Tag Archives: trail

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Mudtastic

Sunday, OMG Becky and I had a chance to explore a new trail while Sassy had softball practice in the same park.

We couldn’t find the trail head!  So we started out by walking around the edge of this hay meadow.

hay meadow

We finally found it in the back left corner of the field.

And soon enough we discovered the rain we received on Tuesday had made this trail a marsh.

We sunk into the mud with every step.  And most of the time, about lost our shoes trying to lift our feet.

What was to be a run, turned into a walk with very heavy, mud-covered shoes.  There was a lot of stopping to do some mud scraping.

After awhile, we were able to rise above the mud a bit.

But we had to be careful where we stepped because the ground would collapse under your feet.  Lots of jumping and sliding.  Talk about an adventure!  I felt like we were practicing for a Tough Mudder race.

Finally we made it out of the mud and a drier, higher area.

And we discovered a deer head on a stick in the middle of the trail.  No idea what that craziness is about.  I bet the objects of my stalking my buddies on Duck Dynasty would be in the know.  (Please tell me you watch that show!?  Love the family bond displayed.  Best show on TV right now!)

dear head, dear skull

OMG Becky had to check it out.  She was not impressed either.

We were hoping to see a horse and rider on this trail.  We knew they were out there because we had parked next to their trailer.  But we didn’t see another soul until we were back at the parking lot, digging the mud off our shoes for the final time.  Suddenly we looked up to see the horse and rider just a few yards away.

muddy shoes

And no, your eyes are not deceiving you.  My feet are a full three sizes bigger than OMG Becky’s.  She’s a shorty with even smaller feet.

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Check out Skinny Chick Blog’s ProCompression giveaway!

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Do you watch Duck Dynasty?

What show is your guilty pleasure?

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Eat All the Vegetables

Oh my goodness!  Where have you been???

Oh wait.  I was the absent one.  Sorry about that.  It’s been sort of busy the last few days with life, work, kids, their sports, beautiful weather making me what spend as much time as possible outside and arranging my schedule as such…

So here’s the best kind of post.  A wrap-up/inclusive/see how much I can fit into one post post.  ;-)

OMG Becky’s (in the blue shirt) softball team has started their practices.

indoor softball practice

 

It just so happens to be in the same facility Sassy’s team practices.  Too bad it’s not at the same time or on the same day.  I entertained myself by laughing at a couple moms that would flinch and scream every time a ball came near that fence and net.  Good times!

First team picture of the season.

indoor softball practice

 

The weather here has been almost perfect here lately.  So many warm-ish days to enjoy!  My girls and I are trying to make the most of it!

Friday was meant to be outside.  And that meant a run for Sassy and me.

We tried a part of the trail she had never been on.

I think she liked it.

This trail heads away from the lake, but runs along a creek that feeds into it.

Nike Dual Fusion

I tried out my new Nike Dual Fusion shoes.  I want to wear them a few more times before reviewing them.  Still think they are my prettiest running shoes!  I almost didn’t want to wear them for fear of them getting too dirty on the trail.  Yes, I am that girl.

We get to see these two beauties every time we hit these trails.

horse pasture

These horses live on the edge of our subdivision right along the lake/park.

I have been working to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal and snack.  This egg scramble has become my favorite meal.

egg scramble

Spinach, Vidalia onion, mushrooms and jalapeno cheese stick chopped and scrambled with two eggs.  Topped with avocado and salsa.  I have had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It is that good!  And so filling!  And now I want one.

What food can you not get enough of right now?

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Cards, Spinach, Bangs & Water

The last couple of days has been a bit hectic for me.  Nothing too exciting to share so how about some total random photos?  Glad we agree.  ;-)

I finally used the Starbucks gift card Santa left in my stocking!

starbucks gift card

Mind you, I took this photo in the drive-thru after ordering my drink.  But by the time I advanced in the car line, paid for my drink, received my drink and pulled away, I totally forgot to take a picture of its goodness.  Blogger of the Year material!  Sigh.  Either way, it was a Chai Tea Latte.  And now I want another one!

