saving birds

This morning we walked in Bonnie's Salisbury neighborhood. She has routes. The east route. The west route. And variations on all the routes to add or subtract hills. This one was LV flat.

We were near the park and there were several lime green 4-pack rings on the ground. (Why are beverage companies still using these things? The dangers to animal life is well known. I digress.)

When I walk, I walk past/over all kinds of trash. There is not enough time to clean the streets as I walk, and it looked like there was quite a party at the park last night. Let's just say the sales at BK were very good.  I did walk past the lime green 4-pack rings. Maybe a whole two steps. But I had to go back and pick them up. I could not leave them sit. A goose from the pond my get it's neck in them—and I don't even like them.  Bonnie and Megan kept going. When Bonnie looked back she probably thought WTH?

I carried those buggers for nearly two miles. When we got back to Bonnie's, I forgot to take a picture of them before Megan cut them up.

Tonight school starts. I should begin to see my walking numbers go out. Still don't have a chance in hell of catching my friend with her "working retail" steps. But I'm going to try.

I also signed up with the Wellness Center (that's the fancy name for the nurses office) at NCC for the 10K a day challenge. That should help keep my fat butt moving.

two walks

Last night Lydia and Adonis came over for dinner an a walk. We took Big A out first for his typical 1/2 mile. I was already hot and sweaty and we hadn't even started the main event!

Lyd doesn't like doing hills after work. She's on her feet seeing clients a good portion of the all day. We drove the few blocks to the hospital and parked. The we walked out Jeter avenue towards Salisbury. When we reached Public Road, we played in the park. The swings were nice, and high. The spinning thing was old and made horrible noises.

Then we headed up Public to Graham, and down the long Graham street hill and back to the car. Turns out that loop is 2.5 miles. Not bad for after work.

This morning I headed to Bonnie's to walk in Salisbury. The baby fell asleep so Megan stayed home. We did what she calls the west loop, with all the hills. It's just under 3 miles but I was flop sweating when I returned to her house.

Even with the walk I'm at less than 6K for the day. If it doesn't start to pour, I'm going to need to go out for another walk. I have not chance of catching my friend in the FitBit race, but I at least need to make my goal for the week.

Tomorrow we are doing the two-bridge walk and Veg-Fest. Sunday we'll be doing the Volkssport walk in Valley Forge.

walks this week

Tuesday Bonnie and I walked in Salisbury and South Allentown. We headed from her house down Juniata, past the Fearless and thru the cemetery where Jarrod is buried. Then we headed down Chapel toward Emmaus Avenue, and headed toward the high school. We walked to the high school, down their drive and up the stairs instead of the hill. Then we zig-zagged our way back to Bonnie's.

Thursday Bonnie and I walked to the south Bethlehem Farmers Market.  We took the scenic route. From my place we headed west on Broadway and then back Delaware. We went down fourth to Taylor and back to Lehigh's Campus Square for the market. We did some shopping then started to head toward home. (Will the beans and peas ever come in?)

To come back we headed up the stairs of Campus Square. Then up the stairs to the student union. Then up the stairs to eighth street. Bonnie said I damn near killed her. It beats walking up a hill. I'm guessing we did about 250. I didn't count them.

We headed down eighth to Wyandotte, crossed and out Sioux to Bishopthorpe and home.

After the hail storm I headed out to Wifek's graduation. I parked in my typical almost-off campus parking spot and headed to the gym. A half-hour to go and they were already using over flow seating. I ended up watching the live stream internet broadcast in the cafeteria.

She received a specialized diploma. Any work she did here doesn't count when she gets back to Tunisia. She still has two more years to go. This morning she was on a plane going home.

For the long weekend I sent this schedule to the others—

Saturday -- Doing the Volkssport walk in Doylestown. Yeah, it's a bit of a drive, but it's a great excuse to go to the Mercer or the tile works. (Art is my happy place.) It starts at 10. I'll be leaving a bit before 9.

Sunday -- D&L Allentown towards Bethlehem. If I walk alone I'll probably do the whole thing and turn around and go back. If someone comes along, we can go 1.5 one way, turn around an go back. I should be at the Allentown trailhead by 9:30

Monday -- Tortoise and Hare 5K in Wind Gap. Yeah, another road trips. Hot course. Not much shade. Some hills. They take same day sign ups. I think it starts at 9, so I'll be leaving here about 8-ish.

As you see there will be lots of posts this weekend.

four town, three miles, one walk

Today Bonnie arrived about 7 and we headed off for a walk. I was sure to carry an umbrella the entire time so it didn't rain.

This was my infamous Fountain Hill walk.  But it really isn't Fountain Hill, because we hit four towns. But it is a hill.

We head up Bishopthorpe to the hospital, up the stairs from the parking lot and then up Graham Street. Clearly too many ups in that sentence. At some point right after the cemetery we cross in Salisbury.

Graham ends on Public Road, so we go down one block and back Cardinal. Wait? Did they mover Jeter Avenue? We find Jeter, take Jeter to Dotson, and do the long down on Dotson. Cross thru the Bottom Dollar lot and head up Gauffs Hill, then up Dorothy back into Fountain Hill, then up and down Moravia. Down Lechauweki to Church. Out Church, up by the grade school. Hey! They are building a playground. Wow.

Out Moravia into Upper Saucon Township, down Findlay into Fountain Hill, and back home to Bethlehem.

Do you have that? Confusing I know. But they'll be a quiz tomorrow. (Back in teacher mode.)

Speaking of tomorrow. Friday we will be trying out the new Allentown-Parks walk. Cedar Creek and Trexler, as well as Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg.

the week that was

This week I started my new work schedule. Tues/Thrs I have off during the day. My sole class begins at 6 those days. Since my mornings are free, Bonnie and I are walking together.

