to have. Knowing that there were people out there reading what I had to say made me want to keep it up. It was like there was someone depending on my to share my thoughts - a new experience for me - and that made a difference.

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is a great cause that has raised millions of dollars to help thousands of people across the world. It also helped me to get even closer to by beautiful daughter. I hope my journey will inspire you to get off the couch and commit to something bigger than you are.

Thanks again and goodbye for now. (Warning - My scary picture follows)

Last Chance

Weekend of October 9

Part 1

I got out at about 6:30 this morning. I had hoped to make it a bit earlier, but it worked out okay. The night was so dark that I could see hundreds of stars in the sky. I don't normally get to see that in Houston - there is too much ambient light. I don't know why today was different.

It was 63 degrees when I hit the trail. I had my trusty flashlight with me to ward off the darkness. I didn't need in after the first leg (1.3 miles) because the sun had come up. While I was walking in the dark, the morning sounds seemed so much louder than when it is light. The birds housing to find their morning meals; the insects buzzing around the trees and bushes; the water in the bayou rippling as it moves across tree submerged limbs - it is interesting how much more aware I am of those sounds now. The fog was still lying in the lower portions of the trail and it settled on my arms and legs as I walked. You would think it would make me feel cold, but it didn't. It just felt fresh.

Many of the people who weren't out last week returned today. I was surprised by the number of larger groups I saw before the sun was all the way up. There were three or four groups of six or more people running together very early. I'm always amazed that people are coming back when I'm just heading out.

The squirrels were very active this morning. Several ran across the trail directly in front of me. They were moving oddly - kind of jumping or hopping through the grass. I've always seen them walk or run, but never the loping run they are doing today. It was just odd.

I was very happy to reach the end of the walk without any knee pain again. I hope I'm over that problem and won't have any issues during the walk.

Part 2

I needed to get out early today because I had plans for brunch and a play this afternoon. I was really tired and wanted to stay in bed, but since this is my last training walk, I rolled out and got moving. I was on the trail by 6:15 and enjoying the early morning. It isn't the earliest I've been out, but it was definitely the darkest it has been. It is always weird walking in the dark. You hear people, but don't necessarily see them. Some have lights - others don't. I don't know how they can walk into the dark, unable to see the trail and feel comfortable with it. Maybe they all have better night vision than I have.

It was only 61 degrees this morning. I got thinking that when it was this temperature in March I was walking in long pants and a hooded sweatshirt. Today I walked in shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. My how thing change.

I brought my camera along today to get some photos on this last walk before the event. I wanted to take some pictures of locations on the walk that I have been looking at, thinking they would be nice photos to have. Of the four I took only one really turned out. This is it. I love the look of the towering tree with the dead trunk in the midst of the new growth. It isn't as clear on the photo as it was in person. I just love the sculptural look of the tree.

I was moving pretty fast this morning in order to make my date. I completed the full 10 miles in 2 hours and 45 minutes. My personal best time.

This is the last I will post until after the walk next weekend. I leave for NYC on Thursday and the even is on Saturday and Sunday. I spent about an hour on the phone with my daughter going over everything we needed to take with us on the walk. I think we're ready. We are going for it.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. This has been an interesting experience for me. I'm pretty proud of following through on it. I appreciate your support for this endeavor (the blog and the walk) both emotional and financial.

If you are still interested in making a donation - now it the time. Click on the DONATE NOW button on the upper left of this page.

I'll be back here after the walk - probably on Wednesday, October 20. I plan to post a follow up when I get back home from the trip.

Thanks again.

Mea Culpa and More

About the lack of posts for the last two weeks - I did walk on the weekend of the 18th, but I was getting ready for a trip (working extra hours and getting things together) so I didn't have a free minute to post.

Here is what I remember - On Saturday, I was out at 6:15 with my flashlight and my knee brace tightly in place. It was about 86 degrees and 95% humidity. I walked the full 10 miles and my knew was really painful for the last mile plus. It just screams at me - or I scream at it - on the downhill sections of the trail. I made it back to the car, but my knee was really uncomfortable. The one really outstanding thing about the day was that on my way to the park I heard a story on the radio about an organist at a major league baseball stadium. She was retiring and they had her playing a number of songs - one of which was "Take me Out to the Ballgame." Because I heard it, I kept humming it for the entire walk.

On Sunday, I was out a little after 6:30 and it was really humid again. I walked 10 miles again, but my knee recovered a lot faster after using the brace. A very nice man who was power walking gave me some advise about my walk. I think he has been doing this for a long time. I was very tired and much of the day I was walking with my eyes closed. I didn't know that I could walk while partially asleep.

Last weekend was dedicated to cardio - I was in New York helping my daughter with her new apartment. We schlepped a lot of IKEA furniture and materials from Home Depot. Just getting this stuff up the stairs was worth 36 hours of cardio kick boxing and I have the bruises to prove it. By the time everything was put together and in place and the plants re-potted and the lattice up on the fence the whole apartment looked great so I think it was worth it. My body is still recovering - the sciatic nerve down my right leg is hurting. I"m hoping I can work the kinks all out before the walk on the 16th.

Weekend of October 2

Part 1

I didn't get out this morning until 7:00 so I started walking about 7:15. The difference today was that the temperature was 68 degrees and the humidity was nearly non-existent. I barely even worked up a sweat. I decided to walk only 7 miles today. I'm hoping that by going a shorter distance today I'll be better prepared for tomorrow's 10 miles. The plan is to avoid the knee pain all together.

I understand the Race for the Cure was this morning. That would explain why so few people were out on the trail. A lot of people have been training for this race. It will be interesting to see if they are back out next weekend.

I saw a beautiful red wildflower. There was only one and I haven't been able to identify it. I'm guessing it is a garden flower that has seeded itself in the undergrowth.

There was a lot of water on the trail and in the low lying parts of the park. I thought that was weird because we haven't had any rain this week. I don't know where it came from. Hmmmmmm.

I saw the bravest man I have ever seen today. He was out on the trail with four small children and no other adult. Two of the kids were riding bicycles with training wheels, one was walking by his side and the other one was riding on his shoulders. He was just starting out as I was getting to the end of my walk. There is no way I would try that. I would rather wrangle four spirited Jack Russell Terriers that four small children.

Part 2

Not out until 7:30 this morning. It was even cooler than yesterday at 63 degrees and again, there was little humidity. There was a nice breeze that frequently turned into a good wind. It was pretty clear that heat wasn't going to be a problem today.

There were even fewer people out today. Even the leg of the trail between Dairy Ashford and Eldridge (that I hate because it is so crowded) didn't have very many people. I'm sure part of it is due to yesterday's fun raiser (Race for the Cure). I think a lot of the participants took today off. It is weird though, I figured that there would be more people out now that the weather has cooled off.

