6/5/2010 Sunshine All Day!

What a nice day. Too bad I had to spend a good part of it indoors. Although I did manage to get out a few times to run some errands. Seems like everywhere I looked, people were driving with the tops down on their convertibles or windows rolled down on the cars and trucks. I also noticed a lot of classic cars out today, too. I think people save those for sunny weekend days.
I walked 2.39 miles today along the Burlington Dike trail. I was all alone on the trail, so it was a good chance to be observant, but also provided me time to mull over the work I have been doing. That's a good thing about walking--it gives you time to think without any other distractions. I have really enjoyed this last month that I have been home. Tomorrow starts the beginning of a very busy month with trips to Washington, DC; Wisconsin; Wenatchee; and Denver. At least I'll have a whole new crop of pictures for everyone to see. Here's my route today: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/750835

6/4/2010 Padilla Bay Dike Trail

Just over three miles today on the Padilla Bay Dike Trail. The day started out pretty gray and rainy, but by early evening it was beautiful out. Sunny, clear skies, just a tad breezy, so I opted for the scenic route. On the entire trail, I only passed two other people tonight; I guess most have something else to do on Friday nights. It was a solitary walk, good time for being alone.  I decided that walking is good for the soul, mixing solitude and exercise.
It is becoming increasingly more fun to see the migration of birds on these trails. Lots of Caspian and Goldfinches here tonight, but the neatest thing I saw was an Osprey. It was sitting on one of the posts near the old shack. I had no idea what it was, and actually couldn't see it too well because of the position of the sun, but I snapped a couple of pictures hoping something would turn out. I knew it was a bird I had never seen before. On the way back along the trail was the best. The tide was way out again today, except for the channels. I watched the Osprey dive down to the water three different times attempting to catch a fish. I believe it succeeded on the third attempt, because it flew off after that. I am going to have to remember to take binoculars with me when I walk this trail. Most of the action is out over the water.  Great walk tonight! Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/749097

6/3/2010 Animals everywhere!

What a gorgeous evening. Because of a busy schedule today, I didn't get my walk in until after 6:00 PM tonight, but I am so glad I waited until then. All sorts of animals were out at the port. I opted to take the trail along Ovenell because I knew it would be the driest of  all the routes. The birds were everywhere calling to one another. They have all migrated back home and are busy with their nests I think. Tonight I saw a black-capped chickadee, several more goldfinches, and my first killdeer. No babies around because it flew off when I approached--if they have little ones, they act wounded to draw you away from the nest. 

I also saw 9 rabbits along the trail. If you walk the trails there, look carefully in the underbrush along the trails, and you can see where the rabbits are tunneling in.  Most of them sat pretty still and didn't hop away when I took their pictures. I think they believe that if they freeze in position they are invisible or something.
Another thing I noticed today that I haven't ever seen was what seems to be the little buttercup flowers losing their pigmentation. They were a mix of yellow and white. Can't find any information about that though. As I was leaving the Port tonight, I spotted a Male Northern Harrier, sometimes called a Marsh Hawk. It's the first one I have ever seen. It is from the hawk family, but the male is mostly white on it's underside, with black tipped wings, and has an owlish face. At first I thought I might be seeing an albino or something, and then I did think it might be an owl as it flew towards me, but it was way too large and the wings looked more like a hawk. I looked it up when I got home. Very cool to see new birds.  On the way home I passed a pond and there were 6 red-winged blackbirds all perched on old cattails. It looked like they were having a party. Fun walk tonight! http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/745781

6/2/2010 And the wind doth blow...

Wow! What weird spring weather. After it finished raining like crazy for the last several days, it quit today, but was replaced by very strong winds. My friend Christie and I opted for the Port trails today, knowing that we can stay in the woods for a good part of the time and be protected from the wind. We had barely started out when we came across a fairly good sized tree blocking the trail--downed by the wind. I took a picture of it, but for some odd reason, have lost all the pictures I took today. Very strange. Anyway, we were pretty protected from the wind most of the walk, and I got too hot--was definitely overdressed. Although it was windy, it was actually quite warm. We joked along the way about what we'd do if a tornado came through the area--the weather seemed tornadoish, and I had just watched a tornado movie the night before on TV. Funny how your imagination starts playing off your recent events. I can tell you that if one comes our way on the Port Trails, we will jump into a ditch or a culvert!  Luckily that is highly unlikely, as this is not tornado country we live in.  The wind really hit us on the final leg of the walk--hard for me to stand upright at times, although Christie didn't seem to be having any problem. I'm not sure if that was because I'm shorter than her or wider than her.  2.3 miles today, though. Good walk! http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/745781

6/1/2010 The Tommy Thompson Trail

Last Friday they reopened the trestle portion fo the Tommy Thompson Trail, so I have been anxious to walk it. Las summer someone set fire to it, and it has been closed until the money could be raised (over $300,000) to repair it. I had walked on one portion of the trail on the Anacortes side, but not across the trestle, so that was my walk of the day. The route across the water from the refinery side to the campground on the other side of Fidalgo Bay is a nice 2 mile walk. The wind was at our backs going out, but coming back we were walking right into it. I imagine it's windy there all the time--after all, you are walking right across a bay. One couple was riding their bicycles and smiling away as they wind blew them along--wait until they come back.

The tide was way out today, so the seagulls were very busy eating clams. It is very interesting to watch. They fly around, dive down and grab a clam, then fly over the trail and drop the clam so the shell breaks. Then they land and enjoy their feast. How did they figure out how to do that? The trail is littered with shells on both sides, and we watched one seagull perform his little dining episode right in front of us. They do make a bit of a mess, though, because it seems they also use that opportunity to go the bathroom, too. Well, why not. Here's my route:  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/744697 It looks better if you zoom in on it. Try satellite view also.

