Sunday, February 21, 2010
Take the tiger by the tail
Starting into the trees of the Kohler Mesa TrailWhat a winter we've had. The snow that fell in December, which eventually turned into ice, is still hanging on. We've had all of one day this year of 2010 that has been above freezing when I headed out for my 6 a.m. run. And now, with February approaching its final week, it's been snowing since Thursday. Harumph. To top it off, I came down with a cold right when this most recent snow started to fall. So cold in me, and outside. Double harumph. What's a gal to do?
Well, wailing and whining just isn't my style (at least not for long) so today I decided to go straight into the eye of the storm. I pulled on my yaktrax (and three layers of clothes), headed out the door, pointed myself west, and set off for the trails up in the foothills. As soon as I got into the calf-high snow on Boomerang Hill behind NIST I began to question my sanity. But I held firm to my goal: make it to the top of the hill and find the trail. Finding the trail turned out to be easier than the 10-minute hill climb as I was not the first to tromp through the snow on the Kohler Mesa trail; indeed, based on the tracks, two humans and one dog had preceded me on the trail, leaving a lovely path for me to follow. So into the quiet of the snow-covered trees I trotted, catching occasional glimpses of the frosty flatirons poking through the low-lying clouds. Perfectly quiet. Perfectly serene. Perfectly beautiful. Today, I reveled in all that winter has to offer.
Looking back at the Kohler Mesa while coming down the Enchanted Mesa trail
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Calf Run!
Today's plan:
Pasture three, and there it was: a brand new calf on wobbly legs, then laying down under the watchful gaze of its mother who lumbered over to lick the youngster.
Mama cow keeping a close eye on us as her baby snuggles down in the grass
Those babies are going to be popping out all over the place now. There will definitely be more pasture running in the coming days!
- run north on trails from my volunteer job
- rendezvous with running buddy Connie
- continue north on trails alongside or through cow pastures
- keep a sharp eye out for newborn calves
Pasture three, and there it was: a brand new calf on wobbly legs, then laying down under the watchful gaze of its mother who lumbered over to lick the youngster.
Mama cow keeping a close eye on us as her baby snuggles down in the grassThose babies are going to be popping out all over the place now. There will definitely be more pasture running in the coming days!