I walked the entire 10 miles today - without any pain in my knee! Hurrah! The plan worked! This is a first for me on a 10 mile walk. I have an appointment with my rheumatologist the day before I leave for the walk. I'm hoping he will be able to tell me what the issue is and how I can keep it from happening.

The day was nice and as the morning progressed, there were more and more families on the trail. I saw several couples with multiple children on small bicycles and scooters and strollers. One little girl (about 7) was getting a lot of encouragement from her parents to make it up a steep hill without walking her bike. She made it and I was impressed. I'm not sure I could have done it.

I had several firsts today. I saw not one, but two cyclists who were singing while they rode. I saw a guy on roller blades with three relatively large dogs on leashes - I'm not sure how he got them to go where he wanted them to go. And best of all, I saw a guy riding a unicycle with a tire that had to be at least 38" tall. Just the size of the unicycle is shocking, but I don't know how he could handle all the hills with one tire and no gears. It was pretty amazing.

I was home before 11 and was able to begin my household chores right away since there was little sweat and no pain. Yeah me.

A Note About the Walk

The Avon Walk is coming up in just two weeks - October 16 - 17. I want to thank everyone who has already donated to this cause through a direct donation or by buying raffle tickets and bracelets. I really appreciate it. This is an important cause that effects so many of us.

For those of you who have not yet made your donation, but still want to - now is the time. All my donations have to be in by October 11. You can just go to the DONATE NOW button on this page, follow the directions and make your donation.

Thanks for helping me meet my fundraising goal and supporting me for my walk.

Once More with Feeling

Weekend of September 11

Part 1
I was out on the trail at 6:15. It was still dark and a little scary. I was wearing black shorts and a dark blue shirt. The only thing that made me stand out in the dark was my white shoes and my pasty legs. If I walk this early tomorrow I need to remember to wear something white.

I was shocked by the number of people who were already out on the trail and of those how many were on their way back. I have enough trouble getting up at 5:00 am. I can't imagine getting up any earlier. Talk about scary.

I was at the 2.6 mile point before the sun was above the horizon and at the 3.5 mile mark before it cleared the trees.

The bayou was very high. The depth stick in the side channel marked it at 7 1/2 feet deep. I can only imagine how deep the main channel was. It didn't occur to me that it would be so high. We hadn't had any rain since Thursday. I didn't think how long it would take for the run-off to hit the bayou. I'm just glad it wasn't over the banks.

I had decided to walk 10 miles again this week. I made about 8 before my right knee started hurting again. Apparently that is my limit for that knee. The last 1.3 miles was miserable. I was hobbling up and down the hills and it really hurt. But I made it back to the start of the trail. When I got home I rested for about an hour and a half with an ice pack and it seemed to be okay. Weird. I ended up checking out several stores in the afternoon before I ended up at the drug store to purchase a knee brace. I got the one with the most support and I hope it will help me make it further.

Part 2
No big surprise - I didn't walk today. Instead, I slept (which helped a lot) and let my knee rest. I had more than enough to keep me busy at the house and the only time I stepped out was when I took out the trash.

We'll see how next week goes.


P.S. Thanks to everyone who responded to my last post/email. I was able to add $350.00 to my donation from the raffle tickets and bracelets that everyone got. Thanks to everyone and remember there are still some of both left available. If you can't make it by, give me a call or an email and I'll be happy to work with you. Remember - anyone donating $100 or more gets cookies or pecan bread - your choice.

I still have a way to go ($430.00) so any help you can provide is most appreciated.

Thanks again.

Down to the Wire

September 7, 2010

I'm down to the wire and have only 39 days left to reach my fund raising goal before I make the walk. I need your help.

If you are following my blog and haven't yet made a donation, now would be the time. Anything you can do to help support my walk is most appreciated. This is a chance to help work toward a cure for a serious disease that effects thousands of people - both women and men - every year. Please take this opportunity to make a difference.

Just click on the DONATE NOW link on the left of this posting. Make your donation and make a difference.

I'm walking 39 miles in two days in order to bring attention to this cause. I'm also writing this blog. Both of these activities are far outside my comfort zone, so you can see how important this is to me. Please help.

I'm close to the end of my training period and I need to come up with some new ways to gain your interest. I'm pulling out all the stops. Starting right now I'm adding some incentives.

First, I'm holding a raffle for a quilt I made myself. The raffle tickets are $10 each and I'm only selling 50, so there is good chance for you to win. If you're interested, please send me an email or post a comment to the blog and I'll get back with you. Here is a photo of the 60" x 74"quilt.

Second, I'm selling some of the bracelets that I've made this year. I have mostly beaded bracelets with crystals, but I also have some with leather and wooden beads. I'm selling them for $15 each - much less than you would pay if you bought them in a store. You can see them by dropping by my office.

Third, for anyone donating $100 or more, I will bake cookies (brown sugar refrigerator, snickerdoodles or chocolate chip) or pecan bread and honey butter. For those of you who have already made a donation of this size, I will follow up with you. I don't want to penalize you for supporting me early.

I hope this makes you think about making a donation. Again - it is as simple as clicking the DONATE NOW button on the left side of this page and making a donation. I am counting on you to help put me over the top.

Labor Day

Weekend of September 4

Part 1

I got out to the trail early and it was cooler than it has been since April. It was only 78 degrees when I got out of the car. The sky looked overcast and that held for most of the morning. The humidity was also lower, so I was looking forward to the walk.

It is very odd that there has been loads of heavy equipment working on the draining ditch that feeds into the bayou since early June and suddenly, there are orange construction signs up notifying us of "Trail Work Ahead." I wonder what caused them to put these up after all this time. It simply boggles the mind.

I expected that there would be fewer people out this weekend due to the holiday. Most of the regular walkers and runners were on the trail at their regular times, but there didn't appear to be as many cyclists as usual. The Kay Fit groups were out, but they were much smaller - only

3 - 6 people in each group. They weren't nearly as intrusive as they have been simply because their numbers were so limited. It was a nice change.

As usual, there were quite a few people out with their dogs. One man was particularly interesting. He was walking the cutest little pomerian puppy who was mincing as she troted along side him. She was obviously a very young dog and her short little legs were moving very quickly to keep up with her owner. He, on the other hand, was about 6' 4" and had to weigh about 260. It was a very odd picture.

My daughter, Ashley, called me yesterday to tell me about swimming with the whale sharks at the Atlanta aquarium. She was really excited about it and was so glad she did it. Her enthusiam made me feel like I needed to push myself on my walk this weekend. When I hit the 3.5 mile mark, I just kept walking and ended up going a full 10 miles. The last leg of the outbound walk is between Dairy Ashford and Eldridge. I don't really like that part of the walk (I had only done it once from the other end). It is very flat. I think to keep it interesting they decided to make the trail weave back and forth for no apparent reason. It is also very flat and fully in the sun. In addition to all of that there were way too many people running and cycling and more walkers than I usually see all weekend. They were loud and moved fast, passing on whichever side they encountered the least resistance. It was very unsettling. I like this trail because it is so quiet and I can spend some time thinking. That wasn't possible on the last leg of the walk. Oh well, I guess that is the price to pay to add the distance.

