splat, birthday edition

Yesterday between classes I went to Meadow Breeze Park in Washington Township. It's about two miles from school. Actually, if I cut thru the parking lot, and a farm, it's probably only a 1/2 mile from school.

I found the park easily and parked. They still had Port-o-potties set up which was really nice. As I assumed, there were a lot of ball type fields. This place must be jumping in the summer.  But I digress. When I drove into the park I saw the walking path. I parked, and headed around the traffic oval to get there. Suddenly I was flying forward and my phone was flying out of my hand.

There is one other car in the lot. I'm laying on the ground thinking oh shit. If I can't get up I am so screwed. But I got up just fine. Dusted myself off, found my phone and keys, and headed toward the path.

The path is basically a circle around the outside edges of the park. It's surrounded by farmland. This field of pumpkins is on the other side of the road. I headed right, and followed the path around 1/4 circle. I could hear water running, and saw that the path branched to the left and crossed the creek. It also went straight. I decided to check out the creek.

There was a little bridge and it took you to another side of the park. This park is big. The creek is small. Of course, it's a creek. The path seemed to stop.

I returned to the main route where I turned another corner and there was a horse farm. There were a lot of no trespassing signs. I bet they get their fair share of stray balls. Then there was two consecutive paths that looked like it went to another lot. But maybe they made a circle. I didn't check.

When I returned to the car, I couldn't find my keys. I thought. Oh, sit, now I'm stuck here in bum-fuc nowhere. But they were buried deep in my pocket. Off to work again.

Miles/Steps:           1
Weather:                forgot to look. 

Wildlife:                  do the five horse count? They aren't exactly wild ...

at least i made the attempt

I downloaded the instructions to the Musconetcong Watershed and headed out all excited yesterday. The time would be tight because it was a 9-mile detours (total 18) but that would be okay. I could take the paid bridge and save myself 10 minutes. I packed lunch.

Class left out and I headed to the watershed. These were serious country roads. I arrived in the town, and started to look for the street to turn on. I found it. And I also found a sign that pointed me to I-78. I turned the corner and the parking lot was filled with construction equipment.

I went up the road, turned around and came back. I thought there might be parking on both sides of the street. Nope, more construction equipment.

Clearly they are doing some sort of maintenance on the watershed. A lot of parks have serious work to do because of all the rain we had this year. Lots of trails are washing out. There are also erosion issues.

I went back out to the main road and followed the signs to Route 78. It brought me out at the weigh station.

This morning I looked for more parks to walk in. I'm starting to run out.

The P'burg walking trail for the Morris Canal will take some doing. I don't think that's a place to go in a half hour. I could do part of their side of the river trail, if I knew where to park. More research, I guess.

I looked up a few other places near the school and they all seem to be rustic, natural, hiking areas. Not a place to go between jobs. I found one in Washington called Meadow Breeze Park. It's only about 2 miles from school. It looks like a lot of athletic fields and playgrounds, but from the pics it appears to have a walking path. We'll see Thursday.

ten days since i posted

Have I ever gone that long before? Probably. I know I have a slump at least once a year.

What have I been doing with myself other than sitting on the couch. Defrosting the freezer. Drawing. Cleaning my pig-sty house.

I could have sworn I walked last weekend and posted about it. But I cannot find anything. I even looked in my deleted photos. Basically, I'm in one of my self-destruct moods. I've given into fat and lazy. My roommates are not any help, actually, they might be much of the problem. Nor is the wacky weather. Add to that my annual late-November birthday/holidays blues. (Heck it's Novemeber 26 and I haven't made a Christmas card yet!) I know I did small walks here and there, but nothing to write about.

It's been so bad, half the time I don't even put my Fit Bit on.

So this is the post of excuses. I will now get over myself, get my shit in gear, and get moving seriously.

Saturday I thought I walked, but clearly I didn't. I didn't take a single picture.

Sunday, Bonnie and I went to Hugh Moore park for an evergreen workshop and walked on the trail a bit. The Josiah White looks pretty in the snow.

Monday clueless. It rained. I am so over rain. This might have been the day I started to walk and had a gastric event that had me literally running home.

Tuesday I didn't walk between classes ... it was raining cats and dogs. I had Thai food instead. It was yummy. The place used to be a Blimpies. I wish I would have had my FIt Bit on. I was running around that college like a wild lady.