5/31/2010 Memorial Day

What a weird day, weather wise. I should have gone for a walk late this morning when it actually wasn't raining. Instead, I stayed inside to clean out my garage. At one point today, around 4:30, I heard what I thought was a huge windstorm--but it was the sound of the rain just pouring down like I haven't seen in a long time. By 7:00 it wasn't raining anymore, so I headed out for a coffee and what I thought would be a nice walk through the Discovery Garden on Memorial Highway at the WSU extension office. Ha! By the time I got there, it was once again pouring. But I put on my raincoat and headed out. I would have stayed longer, but I was worried about getting my new tennis shoes all muddy. And I have to say that my REI raincoat was pretty soaked--not through, I was dry--but it was WET!!!  The first thing I saw when I got there was this flag carved on a granite memorial, telling about Memorial Highway and how it was named to honor those who gave their lives defending our country. What an odd coincidence. Very fitting for today. I will come back to the gardens on a much nicer day--I think it would be a great spot to bring small children, too.  All in all I did clock over 2.6 miles today, so I did get some exercise--it just wasn't very aerobic.  Good day!

5/30/2010 New Shoes

With nothing pressing on my plate today, I decided it was time to get some new walking shoes. I had worn a hole through the toe of my old pair and had also worn out the inside lining on both, so off I went to Road Runner Sports in Seattle where I got my last pair of shoes. To make life easier, I just decided to get the same brand and model again. Road Runner Sports is just a block or two away from Green Lake, so after I got my new shoes, I decided to test them out with a walk around the lake. It's a nice 2.8 mile paved path, but there is also gravel if you prefer that.

I haven't walked all the way around the lake before, so I was surprised at all the action. Lots of people were fishing. Sort of. They cast out with a bobber on the line, then sit away from the pole and watch. None of that continually casting out and reeling in business. I did see one guy catch a fish, but before he could get it all the way in, he took a little slip and dip in the water, and then lost the fish as he brought it on shore. Pretty funny to me. Not to him. You sure don't need anything special to walk around the lake. People were dressed in every kind of clothing, including one man with no shirt on. Now, since it raining, I thought that was a little much. Bikers, joggers, strollers, walkers--they were all out today, and the fact that it was sprinkling didn't deter anyone. It was a nice way to spend part of my day. All in all I walked 3.2 miles. Easily got in my 10,000 steps today! Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/741659

5/29/2010 Slugs and Birds

Somehow I picked out 50 minutes today with no rain for a nice 2.2 mile walk at the Port. It was actually early evening when I headed out--a time when the birds seem to be quite busy. Just as there are new flowers blooming everywhere, different birds are beginning to appear--many of whom make their way south during the winter and return here for the spring and summer. Today I saw the Gold Finch again, in nearly the same spot, as well as a Purple Finch. I also saw many Barn Swallows darting everywhere. They would practically fly right at me and then fold in their wings and burst over my head. I am wondering if I was near their nests. They were very abundant along the trail that parallels Ovenell Road. I also saw, in the same area, what I think were Violet Green Swallows. Not sure about that, but they had a significant amount of white on them, and were definitely different than the barn swallows. That's one of the things I think I enjoy the most about my walks--the flowers and the birds. I enjoy listening to the birds, and wish I had a tape recorder with me to collect their sounds. I don't do so well walking fast because I am always stopping to look at something new along the way. Today I saw two rabbits on the trail too.

The other thing I saw a lot of today were slugs---everywhere. The trails were covered with them--all the little brown variety--not the yellow-green banana slugs. Lots of water on the trail today, too. Good thing I wore my waterproof trail shoes. Hoping tomorrow is a nicer day--might drive somewhere in my new car to go for a different walk. Here's my route:  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/740277

5/28/2010 Urban Walk

Thanks to my friend Joanne who confirmed that there are eaglets in the nest at the Port. Her husband works there and said they have been keeping an eye on them. No pictures today; my walk was 1.5 miles around downtown Seattle. I had a meeting at the Sheraton Hotel, so I parked at the Convention Center and walked over to the Sheraton--not so much of a walk, so when I was done with my meeting, I did a little 30 minute walk around a few downtown blocks, computer bag and all. Surprisingly for how hard it had rained all morning, it wasn't raining much at all during my walk, and there were lots of people out on the streets, not giving me a second look. However, I think I would have appeared a tourist if I'd had my camera with me and started snapping pictures. I stayed on the level ground, walking north and south rather than down any hills-a bit wussy of me, but remember I was carrying my 7 pound computer.  Hopefully the rain will end soon and we'll be back to nice weather and longer walks.

5/27/2010 Eaglets?

Although it was gray day all day today, it didn't rain, and I was able to squeeze in a walk in the early afternoon. I had a little over an hour between conference calls, so I headed to the Port trails to get  in a quick walk. My, but the birds were singing today!  It was fun to listen to them. The swallows were darting around as they always do, and I saw two large hawks today in areas where I hadn't seen them before. They flew pretty close to me, and I am amazed at how large they were. New flowers seem to be appearing every time I walk in the area, and the green tips on the evergreen trees are really pretty now. New cones are starting to form also.

Both of the eagles were back at their nest today down on the lower loop. One was sitting on the nest--you can see make out his white head along the tree--and the other was sitting out a ways on another tree. They made quite a bit of noise as I approached, but you can't really get too close. The tree with the nest is very tall, and its way off the trail. In fact, you'd have to cross a creek to get to it, so I don't know what the eagles thought I was going to do. I am going to have to take my binoculars with me one of these days to see if there are eaglets in the nest. I read that they lay their eggs in mid-March to early April, and it takes them about 35 days to hatch, so if there are any in the nest, I should know pretty soon. I'll keep you posted. Here's my route today: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/737016  1.4 miles.

5/26/2010 Rainy Days

Weird spring we are having here this year. Lots of rain. Today it pretty much poured all day, and finally I ended up heading to the mall for my walk around 5:30 PM. I only did a 35 minute walk, but to alter my route instead of just sticking to the mail mall area, I did a loop through Sears as well. Again, if you keep walking, the store clerks just think you are heading to another department and leave you alone. No pictures again today--this must be getting pretty boring to anyone following me in this blog. Guess you have to put up with the boring to get to the good stuff. I did see lots of other walkers tonight, and the security guard gave me the head nod when he walked by me--not sure what that meant...I am still saddened when I walk through the mall and see all the empty shops--even the food court is only half full--and store clerks are just standing around the stores that are open. the busiest place toight seemed to be the T Mobile stand--not sure if that's good or bad for T Mobile... Tomorrow I hope to get outside again, I did clock 2.8 miles today, though, but not all at the mall.