I felt pretty good about the walk. I was holding up well - no heavy breathing, not too much sweat (there was a nice breeze all morning). Then, in the last 1.3 miles, my right knee started hurting. It started when I jogged down a hill. I thought going downhill faster would be easier - no fighting gravity, etc. Unfortunately, I screwed up my knee and by the time I got the last leg of the walk it was hurting pretty badly. It wasn't quite the way I had planned to end the walk. By the time I was in the car and on the way home it had started swelling. I'm not sure how it will go tomorrow.

Part 2

The alarm went off early on Sunday and I got up. My right knee was not cooperating. I had iced it most of the afternoon and kept it elevated. It was still swollen when I went to bed so I was careful to keep it elevated while I slept. Since it wouldn't hold my weight without it being extremely painful, I decided it was a bad idea to walk today. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Part 3

I went to a lunch and a show on Sunday. Walking around the theatre district wasn't making my knee feel any better.

I got up early and got out to the trail at 6:40. I only planned to walk 3 - 5 miles. I was hoping that the shorter walk would be kinder to my knee than a longer walk. I got to the 2.5 mile point, but knew I didn't dare go any further if I wanted to get back to the care without pain. It was giving me some problems up and particularly, down the hills. It wasn't too bad and I was handling the limited pain pretty well.

On one of the downhill treks, I heard a pop and grinding sound from my right knee. I was worried that I had done something really bad. Luckily, the sound seems to have been an indication of my right knee cap shifting back to its original place. I guess alls well that ends well.

I have only 39 days left until the walk! I still have over a thousand dollars to raise. For those who have already donated, I appreciate it. For those who haven't and still want to, please click the "Donate Here" link on my Blog Site at BlogSport.com. You will also be getting another email asking for more assistance. I will be raffling off a quilt I finished today as well as selling some jewelry to bring in more funding.

I hope you are enjoying the blog and that I will be hearing from you soon.

Sleep now.

Last Week of Summer

Weekend of August 28

Part 1
I can't believe that this is the last weekend in August. Classes started at the university this week so we've been crazy busy. I have been looking forward to the quiet of the trail this weekend.

I got a good start this morning. I think it was only 78 degrees. The humidity was much lower as well. It had the makings of a really nice walk.

There were already a lot of runners on their way back while I was going out. They must have been out before 6:00 am when it was still pitch black. It takes a lot of dedication to get out so early.

I thought I would count bicycles today. I was going to figure out how many were on the trail and how many announced themselves. After about 20 I was having trouble keeping track so I let it go. I have difficulty keeping numbers straight unless I can write them down. On the trail it was completely beyond my skills.

It started out as a nice quiet walk. There weren't too many people out and they were all very pleasant. I saw an older couple. She looks like Jessica Tandy, but not as thin and he looks like Jerry Stiller with more hair. I've seen them before. She always looks very serious and driven. He looks like she makes him go with her. If I were to guess, I'd say he has a health problem and she is getting him out to walk to help him get better. I said "good morning" and she smiled at me. It is the first time. I thought it was a good sign.

Unfortunately, the groups from Katy Fit were out again. They are very disruptive to the quiet of the trial. The groups aren't that large, but they are very energetic and talk a lot. I guess it is too much energy for me to handle early in the morning - or any time really. I don't do well with "perky" people - even on the trail. They take up too much air.

All-in-all a pleasant walk. I wasn't dripping when I got back into the car. My ankle is a little swollen, but I don't think it is anything serious. I'll work on stretching it out.

Part 2

My ankle was still swollen when I woke up so I thought it was best not to stress it. I stayed home and I worked on the quilt I'm going to raffle off as a fund raiser for the walk.

Next week is Labor Day weekend. I wonder how many people will be out?

One Face in the Crowd

Weekend of August 21

I started out at 6:30. The sun was just coming up and the temperature was about 81 - much cooler than it has been. The humidity was also lower than it has been, probably about 80% (that's kind of low for Houston). It promised to be a somewhat easier walk with the cooler weather.

I checked the water hole for the ducks and the heron. Neither were there, I guess they have moved on to their next roost.

It looks like the parks people have been out doing maintenance. All the high grass has been mowed again. They cleared the sides of the path where the trees and brush has grown too close. It looks like they drove a large piece of machinery through. The small trees are broken off very roughly. Where they hit a branch that was too large to break, it looks like they took an ax and hacked it off. The cut was very rough. All in all, it looked really sad.

There were a lot of people on the trail today. Several groups from Katy Fit were running this morning. I saw four groups with from 12 - 40 people. Two were going one way and two were going the other. They were running two abreast and when they passed, it made it difficult for bicycles to pass between the group and other pedestrians.

There were also a lot of bicycles. Many of the riders were not letting the pedestrians know they were coming. Some of the runners and walkers took it on themselves to call "bike front" or "bike back" to let others know the bikes were coming. It was really different.

Today there were a lot of fathers and sons together. I saw some running, some walking and in one case of a grandfather and grandson, sitting and looking at the woods. This is the first time I've seen so many pairs.

Part 2

I didn't get out until 7:00 this morning. I was on the verge of a migraine all afternoon yesterday, so I decided to only walk 5 miles today. I didn't want to run the risk of being too far from the car if the headache came on full bore.

There were a lot of bikes again today. I saw three older men riding and thought their gear was interesting. They were all wearing gloves, but none of them had helmets. It seems like that is a strange injury-prevention priority. Hmmmmmm.

I saw a really attractive couple today. They were both very fit without looking like the spend all their time working out. The woman was muscular, but still looked like a girl and the man was muscular, but not bulky. They looked like they belonged together. Most of the couples I see when I'm out walking don't look so much like they belong together.

It was a good walk. It has been awhile since I walked two days in a row. I feel pretty good, but I'm a little concerned that my knees are going to be worse for the wear. My left knee bothered me yesterday and was a bit swollen. I hope it doesn't get any worse.

Next time.

Once More With Feeling

Weekend of August 14

Part 1

Up early again this weekend, but I didn't get out to the trail until 6:50 - a bit later than I had planned. The humidity was a killer. As soon as I got out of the car I could see the condensation on my arms.

When I was doing my pre-walk stretch my right leg felt really tight. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make the full 7 miles, but it turned out to be okay. I guess I was just a little stiff.

When I walked by the water hole, I looked for the ducks I saw last weekend. They weren't there, but as I was ready to walk on, the heron moved in the water. If it hadn't moved when it did I never would have seen it. They are magnificent birds and they blend so well into their surroundings it is really amazing.

The sun was cooperative and stayed behind the light cloud cover for most of the walk. There was a nice breeze and I was okay for most of the walk. Toward the end of the walk, the sun came out with a vengeance and the last half hour was brutal.