Wednesday the temps were falling and it rained. After my adventure in the snow a week prior, I decided not to wait until inspection to buy tires. (OMG what a pain in the ass it is to turrn off the traction control!) I bought new tires at BJs, so instead of walking around the "neighborhood" as I planned, I walked up and down every aisle in the store for an hour. Slighly better than mall-walking because there is nothing in BJs to distract me. Plus I defrosted the freezer.

Thursday I had plans to do a dawn Thanksgiving hike on Sheetrock in Macungie. It left at 5:45 am. When I rose, it was 18 degrees outside. Because it rained Wednesday and there was still leftover snow, that meant the potential for ice. I have never been on that trail so I'd be doing it in the dark for the first time on ice. I have no health insurance and I decided an icy hike, up a mountain, in the dark, on a strange trail, was a formula for disaster. Half dressed I went back to bed.

Friday I had three choices for #optoutside walks. I was excited. I had planned on the one in Phoenixville. Thursday night the roomie starts carrying on about how I'm always gone and she stuck with my neices dog  blah, blah, blah. She continued on Friday morning.  The guilt work and I didn't go. About 10 she asked me what time my walk was. I said now. I didn't go. You got your way. Repeat the drama for Saturday. This time I was planning Hershey. I need to put EVERY walk on the calendar so she doesn't bitch. I am so over her drama.

Saturday the weather improved. I didn't go out at all. I sat inside and wallowed.  I was just so pissed at the roomie I didn't go to spite her. Yeah, I know, that's counter-productive.

Sunday it was beautiful. I went to Emmaus with all intentions of going up to the gateway trail. I didn't. I went to the farmer's market and bought honey, maple syrup, and apples and decided to make an apple crisp. I walked around town a little and then went back to the car.

So now it's Monday. What a surprise it's raining again.  And my birthday is Thursday. Every one tells me only one more year to Social Security. Who the hell wants to retire? I have no desire to sit in my "yellow" chair and become cranky and bitter like the one roomate.

A new week, a new day. Today I will force myself out for a walk for just 30 minutes every day.  Tomorrow I'll try for that between class walk again.

Beginning December 1st I will walk everyday and post photos of tacky Christmas decorations. Cover your eyes.

early snow changes plans

Yesterday I had planned on going to the Musconetcong Watershed to do my between class walk. It's in Asbury, NJ about nine miles from campus. It's a little further west than I normally go, but there's easy access to Route 78, so it should be no problem.

My class at WCCC goes from 10:30-12:20. About 11:00 phones started beeping. We were all getting a text saying that school closed at 12:30 because of snow. There was not a single flake outside. I closed up my classroom at the end of class, and headed to the lot. I was still going to walk.

As I was driving toward Broadway, the first fine flakes started to fall. I decided, maybe that was foolish and headed straight to NCC. We had a little more snow in Pennsylvania, but not a lot. I received another text alert that we were closing at 3:30. My class starts at 2:30. Nobody will come. I could have left right then and there, but I really felt like if even one student came, I should be there.

I waited, no one came, and at 2:45 I left. There was maybe an inch of snow on the ground and I don't think the road crews did anything. I think they were unprepared. I don't understand why because the weather people had been talking about this storm for a week.

I became stuck at one place on Linden street but got myself out and had no more issues until I reached the Fahy bridge. Gridlock. It took about 40 minutes to cross the bridge. When it was my turn, I was in the inside lane. I couldn't move over so I turned and went to Taylor, and became stuck three times. I needed help each time. Once on 4th, It took an hour to get back to New. There, there was an abandoned car in the middle of the street. Another reason why traffic wasn't moving was because people on the cross streets blocked the "box". There was nowhere to go.

My twenty minute drive was now over three hours. I had enough. I turned on New to go to Morton. I wanted to park. I got stuck. Again. Finally, I parked at the Lehigh Bookstore, threw $3 in the meter to take me to 9 pm, and walked home. Total commute time four hours.

I had to get back to the car by 8 am this morning. The meter readers may not be prompt, but they'd be there. I didn't want a ticket.

At seven, I headed out back to shovel, then made a path in the front sidewalk. Then I headed down to Lehigh. This is what I found. The plows came thru during the night and there was a wall of hard snow encompassing my car.