5/25/2010 Bakerview Trail

I was back in Mount Vernon again today, and by 7:45 PM when I left a friend's house, I still hadn't walked. Across from their place is Bakerview Park, and I pulled in thinking I would walk around the playfields when I noticed people walking along a trail. Sure enough, it is part of a trail that starts at the river in Mount Vernon and winds its way up the hill to the park. I had read about the trail, but couldn't imagine it because it goes all through neighborhoods. I thought it would be on city sidewalks. How wrong I was. It is a very cool trail that seems to wind itself between residential areas. It appears to be newly planted along the way with all sorts of different shrubs and trees and crosses creeks along the way. You would not know you were in the middle of residential areas as you walk along the trail. One of the areas I walked past was the Kulshan Creek neighborhood garden. I would never have seen that if I was driving. It was a very nice evening and the garden was full of people working spreading new gravel on the paths through the garden, as well as working in their own patches.  What a great opportunity for people who live in a city. I only walked 1.67 miles from Bakerview to LaVenture and back, but it was a pleasant walk. Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/734731

5/24/2010 Home Again

I slept in a long time this morning since I got home so late last night. Since I had to help a friend with some computer assistance in the early afternoon, I took a quick walk along the way when I stopped for coffee. I walked the parking lot of our strip mall that contains Best Buy, Home Depot, Old Navy, and Olive Garden. I have found that if you stay on the sidewalks as much as you can, people don't look at you oddly as you are walking along. I didn't have my camera with me, as I really didn't plan to take my walk where I did, but I am glad I walked then as the rest of the day was packed. I just walked 30 minutes around the parking lot--kind of in a hurry today. Luckily I caught a time when it wasn't raining, too.  No pics, no route....boring....

5/23/2010 Teaching, Learning, Traveling

Today I finished up the first weekend of my class in Kenosha and then flew home. pretty uneventful day. Clocked in 2.28 miles. I had such a nice walk yesterday, that I felt kind of bad that I didn't get a chance to do another one today. Teaching until 4:30, then driving to the airport and flying home doesn't give me much time to walk. Luckily I am on my feet all day during class and there is usually lots of places to walk in airports. I am getting great at avoiding the people movers--in fact, I felt pretty smug in Seattle as I walked along watching the others on the moving escalators, knowing I was doing a good thing by walking.  The other day I received a $30 certificate from my health insurance provider for meeting the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines for exercise. Pretty good bonus for walking every day. No pictures...

5/22/2010 Kenosha, Wisconsin and Lake Michigan

Today after my class was over, I headed to the Bobby Nelson Cheese Shop on I-84 in Kenosha to purchase some famous Wisconsin cheese curds and sausages. The man in the shop was very nice, and sent me to the waterfront area of Kenosha for my walk. Wow! What a  treat. My walk today was 2.1 miles through a nice park right along Lake Michigan. The trail actually goes through three parks that are connected, Simmons Island, LakeView, and Pennoyer. It was foggy out over the lake, so visibility wasn't too great in that direction, but otherwise it was very nice. It was in the mid 60s, with a slight breeze, that actually was refreshing. Lots of peoplewere taking advantage of the parks, picnicking, playing in the sand, walking hand-in-hand, cruising in their cars. I saw birds, seagulls, squirrels, and unfortunately, what appeared to be a dead seal on the beach. The best, though, was fog horn coming from the lighthouse, sounding its warnings to the boats every few minutes. It was almost surreal to think that yesterday I was in Washington and today I was taking a stroll along Lake Michigan. This is a good thing I am doing!  Here is my route:  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/730148  Don't expect too much tomorrow. I teach until 5:00 then head to Milwaukee for a nonstop flight home, arriving home about midnight.

5/21/2010 Airports

Today I flew to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to teach a class in Kenosha this weekend, so the bulk of my miles were in airports---SeaTac, Kansas City, and Milwaukee. Only 1.8 miles, but a walk's a walk. I tried to not sit down at any point in between flights, choosing to stay actively moving. I left home at 9:00 AM and didn't get to my hotel until after 9:00 PM, so not much time left to do anything else for the day. Maybe tomorrow. No pics again, and no routes...I feel like I am slacking.

5/20/2010 The Burlington Mall

I am having a hard time wanting to walk these past couple of days; all I want to do is drive around in my new car--not so good for the environment OR my body. Once again it rained most of the day and it was windy, too, so finally in the early evening, I headed for the local mall to put some mileage in. All in all, I walked 2.75 miles today. A few trips around the inside the of the mall, and then when I noticed it wasn't raining anymore, headed out and did a loop around the outside of the mall. I got in 30 minutes of aerobic walking, which felt pretty good. I have a regular doctor's check-up in a couple of weeks, so I'll be curious to see if this walking has done any good for me.  No pics or routes today.

5/19/2010 Shopping

My walking today was mostly done at Alderwood Mall in the form of shopping. It is time for new some new clothes, since I am down two sizes in pants and 2 or 3 sizes in shirts. I still have a long way to go, but it felt good to be able to shop at places like Nordstroms again. All in all, I walked a bit over 2 miles. By the time the shopping was over, it was pouring rain, so that was it was for the day. Glad I carry my pedometer everywhere. No pictures, no route today.

5/18/2010 A New Car

Today I bought a new car, and thus by 9:00 PM, I still hadn't gone for my walk. It rained most of the day today, but by the time I got home, it had finally quit and the wind had died down a bit, so off I went. I was a bit surprised that it was still a light out, but I opted to stick close to home. I walked the little loop near my house--round and round--5 or 6 times--1.5 miles in 33 minutes. When I started this little walking deal of mine 5 months ago, I could barely do 3 laps in 30 minutes--a big improvement. Although this walk is a bit boring, the sights, sounds, and smells are always good. Someone in the neighborhood burns a fire at night, which smells very good, and the Navy was flying their jets overhead tonight; I even saw a flash of after-burn.  It was pitch dark by the time I finished my walk, but the streets are lit. Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/724936

5/17/2010 Goldfinch and Snakes

I have spent the last 2 days putting together a new office desk I bought--in hindsight, it might have been worth my while to pay the fee to have it delivered and assembled. It took hours and hours, but it's done. However, I have been a bit sore from the lifting and bending (guess I need to get to a gym...), so I decided to go for a shorter walk today. I only walked 1.58 miles, and I was slow--taking a lot of pictures. I did the loop around the wetlands area of the Port; I like to listen to and watch the birds. Two snakes slithered across my path and into a pond of water before I really noticed them. Glad I didn't see them on the trail. They looked like harmless garter snakes, but kind of small. 