There were a lot of people on the trail today and more bicycles than I had ever seen. Amazingly, most of them very very mannerly and let the pedestrians know that they were around. There were only a few that behaved as if they were the only ones on the trail.

The crepe myrtle trees are in full bloom, but those were the only flowers in view. The grapes are completely done for the season. Those that are left are mostly gooey purple spots on the asphalt. I think it will be just green for the rest of the summer (which goes on until early October). I will miss the flowers. Something is still going strong because my nose was dripping the whole walk. I even took my allergy meds, so I know the pollen was heavy.

I did the full seven miles and although I was tired, I finished. I'm hoping to add some additional distance next time.

Part 2
Sunday arrived along with a horrible sinus headache. It was so bad, my face was swollen and I could barely hold my head up. Needless to say, I went back to sleep and spent most of the day resting.

There is always next week.

Two Months to Go

Weekend of August 7 & 8

I can't believe we only have two months until the walk. It seemed like it was so far away when I started training. I received an email from my walking buddy reminding me how close it is. I still have quite of bit of money to raise. If you are interested in donating, or donating more, please go to this page http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/NewYork?px=5419561&pg=personal&fr_id=1970 and make a donation.

I didn't walk on Saturday because we had 3 consecutive days of heat advisories in a row. I woke up at 5:00, but I didn't feel great and didn't think it was a good idea to go out.

Today I was up early and cooled my heels until after 6:00 am so it wouldn't be too dark. That was just too creepy. I started walking just after 6:30.

If last week was the week of the dogs, this week it was the birds. As I walked past the water hole near the beginning of the trail, a blue heron landed on the trail about 5 feet in front of me. It wasn't full-grown, but was about 4' tall. It stood on the trail for just a moment before it flew off to my right. As I watched it fly away, my eye was caught by 5 ducks paddling on the water hole. They were also young, but not young enough to still be with their parents. My guess is that they weren't too far away, but it wasn't very light and I couldn't see across the water. As the ducks paddled away, I heard an owl hoot in a tree very close to the trail. Some time later a small, quick brown bird with a very orange beak landed on the trail about 16" ahead of me. I had never seen or heard any of these birds before. It was very cool.

I finished the first half of the walk 3 minutes faster than my usual time. I was walking very fast for me. By the time I finished, I had cut 5 minutes off my time, but I was winded. I'm thinking about adding some additional distance next week.

Keep your eyes open - sometime in the next couple of weeks, I will be raffling off a quilt that I designed yesterday. I think it is going to be very pretty and I'm hoping it will raise some good money for the walk. I'll be sending out emails, but I will be sure to post the photo on the blog as well.

I'm Back

Sorry for the lapse in posts lately. The injured leg turned out to be a small blood clot in my left calf. It took nearly 2 weeks to have it diagnosed and another week and a half for my leg to stop hurting. After that, I had to get ready for my vacation, which took two weekends.

I went to NYC on my vacation. The first Saturday I was there, my daughter and I took part in a training walk with a group of women who will be walking in October. Two of them will be walking for their 6th time, my daughter will be on her 3rd and the other 3 of us are novices. We walked in Prospect Park. It was around 5 miles. After looking at some shoes, my daughter and I walked another 4 miles or so. The heat got to me and I had to stop, so we got lunch and then caught a subway home.

On the last Sunday I was there, we got up early and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge (my first time) and then down to Union Square. That was at least 7 miles - possibly more, but it was relaxed and unhurried.

At least I didn't slack off completely while I was away.

Weekend of July 31 - August 1
Part 1

I got up early and was out on the trail at 6:20 am. The waning moon was directly above me in the lightening sky with a very bright Venus showing to its left. It was only about 81 degrees, but with the high humidity, it wasn't very comfortable.

The bayou was very high. Apparently it rained a lot while I was out of town. The water was so high, the water from the areas further away from the bayou wasn't able to drain. The water hole near the beginning of the trail had its covering of algae broken (probably from the rain). The grass in the fields at the side of the trail had been cut, but it was very green.

As I walked below the tree canopy, I had to duck several times because the vines had grown so much they were hanging down to about 4' above the trail. In the areas where the canopy was very heavy, the smell of wild grapes was very strong. They were ripe and most had already fallen from the vines. I'm sure they made wonderful meals for the birds, but the ones that landed on the trail were very messy.

There weren't too many people and fewer bicycles than I have ever seen. I was done with my walk. I was by 7:45 and back home by 8:00. It was a good day.as good that I planned

I only planned to walk 5 miles. I have new shoes and don't want to over-do the first day. I used a lot of Body Glide on my feet to avoid having any issues on the first time out. It was good I didn't fo any further, because I rubbed a blister on my left heel and by the time I was done, my foot wasn't feeling too good. Apparently, not enough Body Glide.

Part 2
I got up at 5:00 am again and was very quick getting ready and hit the path by 6:10. It was considerably darker than on Saturday. The moon was still there, but Venus was to the right of the moon and not nearly as bright. The sky was nearly black. When I walked under the first area covered by the canopy, I was a little spooked. It was beautifully cool, but extremely dark. A bicycle came up behind me and the rider spoke very softly when he said "on your left" and it nearly gave me a heart attack. It certainly pumped me fill of Adrenalin and my heart-rate spiked. It made walking a little difficult.

The rabbits were very reticent about coming out to the trail. I guess they are getting older and more wary of people. I think I only saw 3 on the whole walk and they were far off the trail by the tree line.

People were out with their dogs, as usual. There was one small white dog whose owner was jogging and the dog wanted nothing to do with it. Another small boxer mix was carrying a loop of his leash in his mouth and dancing forward and back trying to get his owners to walk faster. The last interesting one I saw was a chocolate lab running well in front of his very tired and sweaty owner. I suggested that the dog had a bit more energy than he had. The man readily agreed.

At the half-way point on my 2nd leg (about mile 2) a woman walked up behind me. I had seen her several times before. I walked with her to the end of my leg (2.5 miles) and we had a nice chat. She is retired and walks a minimum of 5 miles each day. She checks the sunrise so she knows not to get out early. It was nice to have someone to walk with, even for a short time. I'm sure I slowed her down, but she sped me up.

Once More

Part 1

Another fine morning. Out early and it wasn't too hot.

I like being out early because their are a lot fewer people on the trail. There were only a handful of folks before 7:00 am. The bicycles don't start showing up until around 7:30.

This week there were a lot of bicycles again. Some of them are fine, but there are some who don't observe the rules of courtesy and could be the cause of accidents as a result.

The air was cool, but the ground was warm, so there was a lot of ground fog in the low spots. It was really pretty with the cloud hanging so near the ground. It just sort of glowed and then it would move as the air currents dipped into the valleys. I wish I could take a photo of it, but the film (or the digital caputure)can't really show the reality of what it looks like in person. I think it is due to the light refraction through the cloud - or something. At any rate, I am unable to take a decent picture of it.

