Brrr

It's closing in on winter. It's frigidly cold. It's snowy icy. But it's beautiful.

South Boulder Creek Trail, looking west

Morning treat of a bit of wild

This morning,Taz and I ran an errand that took me vaguely near my old office - which happens to be located on CU's East Campus which happens to also contain some wetlands with a spaghetti network of short hilly dirt trails which happen to feel very wild amidst citified Boulder.

Back in my pre-retirement days, I would often run home from work. And if I really needed a break from the hustle and bustle of life, I'd detour through those trails. I haven't run there since I retired, and Taz has never been on those trails, so we gave ourselves a treat - and a break from the hustle and bustle of life - and visited our little spaghetti network of wild amidst the city.  Funny how the wild can have such a calming effect...

Soul balm

It has been a tough stretch, what with mom passing and a multitude of family issues topped off with the  backlog of work that was waiting for me upon my return from Michigan. Not a lot of time to catch a deep breath. I gave myself that deep breath today, taking to the trails with Taz the most wondrous cattle dog and running buddy. Ahhhhh

Taz and the Flatirons from Kohler Mesa

Travelogue Tale - Part II

Kendall and I made a return trip to Petoskey to get my folks' house ready to sell.  Let me just say, for all you homeowners out there: whittle down your miscellany sooner rather than later! What a job it is for offspring to go through every possession, every piece of paper... Oh! And if you have have precious photographs, please oh please write down who is in the photo and when it was taken!

Back to the travelogue: as was my habit during the last trip, I again took photos during my runs and sent them to my running buddies.  Now you will see what I saw.

But first, let me start with a photo our Taz pup sitter took. She (our dog sitter) happens to also be adopted mom to Taz' best friend, Jackson. And here the two are. As you can see, Taz is clearly pleased with having a buddy to play with - and with being the subject of another photograph!

And the travelogue begins

August 29, Fremont, Nebraska: church among the corn fields.

August 30, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

It's a good day when one gets a 6+ mile trail run right from one's hotel!

Someone's watching!

Prairie fog and flowers!  A good run!

 Bonus feature: a Little Free Library along the trail!

August 31: return to Petoskey, Michigan

Still only August yet the trees are starting to turn in northern Michigan!

September 1: Roasting and Toasting in Petoskey

A traditional post-run stop in Petoskey: coffee and conversation at Roast & Toast

September 2: a run through the Bay View Woods
This run through the Bay View Woods, I tried every trail except Algonquin (the big hill...ran out of time...my excuse and I'm sticking with it!)

Made this pic extra large in hopes the spider webs would be visible!  They were amazing!

September 3: summer bunnies of Petoskey

One of many in this yard stylin' for summer

September 4: trail from East Bay Harbor
No trip to Petoskey is complete without running the trail from East Bay Harbor to the Petoskey waterfront along Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay.

Looking west toward open water Lake Michigan

Looking east toward Petoskey State Park beach & dunes

September 5: Adventures
The fellow who passed me as I started out on a brand new trail (to me - trying to find a back way to the Bay View Woods) said that yes, this trail did go to Bay View but that it was "a bit rustic." After a half-mile or so, I discovered that was "a bit" of an understatement.

There is a flock of turkeys along this ridge line. I tried following them to find my way out - they didn't appreciate that tactic

My savior from the wilderness! A basketball hoop peeking through the trees, pointing me toward civilization!

 Later in the day, a much more civilized occupation: packing up my grandma's tea cup collection.

September 6: lakeside run with ducks

 September 7: a run out on the breakwater

The breakwater beacon

Looking toward open water (and fishing boat) from the breakwater

Looking toward town (Petoskey) from the breakwater

September 8, 2015
I did run, but it was a short one and I forgot to take a picture...other things on my mind like finishing up all the sorting and packing of my parents' home since this was our last full day of getting the house ready to be put on the market.  Our progress:

Early in the day

By day's end

September 9, 2015 - dawn run along Little Traverse Bay

September 10, 2015 - Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Intriguing town, intriguing run - between two trailheads: the 40-mile Military Trail and the 47-mile Cheese County Trail. I'd like to return and do some actual trail running vs. just running between the trailheads!

