spring!

Today is the first day of spring. Now that the bulk of the snow has melted, there are signs everywhere. I saw some yesterday and again today.

Let spring training begin!

i'm easily distracted, especially alone

Today I had to walk alone. I'm not really into solitude, so I have to make things interesting doing something else.

The basic walk: Go the the Eastern Pennsylvania Wellness Expo and return home. Requirement: Find the marker for the Passport to Health on the Greenway. That's a three mile walk if you stretch it. Somehow I made it nearly five.

Maybe it is because a lot is happening on the better side of town today. People who normally are terrified of the south side, will descend like a plague of locusts and then disappear when it's over. Especially before dark. (Okay, maybe that is a wee exaggeration.)

Things to do today on the better side of town in case you're looking for stuff to do:

• The Eastern Pennsylvania Wellness Expo—ArtsQuest 
• Kops 'N Kids book fair (near Loopers)—free books for kids!
• What's on Fourth, Who's on Third—street fair and chili cookoff
• Earth Day Fair—on the Greenway
• Ulysses Dreams—a play in the amphitheater (Oh that's what that is.) on the Greenway presented by Touchstone Theatre
• Dedication of the Chinese Harmony Pavilion—Greenway by ArtsLehigh

So here's my walk, as a photo essay.

Lehigh's campus is always beautiful. But I never realized until today that all the flowering trees and azaleas were pink. Interesting.

On campus I also found this display/art piece about water bottle waste.

Why are there purple ribbons around the old oak trees?

It's the Greenway, not a street. What's with the street sign. Clearly not made by public works.

For those of you looking for the Passport to Health markers, they are small! It only comes up to my butt. Maybe 2.5 feet. Maybe 3 inch wide. I did my rubbing. It's kind of hard with the screw right in the corner where you need to rub.

Location—If you a heading toward the casino, it's less than a block east of Hayes Street. Just past the PNC bank on the right.

Andy Warhol on a rusty trash can.

Road races past. I like how they are starting to add years. Wouldn't it be cool if it continues and the street is filled with race memories? Yeah, I know, I'm weird.

Eastern Pennsylvania Wellness Expo. Not many people in attendance. Nothing floated my boat. I didn't stop at a single stand. Still trying to figure out why Bath Fitters had a booth. Oh, maybe it's for converting the bathroom shower to handicap accessible?

The Smithonian National Museum of Industrial Heritage is almost done. So exciting. It is the project that began the revitalization of the Steel property. I'm guessing this project is 15 years in the making.

 Love the name. I'm guessing it will be part of one of the fairs today.

 No one seems to clean the poop on the Greenway. it's becoming poop-central. Really, if you're a dog owner, clean the poop!

 Chinese Harmony Pavilion and zen-like native plant garden. I've posted better pixs before. But the garden never looked like this before. I think the Greenway needs a labyrinth.

 Setting-up for Earth Day. Between New and Taylor.

This sign is on the door to a Hair Salon. Why would you take your animal to work if they are mean? Especially as mean as the one in the picture? Wouldn't that keep customers away?

The power company has been maiming trees all over the area. This agressive pruning is supposed to eliminate week long power outages during big storms. I could do a whole blog of their "pruning", but this is a great example.  They've eliminated 3/4 of the tree, leaving one branch section hanging over the street (That other little piece has grown around the wires). Next storm, this baby is falling down. Gravity is against it. I pray I am not driving or walking under it when it does. It's two blocks from my house.

Tomorrow is the CASA 5K and the Zumbathon. I think I'm doing both alone. Haven't heard from Lyd in days, and Bonnie is still on the DL.

we found David!

Clearly Dave was hiding in Nome. Maybe avoiding me? Rechecking the finisher's roster, he arrived before his wife Barb! Easter sunrise services in "Nome" were lovely and now we're all headed home. The sensible people are flying. I've rented a car to drive home.  Sharon's coming with me. She's aching for a road trip.

After weeks of snowshoes in Alaska, I don't know how I will adjust to spring in Pennsylvania. But all good things must come to an end.

All the "scoobies" have been found and accounted for. Here's how we fared in the standings:

59 – me. I've spent my waiting time snowshoeing. Haven't lost an ounce.
102—Adonis (and Lydia). Clearly Adonis was walking with Carol (aka Bobodancer) from the Liberty Bell Wanderers. Carol came in 105. Does it count that they walked back to Anchorage?
429—Dave. He did a good job of hiding. Nome is not that big!
435—Sharon. She's still sleeping. Exhausted from the walk. "Never again" she says.
461—Barb H. Didn't see her much. Maybe she was hiding with Dave part of the time?
518—Megan. She "flew" right back to Louisville to train for a Half-Marathon and stopped logging miles. Why she didn't want to train in the snow and the cold is beyond me.
634—Bonnie came in 634.  She was not last.

The dog sleds have left. The walkers are leaving. Pretty soon Nome will return to a quiet sleepy town in Alaska. Hopefully the Boy Scouts raised a lot of money for their camp. 

spring has arrived at my house!

Yes, I know. It is totally irrelevant to walking. Or is it? Nice weather means more and longer walks, doesn't it?

flowers in february

Yesterday I walked at lunch time and encountered blooming flowers. I was so excited, I whipped out my phone and took a picture.

Otherwise trying to walk everyday. Though today I didn't. I helped my sister-in-law with her resume. I'm hoping to do a walking tape. It depends on how late I work tonight if it gets done.

On a sad note, I'm eating like there is no tomorrow. I must stop. Damn those Girl Scout Cookies and my lack of willpower. It might also be hormonal.

On a happy note, I'm at nearly 400 minutes for the Idita-walk.

sunday

Bonnie and I did the 3-mile Fountain Hill loops Sunday since Lyd didn't come along. We started at my house and went up to Moravia, down Lackawacki, past the new Bottom Dollar and up Dodson. The we went down Graham, past the grave yard where the forsythia was budding. Then down the stairs thru St. Luke's parking lots and down Bishopthorpe and home. 58 minutes. Not bad for all those hills.

The picture of the daffy's was taken on Dodson. The forsythia wasn't ready for a close up.

Today we walked College Hill at lunch time. I don't think we did much more than a mile, but it was fast. It's cold out there!.

what a difference a week makes!

It's bright, sunny, and a little cold. Most of the snow has melted and we saw crocuses budding. What a difference a week makes!

Bonnie and I walked up to the hospital and did all the stairs in the parking deck and the lot. My estimate is 20 flights. Then we went in the hospital and walked up to the 9th floor, back down to 4 and went and visited my sisters husband who is a patient. Lydia was there, we tried to convince her to come along, but she said NO. So we headed back out and I went to go down the stairs and "Jillian" though it would be a good idea to go back up to nine again! We did. It was really tough because we rested.

All in all we probably did about 40 flights. Good thing because the stair climb is next week.

Friday, I did 15 minutes of step-ups and then walked about three quick miles with Betsy.

Saturday I ate. And Ate. And ate some more.

I had teacher training and they said breakfast and lunch would be served. I though b'fast would be muffins and bagels and donuts. Nope. Bacon, eggs, sausage, potatoes, creamy something, french toast! I had some eggs, bacon, fruit and orange juice. Lunch was another big meal, not party trays. I had some veggie lasagna, salad and a bread stick. And a coke. (oops.) Now, on a normal day I would eat a really light supper. But yesterday I was celebrating the Chinese New Year  with my "daughters" at Asia. Another big meal to finish out the day.

Tomorrow is another day.