I walked the full 7 miles today and finished in just under 2 hours. It was pleasant, but I was so hot when I finished I couldn't wait to get home for a shower.

Part 2

I had theatre tickets for "Boeing, Boeing" for last night. It was a good show, but a late night. The man in the seat next to me (not my guest - the one on the other side) was figiting all through the show and was taking up more than his fair share of space. By the end of the evening I was feeling very stiff and uncomfortable.

When I got up this morning, my left leg was really hurting. I may have torn the ligament in the back of my calf. I didn't walk today and will be treating this injury until I'm feeling better.

I'M WORKING ON IT

Part 1
I made it to the trail at 6:10 this morning and hit the pavement at 6:15. The sun had not yet broken over the horizon. It was already 80 degrees and about 85% humidity.

The over-riding sense was that insects and birds were taking over. I imagine the birds were out for a banquet early in the day. There were squadrons of dragon flies over the meadows. They looked like military helicopters executing maneuvers. There were hundreds of them. They weren't the kind I generally see with dark iridescent bodies. These were black with black and gray stripped wings.

I saw more birds this morning than I ever have before. I saw 6 female cardinals today. They were flying back and forth across the path. I think they were probably getting breakfast for their chicks. They certainly didn't seem bothered by me. I also saw several tiny, brown birds. I don't know what they are, but they fly very fast and their call is more like a ticking sound than a song.

As always, there were rabbits out in force. I passed at least 7 during the walk. They were as placid as ever, only running away when a bird flew near them.

I had a couple of unusual sightings today - an armadillo out in the sun and a small snake warming itself on the edge of the path.

In the first 45 minutes of my walk I only saw two people I had seen on my previous outings. I guess they had the same idea of getting out before it is too hot. After 7:00, I began to see more of the regulars.

I walked the full 7 miles today and did it in under two hours. I felt good about that. The best part was that I was able to go without my sun glasses on the entire outward bound half of the walk. The sun was fully up by the time I made the turn to head back to the car. It was beginning to get uncomfortably hot. There was a breeze, but it was too damp to be cooling. About half way back I managed to catch some strong wind to cool off at least a bit. The last 10 minutes of the walk was brutal. I was overheated and my left knee was painful (bad joint and arthritis), but I made it and was pleased to get back to the car and the air conditioning.

Part 2
I didn't get out as early as yesterday, but I was walking at 6:25 - not too bad. I only planned to walk 5 miles this morning. I'm trying not to hurt myself any more than necessary - not that it should be necessary.

Much like yesterday, the temperature was around 80 degrees. Luckily, we had a short strong shower yesterday afternoon. It seemed to have cleared out some of the humidity, so it wasn't so bad today.

The first wildlife I saw today was a hawk. It was sitting in one of the trees near the start of the trail. It flew across the trail directly in front of me. I didn't see it capture prey, but it was clear that was the plan. That may be why I didn't see any other birds flying around and the only rabbits I saw were very near the underbrush for a quick get-away. Later in the morning I saw an egret landing on the far side of the meadow, near the high trail. This is the first time I've seen one in the park.

It is always interesting to me that so many people from so many different places walk in this park. I heard people talking Japanese, an African language, and some central European language. The folks that walk here seem have different backgrounds, education levels, ages, sizes and shapes. There are some who have been running for some time - you can see it in their lack of body fat and musculature. There are others, like me, who are beginners - their pace and difficulty breathing sets them apart. There are families who get out there together and people with their dogs; people in groups and those who go alone. I'm sure we're all out there for different reasons as well. The great thing is that everyone can be there for whatever reason and we still manage to pass each other without incident every weekend. It makes you think if we can do it here, why can't we do it everywhere.

Time to pull weeds in my garden. Bye.

SUMMER IS HERE
Part 1

Liz called on Friday evening to say her mom was sick and she wouldn't be meeting me to walk on Saturday. I figured I could get up earlier and get out to the trail before it got too hot.

I made it to the trail at about 6:40 - not as early as I had hoped, but at least it was before 7:00.

There were a lot of small rabbits along the trail. I think they don't move away from the traffic because they were just born in the spring and this is standard for them. People have always been around and they never bother the bunnies, so the bunnies aren't afraid of them. The look so soft, I want to pet them. They probably wouldn't let me and if they did, I would probably catch some strange bunny-carried disease.

They cut down the beautiful prairie grass. It was probably a fire hazard, but I liked the way it looked when the breeze was blowing. It looked very calm and soothing.

The very last of the honeysuckle is hanging in and putting out its strong scent. In the humidity, it was cloying and it is a good thing there were just a few blooms. The smell aggravates my allergies.

No rain for a couple of weeks means the water in bayou is back down again. There was quite a strong rapid under the Wilcrest bridge. That is the only place there was any agitation in the entire bayou. The rest was very smooth and quiet - very different from a few weeks ago.

I saw the woman from the Muslim couple again. She was walking by herself this week. She still had on sweat pants and a long skirt. Her head scarf was just around her head this time and her long sleeves were pushed up to her elbows. I still can't imagine how she did the walk. I would have passed out.

The best part of the day was when a young jogger passed by. He was tall and had close-cropped, tawny hair. He was over 6' tall and very lean. He was wearing long athletic shorts and no shirt. He had a strong, muscular back that was a pleasure to view and long, lean legs. I guessed he was either a former college athlete or military. When he passed me on his way back, I was able to enjoy a very pleasant view of an equally muscular chest. My guess was confirmed by the Marine emblem on the lower leg of his shorts. All-in-all very nice.

My pace was somewhat slower than I have been maintaining. It took me an extra 5 minutes on the first leg (usually 20 minutes). I tried to make it up, but wasn't able to. It was so hot by the time I was on the way back, I was about 15 minutes over my usual time. I didn't think it was too bad. I simply don't handle the heat very well. I can't imagine how hot it would have been on the sunny end of the trail.

I only walked 5 miles because I didn't want to hurt myself like I did a few weeks ago.

Part 2

I went to the theatre on Saturday night, so the alarm lost and I stayed in bed. My allergies were going crazy and I wouldn't have lasted 20 minutes on the trail.

Next week - maybe.

I am soooooo far behind on my posting. I heartily apologize to those of you who may have been checking for new posts recently. I'm going to get back up to date right now.


MEMORIAL DAY
Part 1

I met Liz at 8:00 for our walk. It was already really warm, but we got on the Heights walking trail right away. It takes us just about an hour to walk from her place to the south end of the trail and back again. It is about 3 miles and we move at a fairly sedate pace.

By the time we got back at 9:00 it was hot and we were both sweating. I'm half convinced that we have as much condensation as real sweat, but that would be difficult to prove.

Luckily for us, Liz's parents were visiting, so her mom made us breakfast. I love it when someone cooks for me - it doesn't happen very often. We ate our wonderful breakfast and then sat around and talked for a couple of hours. It was very relaxing to unwind after our walk this way.