Today I noticed that the Rose Hips are starting to bloom. The other day as I was walking, I was sort of sad to think that everything would be done blooming soon, and then there would be no color this summer, but today I realized that it's just that different things bloom at different times, and there will be color all summer. One of the benefits of walking the same route frequently is noticing the changes. I also saw my first goldfinch of the season today. It didn't even fly away as I neared it to snap a picture. They are very pretty birds. Slow walk today, but lots to look at.  Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/722880

5/16/2010 The Port of Skagit

As much as any of you who read this are probably tired of hearing about my walks at the port, it is a convenient place to walk with such a variety of routes. Since I didn't head out until after 4:30 PM, the Port ended up being my destination, and I walked the outer loop. 2.1 miles today. Lots of activity here, even for this late on a Sunday afternoon. Looked like some sort of motorcycle competition at the airport. At first I thought that strange, but then they do have long strips of cement. It was very humid today, and even with just a Tshirt, it was warm. I can't imagine living in the South where it is humid all day every day. Today I noticed all the Hawthorn trees now that my mom pointed them out. In one area, there were at least 15 that I counted.
In the parking lot today, I saw an animal that I cannot identify. It looked like it might be something like a ferret, but the coloring was odd. It was sort of reddish and tan. It came running towards me in the parking lot, but before I could take a picture of it, it ran off into the grass. I'll probably look for it every time I walk up there now, however, with the abundance of eagles and hawks, I can't imagine it would live long around there. I noticed today that I haven't seen the heron around lately. I think it is nesting season for them. Anyway--another great day! Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/721785

5/15/2010 Bay View Women's Run/Walk

Today I did my first BayView Women's Run/Walk. It is a 2 mile run/walk or 10k run, sponsored by the Burlington Soroptimist Club to raise money for domestic violence. Great cause. It was a beautiful day, and all of the Peterson family, including spouses, was there. The guys all helped out, and Lindsey, Kelli, and Kezia all walked, with Alice in the stroller. It was immediately apparent that I was not going to keep up with the 20 year olds and their long strides, so I sent them off and continued on in my slow manner. I did finish the 2 miles in less than 40 minutes, though, so I felt pretty good about my time, and I was in no way the last one in. This fun run experience was by far much better than the Bellingham one I entered earlier this year. It was a beautiful day! Here's the route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/719521 The timing is off because I forgot to turn off my All Sport at the end.

5/14/2010 Burlington Dike Trail

Back to some normalcy today; a very uneventful walk. My friend Christie and I walked the Burlington Dike Trail today, 2.3 miles. We drove to where we normally park, only to find the gate locked, so we went around to the other end of the trail and started there. Have no idea why the gate was locked and all the signs say No Trespassing--the trail is listed on the Skagit County trail map. Very nice day out again; it's been so nice this week that it's going to be hard when it inevitably begins raining again. Seems like everyone's mood is just a bit better when the sun shines. Makes me wonder if people in places like Arizona and Hawaii are always in good moods.  In the past seven days I have walked over 13 miles; sometime soon when I have nothing else to do, I'll have to go through my blog to find out how far I have walked total to date. Somewhere inside me is a statistician waiting to get out, I guess.  Tomorrow my walk will be the Bayview Women's Run/Walk. First time I can actually participate, and I'm sure it will be fun. Hope I don't come in last, is all. Here's my data for today: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/718244

5/13/2010 Chased by Geese

After traipsing around the county the past few days and finding trouble yesterday, Christie and I headed to the Port trails today in the interest of time. I was fitting my walk in between two appointments, so we only had an hour.  We did the upper trail, 2.26 miles. The trees have all grown in and shaded the woods even more, forming a very nice canopy to walk through. It was very nice out today--didn't even need a jacket, walked in my short sleeved shirt. I have been waiting for weather like this for a long time now, it seems. The walk was very uneventful until we got nearly back to the car and passed the duck pond where two very large geese reside. My friend Christie thought it would be nice to wave to them, and they headed right for us. I thought it would be fun to get a picture of them, but the REALLY didn't like that idea, and started chasing us. I snapped my picture, took a moment to see how it turned out, looked up, and here they came--right for me. Yikes! I actually had to take off running, because they were closing in. I looked for an avenue of escape, but could find nothing but a deep ditch that I really didn't want to fall in to, so I just kept going, hoping they would stop---they eventually did! Whew! Geese can be pretty mean. Meaner than the security guy at the refinery yesterday, that's for sure.  I'll be sure and stay out of the geese's way next time I come by here. Might be on their watch list too!  Here's our route today, 2.26 miles.  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/717038

5/12/2010 Terriorists? Am I on the Watch List now?

Today was quite an adventure. My friend Christie and I headed to the refineries today to walk around March Point a bit. We parked the car and headed out, and shortly were stopped by a security person who questioned us about our car--it seems we were parked within 300 feet of the trestle that goes out to the ships that come in, and that's forbidden now that we are in a terrorist age in our country. Before 9/11 people could come out to the March Point area and camp all along the road next to the beaches--not any more--camping is forbidden, as is parking too close to anything that has to do with the refinery. We apologized and went on with our walk. When we got back near the car, there was a heron in the water, so we stopped to take pictures, and then headed under the trestle towards where the company campground is. We could see an eagle sitting in a tree and knew there was a nest somewhere. On the way, I snapped a couple of pictures of the trestle; I thought it had a lot of interesting lines in it. The next thing we knew, back came security. He wanted to know what kind of bird we were taking pictures of, told us we couldn't take any pictures of any refinery structures, and told us to delete the pictures on our cameras. Ha! Seriously? Do I look like a terrorist? Am I going to publish my pictures? Not any that have to do with refinery structures--so you won't see the trestle shots--but the birds are okay. It certainly made us aware that we had been filmed the whole time we were on our walk. Glad I didn't take a picture of one of the gigantic tanks like I was going to. Made for an interesting walk though. I'm pretty sure that if I had given him my name, I'd now be on some sort of watch list. Let's see what happens when I have to fly to Wisconsin later this month.

