Open-air Footwear

I’m a bit confused 🤔 

I’ve noticed many of the folks I pass when out walking, who are out walking themselves, wearing flip flops or sliders or sandals or something similar. Believe it or not, there was even this one dude who was actually jogging in sandals, no socks (sock with sandals is a whole different rant), I kid you not!

This seems super uncomfortable to me. Putter’n around the house, at the beach or pool I can see but walking any distance, especially running seems odd to me. However, full disclosure, I’m not a flip flop or sandal kinda guy so there’s that.

Just an observation that I find unusual.

Carry on.

Stay Hydrated

Here’s a creative and caring dog loving abutter to the walking trail I’ve been visiting!

A “Doggy Hydration Station” -

It’s always full and always crystal clear clean!

It was SO hot and humid the other day I contemplated taking a drink myself tongue 😜 

Hi Ho, Hi Ho…

Despite the humidity and downpours, I was still able to get seven days of walking in!

Here are the stats for the week, Monday to Sunday -

Disregard my laziness in May and June above.

Making up for it here in July!

Found a couple nice walking trails in Greeneville!

A Brisk Walk Today!

Despite it being a frigid 24 degrees today, I bundled up, braved the elements and got in a 2.7 mile walk this afternoon at the university -

I was so preoccupied when I first arrived, getting myself bundled up from the wind, that I failed to noticed these four ladies next to the pathway. By the time I got my gloves off and pulled my phone from my back pocket and unlocked it they were turning and runing off -

Displaying their namesake "white-tailed" tails as they pranced off, across the road and up the steep embankment towards the railroad tracks they went -

With all the open spaces and farmland available in this area, these girls seem to enjoy the city life of JC.

Keep Moving Folks!

Drum roll please...

Here are my 2024 walking breakdowns and totals, as captured by the app Strava -

194 walks

191 hours

706.6 miles walked

We're onto 2025!

I'm Gonna Air My Laundry...

I scored myself a like new 2 bushel Sterilite laundry basket on my walk this afternoon!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with it and it still had the tags on it.

The laundry basket I've been using is old, an unappealing brown color that matches nothing and one of the handles is broken, so the timing happens to be perfect, as I was going to be buying a new one soon.

I did feel a bit silly carrying this for over 2-miles to get it home but I didn't want to risk leaving it and hoping it would still be there when I returned with the car some 30 minutes later, so...

Merry Christmas to me!

Longest Walk Yet!

I helped a friend move some motorcycles around this past Saturday afternoon, which included grabbing lunch.  My friend is a fan of Burger King, so that's where we stopped.  Now, I am not a fan of these fast food places as they're really not good or healthy for you but I'm also not one to pass up a meal.  Since I also lack self control I grabbed a couple burgers🍔🍔.  However, and although I just stated my lack of control, I did muster up enough to stay away from the fries and onion rings. Yeah, small victories am I right?!

As punishment, and to try to rid myself of the guilt, I put in my longest walk (not run as indicated in the screen shot below) on Sunday morning, an invigorating and refreshing 6-mile jaunt in 27 degrees temps -

Alas, with the holidays here, and my love of eating, seems I just might be putting in more of these long treks!

A Tangled Looking Mess

Well, we finally got some rain today!

It's been almost or close to 2-months that we've gone without any measurable rainfall, so it's long overdue.

As a matter of fact, it's been so dry that Massachusetts has been under a "red flag" warning for quite some time now, with dozens of brush fires being fought throughout the state. We had a 12-acre brush fire here in Franklin, and not too far from me, just this past weekend!

It's so bad that the powers that be here in Franklin just yesterday issued a mandatory FULL water ban for the town effective immediately, which means no outside water use at all.

Today we finally got rain and it's been raining all day long.  So, since it's been a rainy and wet and dreary day today I decided to take a ride to the Natick Mall and get me daily steps there, inside.  The Natick Mall is quite large, so I was able to log 2.78 miles.

I use the app Strava to keep track of and log my route and distance.  I found the map it created today, showing my route, comical and not what it usually shows.  Seems the laps I did, as well as the stores I popped into, including bathroom breaks were all tracked in a very messy backwards L shape - 

Today's walk at the mall -

One of my typical walks mapped out nicely -

It's been a while since I've been to a mall, OMG!  More on this to come...

What's Going On Here?!

I took this picture yesterday, November 20th, on my late morning walk.

The weather has been unseasonably warm this fall, which may have something to do with the pictured rosebush sporting freshly opened blooms!