Part 2

Sunday morning came around way too early. I had plans to go to Galveston to see friends who were at their beach house, so I wanted to get an early start on my walk. Unfortunately, my body wasn't cooperating and I figured, I didn't have to work on Monday, so I had another day to walk and really could sleep in and not walk on Sunday.

Part 3

I spent Sunday with my friends in Galveston and the traffic coming back was miserable. I didn't get home until 1:00 am. I dutifully went right to bed and set the alarm for 5:00 am so I could get up and walk. I didn't. I turned off the alarm and slept until 10:30. I needed the sleep far more than I needed to walk. I did feel really guilty though.

I hope that several new people will be checking out the blog this week. I sent out my fundraising email today letting quite a few folks know about it. To those of you visiting for the first time - Welcome. To those coming back for more - Thanks.

I'm Back

Part 1

After 2 weeks away due to the closure of the park and another one due to stormy weather and an uncooperative back, I'm back. I was very disappointed to see that after closing the park for two weeks, the only part of the path they re-surfaced was the area that goes along the side of the water treatment plant. They widened the path with a cement poured sidewalk and curb. Beyond that, they did tar over the adolescent graffiti that had been sprayed on a portion of the blacktop. It is hard to believe it took two weeks to accomplish that.

It was actually good that I didn't walk last weekend. I was ready to get out of the car to begin walking and it began pouring down rain with lots of thunder and lightening. It is clear that the rain caused the bayou to fill up significantly. There were several places on the path that were clearly underwater for some period of time. A lot of sand had settled on the path at all three of the areas that are near the level of the water.

The water is still very high in the bayou.



Mexican hat

The honeysuckle, bluebonnets and Indian paint brush have given over to Mexican hat flowers and wild roses. There are a lot of both along the trail. The tall prairie grass is already turning brown and makes quite a beautiful picture as it blows in the wind.

Prairie grass

The bunnies were out in force on Saturday. I saw at least 4 rabbits within 1' - 2' of the path. They didn't seem to have any problem with the people, bicycles or even dogs that passed them. They stayed very still and barely even moved their heads as I passed.

I'm always surprised by the people I see in the course of my walk. I saw the couple with the border collies in their strollers again. The dogs look so comfortable and natural in the strollers, it doesn't even seem odd for them to be riding. I would love to see them walking sometime. They are both beautiful dogs.

I also saw a couple I've never seen before. They were obviously Muslim. He was wearing a t-shirt and cargo pants. She was in sweat pants, a black chiffon dress with long sleeves, a head scarf and another scarf under her chin. I was so warm in my shorts and t-shirt, I can't imagine how hot she must have been. Interestingly enough, the heat didn't seem to bother her at all. I guess it depends on what you are used to.

I know that I tend to over-do when I start a project or an exercise regime, so I wanted to be sure that I wouldn't push myself too hard. I made an appointment to have my car worked on and I needed to drop it off before 9:00 am. When I got to the 2.5 mile point on the walk, I felt like I could go further, but knowing that I had to drop off the car, I couldn't. So, I turned around and finished the 5 miles.

Part 2

This morning was bright an warm. The humidity was very high. I got started early and hoped that I would finish before it got too hot.

There were a lot of runners today. I'm in awe of people who can do that. I'm having enough difficulty just walking. I can't imagine subjecting my knees to the stress a run would cause. in addition to the knees, there are plenty of hills on this trail. Walking them is difficult, running them would cause my heart to explode. I also saw a guy on roller blades. Very impressive. He was moving fast down as well as up the hills.

The sun was strong the entire walk, but by the time I made the 3.5 mile mark, I was starting to feel the effects. I'm particularly susceptible to heat exhaustion. I was drinking plenty of water, but my body doesn't hold up well in the heat. My face tends to turn red and I fall over. So I took my time on the second half. I walked much slower and stopped a couple of times to rest. There was a dark cloud that held the promise of a rain shower, but it never let loose. I was hoping it would break loose and drench me - not for a long time, just a short, strong shower to cool things off. By the time I got back to the car, I was exhausted and very uncomfortable. My only desire was to get home to a shower and a rest. Several hours later, I'm cooler, but I think every muscle in my body is hurting.

Tomorrow should be interesting.

Better Late . . .

The last week has been crazy and I didn't get around to posting.



Part 1



Saturday was kind of overcast, but not bad. There was a nice breeze so it was a good day to walk. It is getting a lot warmer and I had to break out the shorts. It is kind of a scary look for me.



The cottonwood trees are still putting out a lot of cotton. It looks like snow along the trail - particularly at the trail head and the bridges. I tried to get a picture, but it just doesn't read very well in a photo.



The honeysuckle is still going strong. The vines grow like crazy. They grow up the trees and over the top a lot like kudzu. The difference is that the honeysuckle vines are much lighter and let light through so it doesn't damage the trees. Again the perfume from thousands of honeysuckle flowers can be overwhelming.



This is what the flowers look like. They are about 3" top to bottom and they are everywhere. I took photos of the vines growing up over the trees, but it is too difficult to see the difference between the trees and the vines.









Liz joined me and we walked four miles. This is the longest walk we've done together. It didn't seem like any distance at all because we talked the entire way.



Part 2



Sunday started a bit cooler than I expected. I wore shorts again and was a little worried I might be too cool. It wasn't a problem. The seven mile walk more than warmed me up.



The bicycles are back. I walked early, so it wasn't too bad. I think I only saw about 25 bikes. I did see one person on roller blades. I have real respect for those folks. I have no idea how they pump up the rather substantial hills on this trail. I know I could never do it.



There are two wooden bridges on the trail. They are both very nice, but I don't often cross them when others are on them. Today, I crossed with several runners and a bicycle. That was weird. The vibrations from the runners and bicycle were at a different rate than those caused by my walking. It gave me a sense of being out of phase. Very strange.



I clocked my walk and was a little upset that I didn't do the first half within an hour. I was taking photos and that slowed me down a bit. When I checked at the end of the walk, I was back on track - the whole walk was exactly 2 hours. I'm pretty comfortable with the 7 miles now and I'm going to need to bump up to the next step.



The trail will be closed for the next two weeks so they can resurface the track. I'm guessing they may do some upkeep on the wooden bridges as well. My plan is to walk with Liz next Saturday at her place if she is up to it and to skip the weekend if she isn't. I won't be able to take off both weekends so I'll need to figure out where to walk the second weekend of the work. In the meantime, I'm planning to catch up on some of my projects at home.



I won't be posting for next weekend.

Post Tax Weekend

Part 1

I walked alone on Saturday. I expected rain, which did fall on other parts of town, but I didn't have any during my walk. It was very overcast and gray - but no rain.

