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.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
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.
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.
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