Other than the law breaking we did, it was a pretty amazing day. Christie commented on how lucky we are that we live in a place where one day we are walking along a river in the mountains and the next day along the shore of the ocean. Today we saw some Black Oystercatchers in the bay. Their beaks are bright orange and very long--they use them to dig up mussels and other clams. They are really not common in the area, so it was pretty neat to see them.

On the way home we drove through an area where the herons are nesting. At one point we saw at least 15 herons flying and/or sitting in the trees. They just kept flying from the bay to the trees and back to the bay again. It was quite a sight.  All in all, quite an adventurous day!  Here's our route of 2.57 miles: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/716060

5/11/2010 Cascade Trail--Lyman

After my mom and Tony left today, my friend Christie and I headed out for a walk. We hadn't walked together for quite some time now.  We decided to drive up Highway 20 to catch part of the Cascade Trail that goes from Sedro Woolley to Concrete. We parked in Lyman across from the post office, and headed west on the trail there. It was gorgeous. The trail here runs right along the Skagit River, and in a couple of places there are nice little sandy beaches and waterways all shaded with trees. Parts of it are also like the port trails, just long areas covered in a canopy of deciduous trees. But to look out and see the mountains so close was pretty cool.  We spotted this Common Merganser pair heading down the river in one area. They seemed to not be too worried that we were near them. We also saw a red-breasted sapsucker today, but I couldn't get a picture before it flew away. It was pretty cool to see, though, with its bright red head and spotted body.  Days like today make me remember how lucky I am to be living in such a beautiful area. We walked about 2.6 miles today.  Here's our route:  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/714963

5/10/2010 Worn Out

I think I wore out my Mom and Tony. We ran a lot of errands today, and by the time we got back home, it was already close to 5:30 PM, so I left them at home and headed to the Burlington Dike Trail for a walk and a little alone time. Today wasn't as nice as the weekend had been as far as weather. It was a little cool and overcast, but it was nice to get out and walk.  There was lots of action on the playfields by the dike--baseball mostly. Seeing the parents head to the games carrying their lawn chairs made me think of all the years we either watched games or coached games. Kind of glad I'm not having to do that right now. It will be the Grantie kids that we watch next, but I think I have a few years before that happens. 

 I noticed today on the trail that the water on the Skagit seemed to be a bit higher than it has been; not too much of a sand bar left on the river. That's a good thing, I think. I'll have to pay more attention next winter to see if it's something that happens every year.

I only walked for just over 30 minutes, because I needed to get back home to fix dinner, so not too long of a walk today. But it was nice!  Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/714105

5/9/2010 Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day, so between shopping for some plants for my yard and heading to dinner, I drove us all out to Padilla Bay for our walk today. I thought Tony and Mom would enjoy it as it is so pretty there. Mom stuck with us for 3/8 of a mile and then headed back to the car (3/4 of a mile all together) while Tony and I kept going. We walked out past the 1 mile marker and then returned. It was a beautiful day, with just a lightweight jacket needed, but a bit windy. The tide was out, but I was disappointed that we didn't see more wildlife today. Maybe the tide was too far out, or maybe it was because there were so many of us enjoying the trail. Again today I didn't worry about the mileage or the time we spent; it was all about being able to take a walk with my mom and Tony. It all made for a great Mother's Day! data from today's walk: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/712701

5/8/2010 A Walk With My Mom

My mom and step-dad came to visit me this Mother's Day weekend, so quickly upon their arrival, I talked them into going for a walk with me. We headed to the Port of Skagit trails because I knew there were benches for my mom (who will be 81 next month) and we could choose a shorter route. We did 1.45 miles all together. Mom did the first loop with us and then waited at the car while Tony and I did the lower loop around the eagle's nest area. It was great going for a walk with the two of them. Mom has had both knees and both hips replaced, but does pretty good for short walks. The best was having her identify all the trees along the way. One I was curious about has pretty white blooms. Turns out it is a hawthorn, and there are plenty of them in bloom around the port trails. The other thing we saw, of course, were the salmonberries, and Tony had to stop and collect a few along the way. We all reminisced about picking salmonberries when we were growing up. We also saw several red-winged blackbirds, which Mom enjoyed watching. It was a great day for a walk; I really didn't care about the distance or the time today, just enjoyed walking with my mom and Tony.  Here's our route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/711256

5/7/2010 Sunshine!

The sunshine today made everyone forget how hard it rained and blew just 5 days ago. So many postings on Facebook today mentioning the sun and blue sky. And it was a beautiful day. Made me think about how lucky I am to be somewhat retired at a fairly young age and be able to enjoy days like this. I ran errands all day, so didn't take my walk until nearly 5:30, but that seems to be the time I enjoy most to be out walking. It is quiet then, the birds are all chirping, and quite often most people are home having dinner, so I am alone on the trails. Today was no exception.  I walked the 2.9 mile trail up Ovenell Road almost to the recycle center and then through the woods and back down Ovenell again, and never saw a soul. Once I got into the woods, remnants of the wind storm Sunday and Monday were quite evident, with at least two places scattered with fresh sawdust where some "logging" had to take place to remove some of the larger trees that had fallen across the trail. The trail was still quite muddy in the shaded areas, too, from the rain we had earlier this week.

I don't think anyone can really envision what the forest here is like unless they walk through it. It is full of very old growth timber: huge fir, hemlock, and cedar trees as well as old oak trees.  This stump or stumps is a conglomerate of what appears to be at least 4 or 5 trees that stood as one not too long ago.  My guess is, we lost them to a windstorm.