Tuesday we walked in her Salisbury neighborhood. When we arranged it the night before she said no hills. We did hills.

Wednesday I barely walked. Work all day and then a faculty meeting from 4-7. By the time I got home it was dark. No energy to do a Leslie tape.

Thursday we walked here. Again, Bonnie says no hills. Again, we did a lot of them.

Today we walked with Betsy in her suburban neighborhood.

All works were just over three miles.

Tomorrow we are doing the D&L in Bethlehem. It's a Tail on the Trail event.

walking and bingo

Walking I love. Bingo, not so much. But it was for a good cause, near and dear to my late nephews heart. So we go. We even have a name—Jarrod's Jems. That boy was a lightening round for winning. Once we had to take all his stuff to the car at the intermission.

Sharon, Lyd and I met at my place, and came in one car.  We were to meet Bonnie at the Fearless Fire Company at 1:15, leave our car, and take the other one back to Bonnie's, and walk. Bingo started sharply at 3. Sounds great in theory, but with me along you know things won't go easy. And they didn't. I pre-bought our tickets and put them in a basket with my daubbers. Then I forgot the daubbers. So we lost a little walking time having to go back home. I stuffed the tickets in my pocket, and left the daubbers. Didn't want to carry them.

So we walked down Tioga into the wind for several blocks. Finally we turned and headed down to Emmaus Avenue, and cut back at the V. After walking a bit around that neighborhood, we headed to the cemetery, said hi to Jarrod, and went to the fearless. It was close to 3 miles. Considering a straight shot from Bonnie's is about a mile, we did pretty good.

Then at 6ish, when we got home, we took a very excited Adonis for a walk. He wouldn't go out for Pat at all, so he needed to go! Sadly it wasn't a fun walk. We met up with 4-5 other dogs. (Big A doesn't play well with others.)

Another week or so we start training for Bonnie's Derby Half Marathon. I think I'll plan loops so that marathoners are not subjected to 13 miles.

Bonnie only has about 300 minutes for the Iditawalk. Training for the half might get her to Nome before the snow melts.

weekend roundup

Lydia texted me Friday night that she wouldn't be walking this weekend. So Bonnie and I were left to our own devices.

Yesterday after the party she and I walked in her neighborhood. We headed down Lehigh till it ended and wove our way back. That's us at Laubach Park. It was just under three miles, I think. I'm wearing Jarrod's hat. I forgot mine. It was very warm.

When we returned Bonnie took a long look at the WYBO book. Something, I still haven't done. Too much grading.

Today she came to my place and we took a hilly 5 mile, four town walk. I took advantage of Lydia not coming along and made it long and hard. It did not disappoint. I could have taken a nap when I got home.

We started at my place in south Bethlehem, headed out Sioux and up 8th Street. Then we came down the steep section of Montclair, out Packer and down Broadhead, then up the 2nd street ramp of the bridge. We crossed the bridge and headed to Brighton and Fountain Hill. We continued out Ostrum, thru the hospital parking lots and out Jeter into Salisbury Township.

In Salisbury we took Jeter to Cardinal and then to the end of Graham. Came back Graham to Dotson and down Dotson. The downhill felt good. We stopped quickly at Bottom Dollar for lettuce then up Broadway to Dorothy. Up Dorothy to Moravia, back Moravia to Lechauweki, out Church, and back up to Moravia. Before returning to Fountain Hill, we crossed the corner into Lower Saucon Township. I almost forgot about this odd little U-shaped town that touches Fountain Hill at Frederick Street.

We headed out Moravia till it ended, came downhill at Findlay and back out Sioux to where we started.

It was odd not taking the dog for a walk when we got back.

Next Saturday morning I'll be walking in Easton, P'burg, and Alpha. Bonnie isn't coming. Haven't asked Lydia yet. Apparently I'm going on a dinosaur hunt in Alpha, NJ with my favorite local 8 year old and her mom. Clearly Alpha is a hot spot for dino activity. Who knew? After we're done wer're going to Charlies Pool Room for hot dogs. 

Then they are going to the State Theatre for Pinkalicious, and I'm going to make a stop at the Easton Winter Market, the indoor, winter farmer's market. Lots of local meats, cheese, fresh baked breads, but I'm guessing little fresh produce.

When I get back we—I'm sure sure yet who—will head out for walking. If Lydia comes, Big A will surly demand a walk also.

salisbury township

Bonnie was the administrator on call today as well as the nurse on call. We had to walk close to home. Thank goodness her phone never rang.

It's tough to plan a walk in her hood. She's at the top of the mountain, so it's uphill in both directions.  I managed to work out a route that was about four miles. Before we went to Bonnie's we drove the back end of the route because I wasn't sure what the terrain was like. We discovered quickly that Salisbury needs some maintenace on their street signs. Really, they are unreadable. Fix them or take them down.

As we were walking down South Albert we were busy talking and went incorrectly and it ended up adding about a half mile.

Several of the bridges washed out in that section of Salisbury and this one on South Albert is no exception. I think we have crossed them all in the last few months. Although this one said nothing about no pedestrian crossing.

Then I found this stop sign. I think I'm going to start making a collection of these altered signs. I've seen stop war, or cancer, eating animals, but this is the first one that added two words. Never stop loving. Good advise. Probably inappropriate for an intersection.

While doing the second half of the walk we planned a party. July 7, at Bonnie's. My sister Barb will be in town and we're going to get the whole family together. I'm tired of seeing people only at funerals. I need to get the invites out this week. But first I have to make them!

Lyd and I returned to my house, grabbed the dog, and walked for another half mile. I held his lead. Before we left I gave him a stern talking to. I old him if he pulled me over again no more walks, ever. He was 90% good.

Then we put up the big awning. Wonder how I log that into the presidential challenge?