First I fed the meter. Then I attacked the car itself. Then the ground. I still couldn't get out. I had to go accross the street and ask some people shoveling the parking lot for help. As I left I saw the meter people writing tickets.

All that shoveling and my fit bit say 2.6 miles and 1631 calories. I'm bummed.

driver on the walking trail

Thomas Stewart Park is a new park in Greenwich Township, or Stewartsville. I'm not quite sure where the border is. It's right by the elementary school if that helps your sense of direction.

It's a brand new park, the first time I discovered it about a month ago, it was still being built. The next time I drove past it was open. The rain had stopped by the time class was over, so I decided to walk there. I figured the trail would be about a mile, that's what city parks usually are.

I was the only one in the lot when I arrived. The port-o-potties were still there, but their are indoor restrooms. There is a nice children's play area, and some athletic fields. It rained hard the night before, and I was a little surprised to see standing water. It's a brand new park, didn't they work on drainage?

Clearly not. There were huge standing ponds of water. Thankfully the trail just missed them all. If I was a township executive, I'd haul that contractor back in there to fix it! The park is an old corn field replanted with grass. There is no trees, no shade, and no breaks from the wind. With all this standing water I bet in the summer the mosquitoes are gonna be huge!

The trail winds and twists and rolls up and down hills.

This is probably the property next door, but I had to laugh that they had an open pop-up camper facing the park.

After I took this picture I thought I heard a car. I looked toward the parking lot. Nobody. One other runner had gone pass me. Then I saw it. The car was ON THE TRAIL! He was driving on the path. Only in Jersey would this happen.

I looked at the car. I thought maybe it would have the township name on it. But it didn't. It had an engineers name on it. Maybe I was right. Maybe the township is having a hissy fit. Go township.

Miles/Steps:           1
Weather:                 43 at 12:30, overcast, damp, cloudy, 5MPH winds that felt like 20. 

Wildlife:                  a murder of crows

angelica park volkssport walk

Yesterday was the Angelica Park, Reading volkssport walk. It was cold—mid 30s when I left the house. I should have taken a hat and gloves. I need to adjust for winter weather. It's just so early. (Today I turned on the heat. It's not even Thanksgiving!)

The park is a county park, right next door to Alvernia University. There is a nature center, outdoor classroom, a children's play area that's all about nature, and a boardwalk thru some fragile areas. You can see the football scoreboard from the park.

Registration was inside the nature center. The walk from the lot to the nature center gave me a hint what walking would be like. It was a hill, and the wind blew right thru my sweatshirt and fleece. I was dressed wrong.

I signed in and headed out off on the trail. I was doing an 8K, not an official distance. I cut off the loop on the Susquehanna River Trail. It was one of those infamous volkssport "we need to make the distance" additions. Bullshit.

I went down the trail and looped thru the park, then crossed the bridge on to what I thought was campus. But the trail continued next to the creek and the university. It was there I saw this sign.   I thought what an odd logo for a 5K. So I turned around and went back to look. Purple usually represents Alzheimers.

It's actually for the Berks Trail Program sponsored by Reading Hospital. Much like the Montco one, you find the symbols on each of the trails. Unlike the Montco one the directions tell you exactly which trailhead, and which trail to take. Brilliant idea.  This challenges ends Nov. 30. I signed up mostly to get on the mailing list for next year. But frankly, I think I can get the first level done by the end of the month by parking, walking to the sign and moving on to the next one. Maybe Bonnie will come along and read my GPS. She will not talk in my car. I'm positive it has something to due with the phone being synced. If nothing else, at least I'll know where the trail heads are for next year.

Before the trail ended, we moved to walking in the city of West Reading. It looked middle class. Not quite as sketchy as center city.

One reason I wanted to do the 10 section was because the directions said "rock garden", in quotes. So clearly it wasn't going to be botanical. I had visions of Aerosmith and Jon Bon Jovi on the lawn. Instead there was painted rocks on a wall.  It was cute.

Taking the 5K would have also made me miss this view of the city skyline. In my other picture you can see the Pagoda, if you know what you are looking at. Like Fountain Hill, this grave yard is on a steep hill. The skyline is beyond it.