I also saw, and ate, my first salmonberries today. I knew there were wild blackberries along the trail, but didn't think about the salmonberries. Now I'll have snacks if I get hungry on my walks.My time was pretty horrible for this walk, but I was really enjoying the walk and all the nature around me, and stopping to take pictures everywhere. Nice walk! My route is here: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/709762

5/6/2010 Country Club Loop

What a gorgeous day it turned out to be. As is my fashion, I delayed my walk until about 5:30 PM. By then the skies were blue, clouds were gone, and so was the wind. It was a great evening for a walk, with only a sweatshirt needed. (I do look forward to a time soon when no second layer is necessary, though.)  I have been putting off walking the country club loop, but not sure why, it's only 2.5 miles and takes just under an hour. It seems so daunting though when I picture it in my mind. Must be the hills...
Anyway, it was a nice walk. Not a single car passed me during my entire walk, which is a rare occurrence. It was very quiet and peaceful. I even spotted a rabbit out near the road enjoying dinner.  I spent the walk taking in the sights and smells of spring, noticing that many of the trees that bloomed earlier are already losing their blossoms. Am wondering what will take their place, as the flowers bloom three-fourths of the year around here. Some of the Rhododendrons are really stunning with their huge, huge, blossoms. If any of you are looking for a home, I passed 8 houses for sale on my walk today, including two condominiums. Houses range from $650,000 to $330,000.
Looks like it is going to be nice for the next several days now, so I look forward to some nice walks. My route today is here: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/708593

5/5/2010 A Sign of the Times

Tonight I was over at Office Max in Mount Vernon checking out office desks, so when I got out to the parking lot, I decided to take my walk around the area there. I headed north through the deserted Wal-Mart store parking lot and then all the way down to the CottonTree hotel and back. Thirty minutes in all, 1.3 miles. I am sort of fascinated with the way America just discards commercial buildings. Across the street a ways from the now empty Wal-Mart, are a vacant, discarded Joes Sporting Goods and an Albertson's store, a large amount of retail space sitting empty. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart builds a brand new store just a 1/2 mile away, and at one point Winco was going to build a new store up the road--while this prime property sits empty.  I have heard that there is a covenant on the Wal-Mart property made with Safeway that prohibits another grocery store from moving into the Wal-Mart site. Cities should think more about the future when they allow building permits.  Another thing I walked past tonight was what used to be, until Tuesday, a Frontier Bank.

Now it is Union Bank of California. Notice the plastic sign. I have seen those go up on other banks in the area the past few months as bank after bank closes. Scary times for financial institutions. Frontier is the 6th Washington bank to go under so far in 2010; that's over 1 bank a month. Kind of makes you want to start keeping your money in your mattress--not so easy now with a Tempur-Pedic.  Maybe in my cowboy boots in my closet. I don't use those too often.  Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/707372

5/4/2010 Lopez Island

Wow! What a treat today! My friend Pat Fitzgerald invited me out to Lopez Island today where she and her husband have a cabin, so we spent a bit of the afternoon walking on two trails. One was a little over 2 miles long, the other just under 1/2 a mile.  The first walk was out to Iceberg Island State Park, an area I hadn't ever been to before on the island, and I'm not sure too many people except locals know about it. The entrance is gated with a no parking sign and private property signs, but just down the road a ways from that is the official state park sign. Pretty nice secret, Lopez Islanders!  The trail is pretty much grass and dirt, and winds through a mostly pine tree and fern forest before opening up to a rocky point. The weather was beautiful all day; blue sky and sunshine--unlike what I left at home this morning. 

After we did the first walk, Pat drove us to Watmough Park, and oh my gosh---it is only .23 miles through the woods, but ends at a most beautiful bay. The water was crystal clear close to the shore and beautiful blue farther out. Tiny little fish were jumping everywhere--guess it was feeding time. It was actually pretty breathtaking there. So peaceful too. We sat on the logs for a bit taking it all in. What a great way to spend the day! 

You can see my routes here; my Trimble AllSport program even worked on the islands! 

Iceberg Island:

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/705607

Watmough Bay: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/705662

5/3/2010 Windy, Windy, Windy

We are having very unusual weather here, as is the whole nation, it seems. The wind has blown for a couple of days now. I slept with my window open last night and I have to say the wind kept me awake by blowing my binds around so much. News reports say we have had 40-50 MPH gusts here. And it is snowing in the passes--in fact, they called for a winter storm warning today. I think they need to change that--it is, after all, May. I hadn't really been for a GOOD walk for several days now, and since the sky was blue, even though it was windy, I decided to give it a shot and headed for the Port. It was a good decision. I had a nice 2.2 mile walk around the outer loop trail at the Port of Skagit. I was protected from the wind for the first part of the walk, although I could hear it blowing all around me, and there were signs of the strong winds along the trail--as you can see in this picture. But mostly it was small branches. I didn't get hit by the wind until I got to the back side of the trail, along the airport runways, and then it wasn't too bad except for a couple of blasts where I could barely walk. It reminded me of one of my first walks this year out on the Padilla Bay trail. Once I got back into the trees again, I was fine, and the wind was actually at my back on the last leg--kind of pushing me along. I was plenty warm with a great wind jacket on, but my hands got cold--I shouldn't have let the blue sky fool me. It was just barely 50. Hardly anyone else on the trail today, in fact, my car was the only one in the parking lot--gee, I wonder why?
Tomorrow I am heading to Lopez to visit my friend Pat and go for a walk out there. Should be nice. Hope the wind is gone. Here's my route today: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/704364

5/2/2010 The Elliptical Trainer

It poured down rain today and was windy too. Not a nice day at all. Of course, had I gotten out early I might have missed the weather, but that didn't happen, and by 5:00 PM, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. I had already missed my opportunity to do a Mall Walk. And then I remembered (how could I forget, really) my Elliptical trainer in my bedroom. So my walk today was 30 minutes on my Elliptical.  I was a bit worried that people would think I was a slacker, but I think an elliptical is similar to a treadmill; and believe me, 30 minutes on my elliptical for me is a killer. Well, it used to be worse; now not so much that I am walking every day. In fact, I think I should do at least 15 minutes on this every day in addition to my walking; but not sure that will happen.  Today did make me wonder what I am going to do when October and November roll around though, and not only will the weather be like it was today but colder and darker...not anything I am looking forward to. Think there might be many mall walks in my future.

5/1/2010 Roller Rink Memories

I REALLY didn't want to go for a walk today. I REALLY didn't.  I was tired, slept until almost noon, and finally a little after 8:00 PM drug myself up and to the store for food. I hadn't thought about my walk all day, but once I was at Fred Meyer, I decided I might as well go for my walk, and did the entire block around the store. It was just over 1 mile around the block and took me about 25 minutes. Since it was getting pretty dark, this was an area where I felt safe walking, was fairly well lit, and had sidewalks.
I took this picture with my cell phone. Not sure what kind of tree it is, but thought it was really pretty the way the branches were solid with blossoms all across the top. It was near the grounds of an insurance office.

