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!!