When we returned to the campus I knew we were almost back. This is Francis Hall, the original building for the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. In 1958, the institution became a four-year liberal arts school. When we reached the athletic fields we took the path back into the park and returned to the nature center.

I saw this mural on my way out to the highway on Route 10. It's located at a Susquehanna River Trail trailhead. This mural is massive.

Miles/Steps:           6
Weather:                 43 at noon, mostly sunny, wind gusts up to 40MPH 

Wildlife:                  none

Bathrooms:             I-5.0 in the nature center

wednesday walk with adonis

Adonis has been sick the last 10 days or so. Actually it all started about a month ago with nosebleeds. About 10 days ago he had a bad one and Lydia took him to the animal hospital. Without testing (no, he's 13) the doctor thinks it might be nose cancer. Very common with a dog his size. He prescribed a Chinese herb that could be found in health food stores. Well it couldn't. We searched and searched and then let our fingers do the walking. Finally Lydia posted on Facebook for help and it was located at a Asian grocery store in Allentown.

The bottle is the size of eye drops, glass, and comes with the worlds tiniest spoon. The vet said twice a day. As the days rolled on he became very lethargic—he got up to eat, pea and walk. Period. He even stopped begging for food. Then, Monday he started having difficulty with his hind legs. He couldn't get himself up off the floor. The only thing that changed was the medicine, so she stopped it.

Frankly, I thought he might have had a stroke.

Once he was up, he was fine. He wanted to walk. So we forced him into the car and took him to Monocacy Park. He loved it. Lots to smell. He walked well. But when he went to poop he couldn't hold himself up. He sat in it. Ick.

Thursday I called home between classes and asked about him. Pat said he was having trouble getting up and I needed to come home to take him out. My walk in Warren County was canceled on Tuesday for rain, and now this. I was half way there when she called and said Lydia's friend Kiki came to take him for a walk.

By Thursday night he was almost his old self, just a little slower, and a little wobbly getting up. But he could do it alone. Today he is 90% normal. Not sure he'll get back to 100%. When he has another nose bleed she will try the herb again. This time just once a day. If he reacts we'll all know what to look for.

Miles/Steps:           1/2 mile, maybe. Up one side of the park and back the other. The nature side was way too muddy
Weather:                 Cold, damp, drizzle

Wildlife:                  A half dozen geese, 4 Long Island Pekin Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus). My guess is that they were Easter ducks left at the park.

the phone gps sucks

Yesterday was the Freewalkers /EverWalk joint walk in Philly. The choices were a 1/2 marathon or a marathon. I signed up knowing full well I am not prepared to do either. Anybody who reads this blog knows that I have been a slacker for at least a year. But Diana Nyad was going to be there and I wanted to see her and maybe get re-inspired by her.

But I spent a couple sleepless nights going back and forth over whether to go or not. Really, drive to Philly knowing full-well that you're only doing a 5K. Parking costs alone should have stopped me. But I went. I wanted no shoulda woulda coulda moments.

I arrived at the 30th street station by 7:40 am. With all the construction it took twenty minutes to find parking. I thought. Crap. All this and they'll be gone. They weren't. They were doing stretching. Then speeches. Then dividing into a Full or a Half marathon group. The bugle sounded and we all yelled onward, and the Full people left. And we waited. And waited. We waited until everything was cleaned up and cars parked legally. It was 8:45 when the Half pulled out.

The Half route was basically on the Schuylkill River Trail, past the art museum and boat house road. When they reached the Wissahickon creek the route turned and headed toward Chestnut Hill. The take the train back to the 30th Street station. I had decided that I'd leave before we turned. It would be easy to find my way back.

I had never been on this part of the trail before and I was unprepared to see so many people living under the bridges.

It was cool walking along the river and up close and personal with boat house road. The river was high and running fast from the storms the previous night. I went about two miles and said goodbye and turned back.

Once I retrieved my car I keyed the address for The Rail Park and reviewed the instructions. The last time I tried to use the GPS on my phone she wouldn't talk. Bonnie said it was because I had the phone plugged in. It worked in her car. I had plenty of battery so I didn't plug it in. She wouldn't talk. Again. It must have something to do with the system in my car for the phone. What's the point of GPS if you have to read it?