As I rounded the block behind Fred Meyer, I came upon the Skagit Skate Roller Rink. The back door to the rink was open, so I stopped for a couple of minutes to watch the skaters. Man did that bring back memories. In Hoquiam, where I grew up, we had the Harborena. All during junior high and high school, that was the place to be on the weekends.  It was a big old building at the base of a bridge; not in the best part of town. I don't even remember if there was any parking--I guess our parents just dropped us off there and picked us up later. That's where I learned to do the Hokey Pokey, and dreamed about becoming one of those Roller Derby ladies I saw on TV. We had skating parties for birthdays, church functions, and club outings. They had spotlight skating, speed skating, partner skating--all the traditional roller rink fun. As I was peeking into Skagit Skate, they were all doing a dance--like a line dance, and as I got to a spot where I could see what I thought was a DJ, it was actually a video playing on a huge screen. A lot has changed at the roller rink since the 60s, I guess, but it was good to see that it was the same, too. Good memories. here's my route today:  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/701917

4/30/2010 Four Months!

Wow! I can't believe it has been four months already! A third of the way through 2010 already. I was in a meeting most of the day today in south Seattle, and headed home at the worst possible time--the middle of rush hour. Once I finally got through Seattle, it was already past 7:00 PM, so I pulled off at the Outlet Mall at Tulalip and did a quick 30 minute walk. It actually felt good to get out of the car and stretch my legs. The rain was just sprinkling at this point with a bit of wind, but I always carry a variety of coats in my car now, so I was prepared. I only walked for about 25 minutes and got in just over a mile. Not too much going on around the area, except for at the casino.  The Outlet Mall area is nice to walk around though, since it has sidewalks, is fairly well lit, and has lots of traffic. I just did a down and back on the main road; didn't loop around behind the stores since it was getting late and was dusk already. Someday I'll do this one in the daylight and take pictures. Not the greatest way to celebrate 4 months of walking, but hey, a walk's a walk...

4/29/2010 Around the Block

Since I was heading to Seattle this afternoon, I decided to take a quick walk in between phone calls and when I had to leave. I had about an hour between my last conference call and when I had to leave, so I did a quick 30 minute walk around the loop here by my house, the one I have to walk like 4 times to get in 30 minutes of walking. But it's a walk, and the flowers are very pretty.

This is an old neighborhood, so most of the trees are quite large and the area is full of blooms this time of the years. This pink dogwood tree is just one sample of the color in this area.
Sometimes when I walk this route, I wonder if people think I am nuts, as around and around I go.  There is one steep hill, and I tend to go down the hill and then around instead of the other way, where I would end with the walk up a steep hill. Perhaps I am a bit lazy....I was hoping to get in another walk tonight in Seattle from my hotel to the 5th Avenue Theater, but Kelli talked me into driving since we had free parking. In hindsight, it was a good move, the play wan't over until nearly 11 PM.

4/28/2010 A New Route

I really didn't want to go for a walk today. Today was my only day home before I leave again, so I delayed my walk forever today. Finally about 5:30 I drug myself up and thought I'd just walk out to Highway 20 and back again like I did the other day, but as I started walking, it seemed easier, and I just kept going. I decided to see how long the route would be if I circled around Ovenell Road and back through the Country Club. It's 2 miles, and took me 45 minutes. Not bad considering the hills there are to climb on this walk. I passed a farm on the way and this curious llama came over to the fence to visit me and pose for a picture. Quite nice of him, I think. This is really a pretty nice route; one I think I can do fairly often, especially when I don't want to have to drive somewhere for my walk. I'll have to keep my on these sheep and the llama. Bet they look strange when it's shearing season.  Here's my route today: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/698051

4/27/2010 Leavenworth

Leavenworth--and no pictures. Today after reading technology plans all day, sticking around Wenatchee for dinner and Alice's bedtime, and then heading home, I stopped in Leavenworth for a 30 minute walk before it got too dark. I knew by the time I got home, it would be way too dark. I stop in Leavenworth quite often on my way home to get a coffee at Starbucks. Tonight I was too full for that, but a walk was a good idea. It was just getting to be dusk, but I was surprised at the number of people still out walking and shopping, even in the middle of the week. My guess is Leavenworth is never a quiet little town; it seems there is always something going on there. I just walked from the Starbucks parking lot up past Gustav's, then around the funky little triangular street all the way back past the building where Stone Cold Ice Cream is (and no, I didn't get any) and then back to my car.  It didn't take very long, but a walk's a walk as I have been saying all year.  No rain, fresh air, stretched my short legs, and off I headed home! 1.29 miles today.

4/26/2010 A Dog Walk

 I was in a meeting all day today reading school district technology plans for the state, so no opportunity to go for a walk until after 7:00 tonight. By then it was a little damp out, but not cold like it would be on the west side of the state, so I put on my trusty REI wind/rain coat and headed out with Buck, a golden lab that lives with my Goddaughter and her husband. Buck loves to go for walks.  When we started out tonight, I wasn't sure who was taking whom for a walk...Buck walks a lot faster than me, but by the time we headed back home, he was a lot slower. I let him off his leash down on the loop trail for a bit, so he could run free--he loves that, and as long as he comes back to me when I call, I'll be happy to take him for walks. I also feel a lot safer walking alone if I have Buck with me. Problem is, I have to drive clear to Wenatchee in order to take him for a walk.  I only walked for 30 minutes tonight, but it was a good walk. 1.28 miles. Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/695942

4/25/2010 Back to East Wenatchee

Well, I was home for nearly 36 hours before I took off again. I headed to East Wenatchee this afternoon; helping out with the statewide reading of technology plans tomorrow and Tuesday. A good way of giving back to the state, plus I get to see all my old co-workers and friends. After playing with Alice for a couple of hours before she went to bed, I headed out for a walk. Where I am staying is just 10 minutes from the Loop Trail that runs along the Columbia River, so it's a great place to walk. It was very peaceful down by the river; in fact it was so quiet, you could hear people shouting on the far side of the river. As I was heading to the trail, I passed a Flicker sitting up on a power pole. Quail are also everywhere around here, so I saw a lot of them, but not down on the trail. It was a beautiful night as the sun was setting. Didn't even need a jacket tonight. I managed 1.9 miles out and back from the house. A good 45 minute walk. Good to back in the routine again. Here's my route: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/694778

4/24/2010 Back in the Skagit valley

I was pretty exhausted today. Gone since last Monday, training in Denver and Chicago, three flights, and sightseeing. I was a couch potato all day, but finally drug myself up about 7:00 PM (thank goodness it is light until after 8:00) and did a local walk. I was going to just do the small loop near my house, but then decided to go out onto Avon Allen Road and walk to Highway 20 and back. All in all it was 1.75 miles and I walked for 42 minutes, so it ended up being a good walk with a bit of some hill in it. Here's my route:  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/693457

It rained for part of the day today, but by the time I went for my walk, the sky had cleared and it was pretty nice out. The clouds were pretty amazing.