As I expected, there were far fewer cyclists on Saturday. The MS 150 ride was scheduled from Houston to Austin beginning early in the morning and lasting through the weekend. I think I only saw a dozen cyclists and of those only about 4 or 5 had cycling jerseys on. Nearly all of them were truly recreational riders. No one was whizzing by the walkers and most were moving very sedately. It made for a much calmer day.

The wildflowers are already fading. The bluebonnets that were so bright just two weeks ago are fading in color and dying back. The Indian paintbrush seem to be a hardier variety of flower. They are still bright and strong against the tall grass. There are some beautiful purple flowers that have three petals. I hope they are still there next week so I can take some pictures. They are really pretty.

I decided to try for the next benchmark on the trail. That meant adding about 2 miles to the walk. I figured I would try to go as far as possible and turn around when I had had enough. Oddly enough, I made it the whole way. Even better, it took me 1 hour to do the first half and 1 hour to make it back to the car. I am pleased that I'm keeping my pace as even as that. I figured that the second half was covered at a much slower pace. It really hadn't occurred to me to check my time at the mid-point of the walk. All in all, I'm very happy with my progress.

Part 2

It was awful dragging myself out of bed this morning. I even went to bed before 10 last night - almost unheard of for me. It was a gray and humid morning with rain hanging in the air, just outside my reach. It would have been repressively hot if not for the breeze that blew almost constantly right at ground-level. The wind was at my back on the front end of the walk. On the way back, it was pretty much in my face. It was a steady, low breeze that worked well to cool me off. The rain actually held back until I was back at the head of the trail and started in earnest as I drove back home.

I don't know if it was the weather or the lighter traffic on the trail, but the wildlife was much more in evidence today. There were several rabbits that didn't even bother to move off the side of the trail when I walked by. There were far more squirrels running around and playing together. I even saw a squirrel walking next to a bird for about 30 feet along the path. The bird would walk a few steps and the squirrel would follow along. Then the bird would move again and the squirrel would follow. Finally the bird flew on to a low branch and the squirrel jumped into the brush. I have never seen anything like it. I also saw a jet black squirrel. I've never seen a completely black one. It was almost like a shadow sitting on side of a tree. I had to get up right next to it to really see that it was a squirrel.

I was taking a drink and happened to be looking up at the sky as a pelican flew over. I haven't seen a pelican this far from the coast, but I guess it was flying toward one of the many lakes north of the city.

It was an interesting walk. I didn't even have any music in my head today. I was just open to everything around me.

I walked the full 7 miles again today. I was pretty stiff when I got home. I probably over-did and will most likely be paying for it all week.

A Different Track

Part 1

Today I walked with Liz in her neighborhood. She lives in one of the oldest parts of Houston. Many of the houses are old Queen Anne style homes. I just love them. When we walk past one that is run down and needs love, it makes me sad. I think beautiful houses should be treated as treasures.

We walked 3 miles today. This was a good increase from the last time we walked together. I told her I'm going to get her up to 5 miles eventually. The walk didn't seem very long, but that is because we were talking. We have to cross a bunch of streets on this walk, so there is a lot of changes in the level of the path. That slows us down quite a bit. On the up side, there weren't any twinges or pains as we walked today.
On top of everything else, her parents are visiting, and her mom made us breakfast. We sat around and talked with her mom and dad all morning. It was a very pleasant way to spend half the day.















This is a small wetlands area near the begging of the trail.

Part 2


On Sunday I shared my walk by phone with my daughter. We talked nearly the entire time. If we do that again I will definitely take my hands free. My arms got really tired.


I walked just over my regular 6 miles. I think it was about 6, but I'm not certain. The weather was still cool enough for me to wear a hoodie without dying from the heat, but I was pretty warm by the time I finished.


The plant of the week is honeysuckle. The flowers are just beginning to blossom. If you are familiar with honeysuckle vines, you know that once they get established, they spread like crazy. There are probably over a hundred individual plants along the path. The flowers are very fragrant and when in full bloom can be overwhelming. It should be interesting to see how many blooms are out by next weekend.

Bunny Day Weekend

Part 1

Liz called early today to let me know she woke up with a bad foot and wouldn't be able to walk with me. Since we wouldn't be seeing each other, we had to discuss the issues of the week. We had a really good talk. Unfortunately, we were on the phone for half an hour. That put me behind on getting out of the house.

I didn't get to the park until about 8:15. When I got there no parking spaces were left. People had parked on the grass and anywhere else they could get their vehicles as well. I checked the street where I usually turn around, but there isn't a parking lot at that location. I ended up going all the way to the other end of the park. As it was, I got the last spot in that lot. I guess the holiday weekend is a benchmark for people who want to get outside in the spring.

This is the first time that I have gone to this end of the park, so I had to ask where the walking trails start. Some ladies finishing up their bike ride were kind enough to point me in the right direction. I started walking at about 8:40 - a very late start.

This part of the park is in an area that is more built up. The trail goes through several town home complexes and runs behind houses almost its entire length. It is much flatter and not as natural as the part of the trail I usually walk. I don't know if it is just the area or if it is because I was walking so much later than usual, but there were loads of people on the trail.

There were a lot of bicycles (the MS 150 is April 17 so there is a lot of training going on). I saw one group with 16 bikes in total. It was great because there were some older riders with a number of younger riders. The older ones were teaching the kids the etiquette of riding ("on your left", etc.). I love seeing that.

There were a lot more runners than I generally see. Some of them were barely lifting their feet off the ground - more shuffling than running. Others were regular runners, many wearing t-shirts from marathons they had run. There were also a number of family groups with grandparents, parents and kids. I saw at least five strollers with children of various ages. My favorite was a little girl about 3 years old in a stroller with a canopy over it. She would look out from under the canopy and then push it up so she could see better. When we made eye contact, she pulled the canopy down in front of her so she couldn't see out at all. It was funny. I only saw 5 dogs on the entire walk.

I walked just under 5 miles this morning. That was where the break in the trail put me. I didn't have a problem, but it did take me longer than usual. By the time I turned around at the mid-point, I was hot and sweaty. I'm sure this will only get worse as the year goes on. I'm not looking forward to that, but I guess I'll have to deal.

Tomorrow is Easter. It will be interesting to see how many folks are out in the morning.

Part 2

Happy Bunny Day. I did see the Easter Bunny on my way back. He looked tired - like he had been up early and done a lot. I hope he was good to everyone.

The morning was very overcast and gray. It was about 78 degrees and almost hazy. I think it was about 99% humidity. This is the first place I have ever lived where it can be 100% humidity and not be raining. I figured I was going to be rained on before I finished, but it didn't happen - good karma I guess.

Due to the holiday and the early hour, the trail was pretty empty. I was able to walk 10 - 15 minutes without seeing anyone. There were a fair number of cyclists, but they were in small groups and spread out. I saw a larger group pulling out of the parking lot just as I got tot the end of my walk. I imagine there were more as the morning progressed.