My new favorite breakfast!

egg scramble

Two eggs with sautéed (in one tsp olive oil) mushrooms, spinach  and red onion.  Topped with a bit of feta cheese.  Oh so good and filling!  I had this yesterday morning and seriously was no hungry for lunch until about six hours later.

I bought a couple of containers of spring salad mix and a giant bag of spinach from Costco for a potluck salad luncheon at work.  Everyone went for the spring mix and barely touched the spinach.  Now I have a LOT of spinach to use up.  I think I am up to the challenge!  You can expect to see many photos of green things here soon.

I am STILL growing my bangs out.  Seems to be a never-ending process.  I wear headbands a lot when I work out.  Or this…

bangs

Twist and clip.  So pretty.  Not sure what the lovely streak across my cheek is.  Looks like clown make-up, if you ask me.

Yesterday, I got the chance to drive by my old house.  I miss this commute!

pond

And I noticed they have done a lot of work on the trail that ran along the river next to our old subdivision.

river trail

I checked into it and found out the trail now runs over 11 miles one way.  I will be exploring it very soon!

OMG Becky showing off her new favorite sweater she got for Christmas.  Still can’t believe she is fifteen now.

OMG Becky

How is that even possible?  I realized this morning, she is as close to being 30 years old and as is to being the infant I remember.  Blows my mind.

The lake next to our subdivision at sunset earlier this week.

sunset over lake

Scenes like this really help when I miss Oregon.

Do you hang on to gift cards or spend them right away?

Have you ever had to grow out your bangs?  How long did it take?

Do you live near a body of water?

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Activity Award

My girls and I have been working on our fitness!  I’m not sure what has gotten into them.  Do you think they missed me so much over their Christmas holiday, that they want nothing more than to spend every moment with me?!!

You’re probably right.  I doubt that theory, too.

Friday, we had a plank challenge.  This is us gearing up.

plank challenge

Some of us might not have taken it very seriously.  It may have been because it was someone’s first time ever doing a plank.  And she is a bit of a giggle-box.

I won’t say there were any losers, but I did hold my plank the longest.  Winner, winner, chicken veggie dinner!

Then we took turns running the stairs.  It was fabulous and worked up a sweat quickly!

Later in the evening, OMG Becky asked me about going for a run the next day.  I swear it was if my ears were deceiving me!  And then.  And THEN!!  Sassy said she wanted to go running with me, too!  I thought I had died and gone to mommy happiness heaven.  Of course, then I thought they might change their mind when it was actually time to run.

But they didn’t!

We hit the same trail as our previous run to do day 2 of the Couch to 5K program.

woods trail

There was less snow making for a slushy, and sometimes muddy, mess.  How could you not love this?

The lake looked a little less frozen, even though there was less sun to warm it.  We caught glimpses of it occasionally.

winter lake

I wanted to take a picture of the three of us at the end of our run.  And being the amazing photographer I am, most of them looked like this…  Great.

A little better.  Someday, I will get the hang of this phone camera thingy.  Or not.

Huffing it up a hill during our cool down.  Don’t they look happy?  If those two faces are an indication of their run, I may be going solo next time.  :-/

Walk left, ride right.  Safety first!

Back home for some stretching, water and dark chocolate almond milk.  Mmm, mmm good!

And yes, I am still using a Christmas cup.  Year round baby!  I’m a rule-breaker like that.  And no, I didn’t wear a necklace on my run.  This photo was after I had changed the location of my ActiveLink from being clipped on my chest (sports bra) to wearing it loose on a necklace.

So here is a change of attitude I have to share with you.  Remember how OMG Becky thought she looked like a dork in my running clothes?  Apparently that’s because they were MY running clothes.  Now she wants some gear of her own.  And Sassy chimed in with her, too.