One of the things that I noticed in Chicago is that my leg is much stronger now. I was able to walk up and down stairs without holding onto the railing for support. This is a huge improvement for me, both in flexibility and in strength. Once I realized what I was doing, I was pretty impressed with myself and realized how far I have come in the last 9 months.

4/23/2010 Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Whew! What a day. Over 5 hours of driving, 4 hours on a plane, 3 states, wake up in Illinois, bed at home in Washington. The wonders of modern day travel. First this morning I got a call that my camera had been found. I had to describe all the pictures that were on it to Carmen first and sure enough, it was mine, so we headed into the outskirts of Chicago to the City Cab Company to retrieve it.  I left a nice tip for the cab driver who was honest enough to return it. I think it's pretty amazing that I got it back.
After that we headed to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to tour the countryside instead of heading back into the city itself. We definitely made the right choice. Lake Geneva is a quaint town on the banks of the lake, where a lot of rich people built mansions after the Civil War. Some of the homes are truly amazing. We ate lunch at a great little place called Scuttlebutts, and then took a walk along the lake to view some of the homes. The trail, which is made of bricks and stones, goes along the lake and actually across the front yards of these homes. The homes are magnificent. Some of the biggest places I have ever seen; they remind me of a slightly smaller scale of the places in Newport, Rhode Island, and indeed it is known as the Newport of the West. http://www.lakegenevawi.com/Discovery/History.aspx  I have no idea who owns these homes now, but they are amazing.

These are just two of the homes we saw along the path. There were many more.  They all sit on the hillside looking towards the lake. This would be a great place to visit for a longer period of time then we spent here today.  My walking route is here: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/691738  We walked for just 30 minutes, 1.26 miles out and back, but what a walk it was!!

4/22/2010 The Weber Grill Restaurant

Today was our last training in this set of 7 cities. Again, I left my pedometer back at the hotel, so I have no idea how far I walked, but I'm guessing 3-5 miles.  We were in bad traffic on the way to class, and expected as much heading back to our hotel, but ended up with a fairly pleasant drive. We are staying just 17 miles from the training site, which where I live would be like staying in Burlington and training in Anacortes or Bellingham, but with so many commuters on the road and freeway construction going on, it was more like driving to Seattle. We stayed at a Hyatt Summerfield Suites which was very nice. In the evening they have free beer and wine along with enough snacks that you can call it a dinner. In the morning they have a very good hot breakfast.  Near the hotel was a Weber Grill Restaurant.

Having never seen one of these before, that's where we opted for dinner tonight. It was amazing. The kitchen is several huge Weber grills where the cooks grill everything, from the warm bread to the chicken and the steaks. We ordered take-out, which was great because we got to stay right by the kitchen while waiting for our dinner.  We could watch the cooks in action. Dinner was great. I'd recommend this place to anyone visiting Chicago. http://www.webergrillrestaurant.com/locations/locationsintro.html There are three of them in the Chicago area and one in Indianapolis. I hope they expand to Washington someday.

4/21/2010 Chicago and a lost camera

Discovered this cool feature of Picasa today. It takes a group of pictures and creates a collage automatically, but allows you to edit it as well. Most of these were pictures I took today on a walking tour through what is known as the Gold Coast of Chicago. However, they also include our little Cube rental car and one of our cab drivers, too. The Bishop Plumbing truck was seen at the Archdiocese of Chicago's home. Thought that a bit funny...
I lost my camera today when it fell out of my jacket pocket in a cab. I realized it immediately, but by then the cab was gone. So how did I get these pictures? Two days several phone calls later, I got my camera back. Pure luck since we had no idea even what color of cab we were in. Kathy thought she remembered the cab number, so that's what we started with. Amazing piece of luck!
We took the train from where we were staying into the city, walked around for quite a bit--very windy. Guess that's why it's called the Windy City. I had to buy a jacket since I had left my coat in the car. It was very pleasant weather when we started; who knew it would be so cold in the city. We did a walking tour of the Gold Coast area (http://www.chicagotraveler.com/neighborhoods/gold-coast-feature.htm); lots of magnificent mansions bulit in the late 1800s and on, including even a Playboy Mansion and a place called the Three Arts Club where women lived and trained in the arts. One of the homes we saw was designed by Frank Llyod Wright when he was just starting out with a firm in Chicago. I'd recommend the area to anyone visiting Chicago. Not sure how far we walked today; I left my pedometer back at the hotel again, but we did do quite a bit of walking and I tracked our route a couple of times on the phone. Doesn't look too accurate on some, but it shows where we have been a bit of the time. The first route is the walking tour in the Gold Coast area.  http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/688940
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/688809

4/20/2010 Teaching All Day

Today was a training day followed by walks through the Denver Airport and Midway Airport in Chicago. I left my pedometer in my suitcase where I put it yesterday when I went through security, thus I have no record of the distance I walked today. Normally, however, when doing a training, I clock between 3-5 miles. We also chose to walk to our gate at the Denver airport instead of taking the shuttle trains, and we walked to our rental car at Midway, so I have no doubt I walked close to 5 miles today. We started the day at 7:00 AM and ended it at 11:30 when we arrived at our hotel in the Chicago area.  We lucked out on the rental car from Hertz. Started with a Ford Focus, but before we even got out of the garage, I noticed a strange sound coming from the right wheel area, so we returned it and they exchanged it for this cute cube! Lots of fun to drive, and just my size. I could even reach the rooftop.