Thankfully I had read the instructions. I-76 to I-676 and get off at vine street. From there there was enough stop signs for me to read the instructions. I knew I was getting close. I could see the Rail Park. When I arrived at the "location" it was a parking lot, across from the Philadelphia School District Education building. There was an alley and a dilapidated rail car with fencing around it. Huh? So I keyed in "Rail Park" and it said it was a 9-minute walk.

It was a sketchy neighborhood so I decided to move the car. It took me under the park. How the hell do I get on the elevated railway?  It didn't look like I could enter from the parking lot. I went out to the street and followed under the trial until I found stairs. I walked up the stairs and it was the beginning of the park. Right now it's just a 1/4 mile. Eventually it will grow much longer. It's a work in progress that will take a decade to finish.

I walked the length of the park, over the lot that my car was in, and found the other "entrance". It was in an alley. I followed the alley to the street. It lead me to the dilapidated rail car, the parking lot, and the Philadelphia School District building.

The initial directions were correct. I was TWO MINUTES away by foot. All that was needed was a sign. I would have never walked down that alley alone in a neighborhood I didn't know. My guess is that eventually the alley will become a drive way, and the old rail car will be the entrance and point the way.

 This yarn bombing was on the fence to my parking lot.

Miles/Steps:           6 miles total
Weather:                 It started cold, overcast, drizzling, and windy.  By the rail park it was about 70, sunny and very windy.

Bathrooms:             3.5 At the Lloyd House on Boathouse Road.

Parking:                  $25 at 30th Street Station, $5 at the Rail Park.

Extra:                      Diana Nyad came over to me, asked my name and shook my hand. That moment made it worth the drive.

who knew this was a park?

Well, my friend who works in Colonial Williamsburg would. She spent part of her youth in Warren County. It's easy to see on a photo. And I don't think I ever noticed the mules.

I've been passing this sign since September going 45MPH and all I really saw was "Bread Lock". I always thought it was an odd name for a bakery. It's located on Rt 57 at the end of Edison's Concrete Highway and near the Morris Canal Crossing sign. I just figured they were playing with the canal vernacular. Silly me.

Yesterday driving to WCCC there was road construction and I was driving slower. I saw the sign, as always. I'm going slower it's my opportunity to check out the "bakery". Wait, that says Bread Lock Warren County Park. Huh. I googled it once I arrived in my classroom I had another plan for my between schools walk at Thomas Stewart park in Stewartsville but my plans quickly changed. I didn't have sneakers or my sneaker-like slip ons, but I was wearing flats so I should be okay.

After class I headed to the park. I pulled into the entrance and there was a mid-century house that looked like an office. There was maybe 6 parking spaces in front of it. I drove into the driveway thinking there was more parking in the back, but there wasn't. The driveway was a U so I ended up back on 57. I returned to the "house" and parked, then walked down the driveway. On the left I could see the canal and a path. There was also a road to the "museum". In front of me I could see a boat in a pavilion. I walked towards the boat.

When I got closer I saw the ruins of  the Lock Tenders House. The lock tender and his family sold provisions (operated a  grocery store) to the boatmen since there was no long term storage on the canal boats. They also made fresh potato bread, and that's how canal lock 7W became known as the bread lock. 

Above is a photo of the canal, or what's left of it. It goes pretty much thru the property. On the right of the lock tenders house side, the trail goes right thru the cornfield. The sign says "to Main Street". I'm guessing that's P'burg.  Another guess is that this will take me to the park I was at Tuesday, if it connects.

As you head towards the museum, these wooden figures great you. Similar wooded sculptures are along the trail in P'burg.

This hollow log canoe was in front of the museum. Not sure why. Was is necessary to canoe in the canal? I guess I'll have to return on the 2nd Sunday of a month when the museum is open to find out.

I continued on the trail until it ended at Rte. 57. If you crossed the street, there was not canal path. Just corn and overgrown weeds. You'd need industrial strength bug stuff and maybe hip waders and long sleeves to walk there or be eaten alive. I walked along the road and returned to my car.

Where will my lunch break adventures take me next? Who knows. Maybe back on the Morris Canal.

Miles/Steps:           Maybe a mile total
Weather:                 70, mostly sunny

Wildlife:                  none

Bathrooms:             1 port o potty near the museum. didn't use

Extra:                      I arrived about 10 minutes before the race. It looked like the no-show rate was about 50%.