I really don’t want to buy them things to only be worn once or twice.  Hate wasting money!  So we have come up with a plan.  The girls will earn $1 per day they do an activity with me to use towards gear of their choose.  A reward, if you will. Hopefully by doing the activity long enough to earn gear, it will become a habit.  And if it’s a habit, the gear will actually get used.  I think it’s a win-win all around!

What is your after workout drink?  I like my dark chocolate almond milk anytime of the day!  I will use any excuse to drink it.

Do you use a fitness monitor?  Which one?

Which piece of gear do you use the least?

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After School Walk

Yesterday afternoon OMG Becky surprised me by answering yes when I asked her if she wanted to explore a new trail with me.  Score!  I had been itching to get back into the woods!  And boy did we luck out with gorgeous weather.  Seventy degrees.  In November.  In the Midwest.  Pretty rare but oh so appreciated!

The trees are pretty bare now, making it easier to see farther.

hike, woods

Occasional burst of color really stand out.

hike, woods, fall foliage

Just a peak of the lake along this particular trail.

hike, woods, lake

We caught a couple does spying on us.

hike, woods, deer

hike, woods, omg becky

hike, woods

This bridge was a nice surprise!

hike, woods, bridge

Until we found a man with a dog on the other side.  He yelled out to us the his dog  he was holding back was friendly and then turned her loose.  She came charging at us!  Thankfully, she was very friendly, but then proceeded to follow us for quite a ways down the trail until her owner called her back.

hike, woods, dog

hike, woods, creek

I found a couple more trees for the win!

hike, woods, tree eating object

Is this tree growing out of a crack in a rock?  Or is the growth of the tree creating the crack?

hike, woods, tree growing out of rock

The walk was a great way to start the weekend.

Later we met up with a close family friend for ice cream.  He was our neighbor for six years before we moved the West coast.  Was good to catch up!

What did you do to kick off your weekend?

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Hedge Apple Hike

This morning I headed out to explore a new trail.  I had noticed the trail head during my summer visit here in August.  I convinced Sassy to join me and our cousin, Blondie, who had spent the night.  Actually, Sassy didn’t want to go, but Blondie did.  So it was actually Blondie who convinced Sassy.

These two girls were born 8 months apart and have been the best of friends forever.  Sassy really missed Blondie when we lived in Oregon the past couple of years.  But now they are making up for lost time and it’s a beautiful thing!

The trail was a combination of pavement and gravel.  Half of it was pretty flat, but the other half was hills.  I really don’t remember hills like that here!

The girls were behind me most of the way.  And most of the time Blondie was yelling for me to slow down.  I heard Sassy explaining to her I was walking so fast because I really wanted to run but can’t yet.  Smart girl.

trail, hike, cousins

Every once in a while, they would come charging up behind me to shorten the gap.

trail, hike, cousins

Sassy in all her glory, hitching up her britches.  Lovely.

It was a nice time to be in the woods.  Cool temps, overcast sky and leaves beginning to change.  We walked along the lake’s edge for part of it.

trail, hike, lake

Sassy was attempting to float leaves.

At one point, we came across a bunch of hedge apples in the path.  Blondie thought it would be fun to kick one.  She quickly realized how very hard and heavy they are!

trail, hike, cousins, fall, autumn, hedge apple

Lesson learned!  We had to giggle at her.

trail, hike, cousins, fall, autumn

We found several intersections along the trail.  I can’t wait to explore them all.  Though it may be awhile.  You know my rule, I never go in the woods alone.  Chicken, party of one.

Sassy insisted on chocolate milk as soon as we got home to refuel.  Proud mom moment.  She’s a runner in the making!

Did you get to explore any new trails this week?

Have you ever tried kicking a hedge apple?

What do you call them?  Hedge apple, horse apple, Osage orange or something else?

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One with Nature

Friday night I needed to shake out my sore legs a bit.  A hike through my favorite park was in order!