The walk was very quiet. The breeze through the trees was interesting. It started up high and then moved down and across the trees. I really enjoy that sound and the movement of the trees. It made me take notice. I felt like it was something so much bigger than myself - not just the trees, but everything. I often have the same feeling when I see a particularly beautiful building or a work of art that speaks to my inner self. It made the walk seem shorter than usual.

I could also hear the water - the moisture dripping off the trees and the water in the bayou. When there was a particularly strong wind, it was like a short rain shower - very hard, but very short. It was a nice respite from the heat.

With all the moisture and the warmer temperature, my hoodie was far too warm. I had the sleeves pushed up and the zipper unzipped almost immediately. I was sweating a great deal, but it was difficult to tell what was sweat and what was condensation. It was most likely a strong combination of both. By the time I finished, my hair was dripping down the back of my neck.

The sun didn't come out while I was walking so the flowers were not as strong and bright as they might have been. The Indian Paintbrushes and blue bonnets are coming on strong, but didn't see as bright without the sun. I took some pictures today and I'll try to post them with my next blog post. I have to figure out how to do it.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Spring Has Sprung





Part 1



My friend Liz joined me for a 2.6 mile walk this morning. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed the time together. We were talking the entire time and the miles went by very quickly.


We didn't start until 8:00 this morning, so there was a lot more traffic on the trail. The bicycles were very visible. I rode the MS 150 about 17 years ago, so I'm aware of the etiquette for riders. Many are great and always call "on your left" when they pass. Unfortunately, quite a few are either ignorant of the courtesy or are just rude and fly by without any warning. It is such a small thing and really makes a difference in the safety for the pedestrians. It is aggravating that they don't make the effort.


There were a lot of walkers today and lot fewer runners. That may have been due to our later start. I didn't get a sense of anything particular about the people today because we were involved in our conversation. I did see one really big dog. It looked like a Weimaraner, but was as big as a Great Dane. It was pretty far away, so I couldn't tell for sure the breed.


Tomorrow is another day - and another walk.

Part 2

Sunday was a different day. The sky was clear and the temperature was mild. The wind, however, was very active.

The flower of the day was the Azalea. With the cold, wet weather we've had, the bushes didn't flower as early as they normally do. Every spring in Houston they have the Azalea Trail. It is a fund-raiser where you can pay the fee to look at a number of the beautiful azalea installations around the city. Some of them are really breath-taking when they are in full bloom. Since this is generally held the first week in March, I don't think they had a very good showing this year. This weekend was when the bushes bloomed. There were bright pink, red, and salmon in evidence at the park and they were beautiful. There were a few patches of Indian Paint Brush, but it will be another couple of weeks before they come into their own. I also saw a couple of bunches of bluebonnets. I think there will be a lot more by next weekend.

The native grasses are getting very tall. They don't mow in many areas of the park in order to keep the native plants alive and strong. It appears that someone does keep the area to either side of the path cleaned up so there isn't a lot of overgrowth. I'm guessing that they have to do it with weed whackers because they could never get mowers so close to the trees. Whatever they do and whoever does it - it looks great and it makes for a wonderful place to enjoy.

When I completed the first half of the walk and was ready to turn around to head back, I decided to take "the high road." That is what I call the alternate path that is on the opposite side of the park. I have seen a lot of people walking their dogs and a number of mountain bikes taking that path. It is higher and much more in the sun that the path I generally walk. It is only partially paved. There is a lot of loose gravel and a couple of place with lots of sand. I hit one spot where the sand was wet and I sunk into it. It wasn't too deep, but it surprised me. I spoke with a number of people out with their dogs. For some reason, they are more talkative than the walkers and runners. The wind was more of a problem, partially due to the limited amount of cover and partially due to the fact that I was walking into it. By the time I got back to my car, my forehead and the muscles around my eyes were very tight - apparently I was squinting even with my sunglasses. It was really tiring and when I got home I was exhausted.

This was really a tougher weekend than I've had before. I will do the same repetition next weekend and hope I do better.

Daylight Savings Time

Part 1 -

I figured I would get up earlier today to get started so I could miss the majority of the cyclists on the trail. I forgot that with the change to Daylight Savings Time last weekend, it would still be dark at 7:00 am. It was finally light enough for me to be comfortable on the trail at 7:20. On top of everything, it was very overcast today and the sun didn't ever come out from behind the clouds. I could have slept a lot longer.

Getting out earlier gave me a new perspective. The wildlife hadn't pulled back to avoid the people. I saw a bunny right next to the path, several squirrels on the path and a lot of birds that aren't usually visible - woodpecker, mocking bird and something smaller that a sparrow that I couldn't identify (I may need to get a book). I think I heard a goose in some distress, but I didn't see it.

The plants are all reacting to the warmer weather. The red bud trees are all in bloom. I saw one today that has a really dark purple bloom. I've never seen one with a color that strong. There are a bunch of trees with multiple white flowers. I don't know what they are, but they look like the blooms from fruit trees. The clover flowers were in bud. I think if the sun had come out, they would have opened. The yellow weeds are still out in full bloom. There is the promise of lots of bluebonnets (the Texas state flower) nearly ready to open. If the weather stays warm, they could be out in force next weekend. I even saw one - just one - Indian paintbrush with a bud. Those don't generally open until we've had several weeks of really warm weather. The tree pollen, that has been hitting those of us with total misery for the last two weeks, is clearly visible. It looked like yellow chalk lines on the path. The pollen had settled around the areas where the rain during the week puddled. When the water evaporated it left the pollen to blow in the wind. Luckily, I took my Claritin-D last night before I went to bed and wasn't terribly effected today. If my luck holds I won't feel it tomorrow either. Think good thoughts for me.

Today I was very aware of being "in the middle." I saw a number of folks who were in their late 60's and 70's. I applaud their commitment to staying healthy and their ability to walk the distance. I saw quite a few in their late 20's and 30's. They were all very intense - like it was some kind of contest. I think most of them will get over that when they hit their 40's. There will be a few that treat their entire lives like a contest. I'm so glad I'm not one of them. I only saw a few people in the 40 - 60 age range - where I am. I usually see more, so I assume that they had the good sense to sleep in and not tempt the rain gods who made themselves apparent a couple of times during my walk.

Tomorrow, I plan to do it all again - weather permitting. I'm supposed to walk even if it rains, but I don't have any rain gear yet and I don't want to get sick, so if it rains, I'm staying home.


Part 2

I got up at 6:30 on Sunday, but it was only 38 degrees and the weatherman said it wouldn't get up to 40 until 9:00 am. That's when I decided there was no way I was going to walk in the cold.

My daughter told me I shouldn't have wimped out and should have walked because it can be that cold in NYC in October. I believe it may be 38 when we start out in the morning for
the walk, but I think it will warm up more than 2 degrees in the first 2 1/2 hours.

So instead of walking five miles, I did all my laundry and cleaned (really cleaned) my bedroom before noon. I spent the rest of the day quilting. All in all a good trade off.

Until next time.