Bison in front of the 1836 Walker House

September 11, 2015 - Betty's Trail, Kearney, Nebraska
One of many bike trails that wind their way through and around Kearney!

...and now we are back in Boulder...road trips in the rear view mirror...

Travelogue Tale

During our June trip to and from Michigan, I took to texting photos of each day's run to my Colorado running buddies. They rather enjoyed the running travelogue and asked if I'd do it again during our July/August trip to Michigan. I was happy for the diversion so another travelogue came to be. Here's a replay (with a few extra photos to show what all we were up to during this trip...a lot...).


July 25, 2015, 5 a.m.: Kansas City, Missouri

 

Mill Creek Park - multiple laps before starting the Kansas City-to-Petoskey drive.
In the wee hours of the morning - and I was not the only one out there!
So hot & humid, I couldn't even wear my ever-present running cap.

July 26, 2015: downtown Petoskey, Michigan

Ignacious Petoskey

Ignacious Petoskey's view

Extra added bonus on this day - a rendezvous with niece Tara and her kids who were staying in my mom's house during the Petoskey/northern Michigan portion of their summer road trip:

Cousins et al! Corinne, Devon, Tara, Cullen & Audrey in Petoskey's Central Park

July 27, 2015: dawn along the bay, Petoskey, Michigan

Dawn glow over the breakwater on Little Traverse Bay

July 28, 2015: Petoskey shoreline

Beach wildflowers along the Petoskey Wheelway of Little Traverse Bay

July 29, 2015: a pre-dawn run

twinkle light flower garden ...a fairy garden perchance

Also on this day, we had the memorial service for my mom, the lovely Elena Vaughan. A day spent in the warm companionship of friends and relatives.

The floral arrangement for the service
under the floral wreath Deb and I made for mom 2 summers ago

Cousins Yi Lu and John, and son Paul

Paula and practically-mom's-daughter, Pat

Cousin Marcie, Pat,
Paula and mom's bro Kent

Uncle Kent (mom's bro) and Cousin Dan (dad's sister's son)

Mom's graduation picture

High school classmates of mine who came to the service
Dave, Wendy (facing camera), Connie (away from camera) & Glae (Dave's wife)

  
July 30, 2015: a two-run day

Lake Michigan awakens

North Country Trail along south edge of Petoskey

July 31, 2015: a river run

Bear River, teeming with wildflowers along its banks

August 1, 2015: last resort interval session venue

All my favorite straightaways were packed with tourists (height of the summer and all)
so it was off to the high school soccer fields for intervals. Can't have gorgeous every day...

Also on this day, the 45th class reunion of Petoskey High School class of '70! We had a pre-reunion dinner with some friends just to ease into things....

Of this gang, classmates include
Pam (far left), Kirk (to my right), me (in blue), and Connie (to my left)

August 2, 2015: a run along one of my all-time favorite trails

Looking west from East Bay Harbor trail
(Little Traverse Bay toward open Lake Michigan)

Looking east from East Bay Harbor trail
(Little Traverse Bay toward Petoskey & Petoskey State Park)

August 3 & 4, 2015: water and cottages

This day, I just had to get up close to the water

And this day, I just had to run through Bay View
listening to the music and gazing at the cottages

August 5, 2015: hill repeats a la Petoskey

Looking down Harvey Hill -   at the top of which
I've spotted a snake, turkeys and deer (not all on the same day)

August 6, 2015: back to college

Explored the trails at North Central Michigan College - a delightful interlude!

August 7, 2015: a regular ol' run

The every-day sight one sees when running along the Petoskey waterfront

August 8, 2015: a change of scenery
Yesterday we drove down to my cousins' cottage at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for today's wedding of Kelly Murphey (my cousin John's son) and Rachel Fussell. Spectacular location and thoroughly delightful day of celebration and family.

Morning run along Sleeping Bear Dune National Lakeshore. Exquisite!

Kelly and Rachel listening to the wedding song (Rachel's dad on banjo)

August 9 & 10, 2015: the last two runs along Little Traverse Bay

 The bay view from Bay View

A misty morning for the last P'town run of the trip
...where does the lake end and the sky begin?!?!?

August 11, 2015: west-bound road trip run

It turns out Waterloo, Iowa has multi-mile pathways along the Cedar River
a lovely venue for a dawn run!