It was amazing how much more I noticed along the trail that I usually just rush passed on my normal hikes.  Sometimes I just need to slow down and see the beauty that it all around me.

Have you ever been forced to slow down on a regular route and noticed something new?

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I’m signing up for Mommy Run Fast’s 5/10 Virtual Race!

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Hiking Pays

Sunday after Easter brunch, my girls and I hit a local trail for some hiking fun.

I really wanted to get a run in that day, but the trail was pretty curvy.  I couldn’t go very far without losing sight of them. Then I had the great idea to sprint!  And sprint I did!  I would sprint to each bend in the trail, wait for the girls and then take off again.  It was a great workout!

OMG Becky stopped to exam this trunk.  I stopped with her and noticed someone had placed $0.72 in a neat little stack inside the stack.  Odd.

We happened upon an old gold mine cave, but no gold for us.  Sassy thought about exploring it, but she decided it was way too dark in there.  =)

It was a beautiful day for a hike.  I was afraid it might be a bit cool up that high, but the temps were surprisingly in the low sixties.

This is one of the many reasons I love living here!  I could be out here every single day and never tire of it.

We hiked for a couple of hours and then went back down for lunch.  After lunch, we wanted more fresh air.  To the park we shall go!  Impromptu softball practice?  Bring it on!

We threw, caught, hit, fielded, pitched and raced.

After all that fresh air and activity, my girls were worn out.  Early to bed for both.  Perfect Easter Sunday!

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Missing the Sun

It’s been pretty rainy here the last few weeks.  I’m ready for sunshine!  The yucky weather hasn’t stopped me from getting my wogs (walk/job) in. 

This was a few days ago on the bike trail.  Those dots you see on the path are my girls, OMG Becky and Sassy, riding their bikes along with me.
 I must say, the spring rain is making for some very pretty, spring colors!
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Pilot Rock

Last weekend, Barbarian and I climbed Pilot Rock with our friend, Camper. The summit of Pilot Rock is over 5900 feet. The climb covers an elevation change of 2000+ feet. Pilot Rock is actually the cooled magma of an ancient volcano’s central vent. Over time the exterior of the volcano has eroded away. I was pretty excited to climb until I found out about the extreme free solo rock climb required at the end of the trail to summit the rock.

Upon further research (I googled), I discovered that people have died trying to make the final climb. OMG! Are you kidding me? I am a pretty careless gal that usually has a few unexplained bruises at any given time. But I couldn’t back out. The boys would never let me live it down!

We set out at 7:00 AM.  We wanted to beat the heat and other hikers.  We could see Pilot Rock from several miles out.  And as we got closer, it got bigger.  Oh my.  It was going to be a long morning.

The first part of the trail was a pretty easy, dirt trail.  Then it started going uphill fast at a steep angle.  The boys were leaving me behind but I was okay with that.  They like to race to the top.  I prefer to take my time, enjoying the trail and my surroundings.  And then was my least favorite part.  Steep, dirt and large loose gravel.  It sucked!  Most of this part required a lot of using your hands to climb.  Lots of bear walking.  Not so fun.

So I made it to the top of that section to see this…
The last section of the trail.  The rock.  Camper was already half way up.  Can you see him in the white t-shirt in the middle of this pic? 
And then there was this part.  This is where the free solo rock climbing started.  Camper got up and then it was Barbarian’s turn…

It was at this point that he was beginning to think he might not make it up.

But he did!  And then it was my turn.  Please, please, please let me make it up there! 
 
Not only did I make it up there, I fly up the side of that rock!  Who knew my long legs and arms combined with my flexibility would make climbing so easy.  I showed those boys a thing or two! 
I found this cool marker on top of the rock.  I wonder when it was put there?
Did I mention it was our anniversary?  And that is how we spent it.  On top of a rock, looking out to see California on one side and Oregon on the other.  Perfect!