Yup, I kid you not, flowering roses, here in New England on the backend of November. 

They pop nicely with the brown backdrop.

You Can Call Me Forest (Gump)

Below is a screen shot from my walk (disregard the "Morning Run" reference in the screen shot) yesterday morning, a personal best distance at 5.20 miles, and marked my 47th day in a row of walking at least 3 miles each day!

As you can see my total miles walked the six days this past week is 29.76 miles!

Alas, now if I stopped eating like I have two assholes, I might even get to my target weight goal...

On A Roll!

Although, it's raining this morning, today will be my 36th day in a row that I have walked at least 3 miles.

I prefer early morning walks, again before all the shitheads stir and venture out and there are just SO many of them too!  It's so quiet and peaceful first thing, plus it's been so darn hot and humid that getting out before it heats up is a good thing.

A Great Sunday!

What an incredible day yesterday was weather wise, absolutely perfect!  It was made even better with an 131 mile motorcycle ride with friends and a delicious lunch curbside!

The weather was SO nice that I capped the afternoon off with a 3.37 mile afternoon walk (disregard the "run" reference in the screen shot below), see my route below - 

Ended the day with fresh sheets on the bed, a couple loads of laundry done, a nice relaxing shower and a bowl of cereal while watching Goliath on Prime Video.

#Blessed

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the above picture?

I came across her on my early morning walk today.  She let me get a bit closer than normal, as she was preoccupied with a dog that was in the fenced yard off to her left.

She seemed a bit confused on what way to go but eventually chose her only real option which was an about face.

I snapped these pics of her but in hindsight wish I hit the video button instead because you could clearly hear her clip-ity clops, much like a horse, as she ran down the center of the street and off into the wooded area in the distance.

SO cool and a big reason why I enjoy my early morning walks; getting to see this AND the human mutants haven't yet stirred and ventured out.

The stare down - 

Hi Ho Silver Away -

And away -

Dew, Dogs And Deer

My early morning weekend walks are the best!  So quiet and peaceful; an ideal time to go.

The lawns were covered in dew this morning.

I came across a couple different groups of deer; one pair who crossed the road in front of me as I approached and the second pair calmly keeping an eye on me from a distance as I walked by.  Oh, I saw you both standing statuesque trying to blend in.  You gotta get up earlier than that to fool me.

A handful of dog walkers, and their 4-legged companions, were out this morning too.

Well, Good Morning To You Both!

Early morning weekend walks are the best!

Getting up and out before all the assholes start to stir, so peaceful.

Plus, if you put your phone away and actually take in the walk, you just might start noticing things that you'd otherwise walk right past.  Like these two taking in the warmth of the morning sun.

Gosh, my iPhone 12 camera takes terrible pictures.  It's also possible, ever so slightly, that it's the camera operator that has the issues...

Serenity Now!

Early Saturday morning walks are the best!

So quiet and peaceful, if you can get it in early before all the assholes wake and start venturing out.

If you pay attention and look around, take a break from and get you heads out from your silly phones, there's so much to see.

I wasn't quick enough with my camera to get a picture of all 5 deer, just this one brave doe who stood her ground as I rooted in my pocket for my cell.

Camera Shy

I had a big, beautiful Red-Tailed hawk following me for a bit this morning.

Out of all the pictures I took trying to capture it, this is the best of the bunch, which isn't the greatest.  

He flew from the top of the flag pole, to one lamppost, then to the one pictured above.  Each time I stopped walking to take some pics the dude would fly off, as he's doing in the above pic. You can see he just stepped off and is taking flight.

Get Moving!

Get out there and just do it!

Morning Serenity!

Early morning weekend walks are the best!

Heading out just about sunrise is the ideal.  Before others are out walking or jogging or biking, and before there are many vehicles driving by.  Less noise, less exhaust, more peacefulness.

This time of year and with the temps warming up, the spring peepers were still singing!  Crows were cawing, woodpecker banging away and the geese honking.  Here are some pics of the wildlife not yet disturbed by the coming days hustle and bustle -

Turkey vulture -

Canadian Geese -

Red-tailed Hawk -

This is what looks to be a well worn and traveled path leading out of the marshy woods to the street.  Seems a "Deer Crossing" sign would be appropriate in this area - 

I also saw a good sized muskrat come out from the wetland and poke around along the sidewalk.  He was too fast for me, so no pic.  Sadly, the one pic I could get the following morning is not one anyone would want to see here, as the dude was run over in the street, alas.

Daily Walkabout!

Taking my daily walk!

I've always said I wish I was 6" taller...