Still working from home.  No word on when I will not be.

I also realized that my wifi works on my deck so I can do some work outdoors.  However, I cannot teach my webex training classes there since I need 2 monitors and quiet (Darn noisy birds!!)

I just bought an umbrella so I am excited for next week.

Trying to get outdoors often.  Always looking for new and interesting places to run or walk and practice social distancing. I added SIX more places to my list.

I signed up again for 6 more weeks…this past week was JOY Un-Canceled

Continuing to run/walk 500k until Aug 31.

And yes, it snowed a few weeks ago but this past week, the temps reached 90 degrees!!!!!!!!

Last Week –

• Monday – Three Day Weekend. The Best.

I started the day off with a hike.  I intended to go to Keleher Preserve but passed Hannacrox Ravine Preserve first and decided to go there instead. It was a lovely place to go. I stopped when I reached the creek rather than crossing it to do a loop because I needed to get home.

yes I tried to dress patriotic

We hesitated going back up to the lake because it seemed cloudy and breezy.  Boy, am I glad we changed out minds. It was a lovely day. We docked at a new island (Long Island) and I was able to hike the length of it. We had lunch and I finished a book. For dinner, we did our first “dock n dine.” (You dock at the restaurant, they bring out your dinner and you eat on your boat. The new normal.)

I celebrated Memorial Day with a Bloody Mary.

• Tuesday – I decided last week on days that I don’t train first thing, I would get up earlier and walk or run before work.  So today I ran.  It was lovely.

Unfortunately, I have to run in my neighborhood if I run before work but I made the best of it by concentrating on taking flower pics.

a slow but joyful run in these wonderful summer temps

So for my lunch walk, I took to the water line.

I was surprised how high the grass was and how many new wildflowers there were. I changed to a tank (as it was pretty steamy) and to knee socks (to ward off bugs and ticks.)

Then after work, since my run was already done, I could take off and explore. I headed back to Keleher Preserve where I planned to go on Monday.  There were many looped trails. I wanted to get to the overlook but not spend too much time. It was warm and muggy but not bad in the higher elevation and in the shade of the tall trees.

the view was much better than it looked in the pic. I followed the white trail to the blue, to the red then back to the white, the orange and then the white again..  yes, I had a map.

• Wednesday – I got up early but not to run since I would not have time to shower. But when I looked at the weather forecast for the day, I decided that sweaty or not, I should squeeze a pre-work run in my neighborhood.

The never miss a flower run

At lunch, I drove to the park trail for different scenery.

Looks different from my last visit…trees with leaves and no more mud

The same as Tuesday – With my run and walk already done, hiking on a new trail was on my after work agenda. I hesitated going to Bennett Hill Preserve because many people posted that they saw snakes. (I HATE snakes.) But it was very warm and I knew like yesterday that the trees and the higher elevation would make it a perfect hike to choose.  I was right. Loved it.  NO SNAKES.  All uphill on the way out (but gradual), then a loop to see the view and then back down.

yes, that’s a tub with running water and there were lots of painted rocks too.

• Thursday – A busy work day so it called for just walking and no running.  That also meant staying in the neighborhood.

My morning walk was pretty short but at least I got it done.

no more tulips so now you’ll see Irises (not mine)

My lunch walk had to be brief, as well.  This will be a low step day.

purple may be my favorite color lol

Thursday has been designated Tennis meet up day.  My friends play tennis and then I join them in the park for dinner.

Then I rushed home for a ZOOM chat with my running friends.  This week, we tried instead using a Facebook Room.

My college friends prefer it to ZOOM. My running friends, I guess, had some technical difficulties. ???

• Friday – The rain that was supposed to come yesterday still hadn’t arrived but boy was it humid!  I started the day with a quick neighborhood walk.

no flower pics just rocks 🙂

I had more time to walk at lunch so I drove to the nearby preserve. It’s amazing how much greener and drier it was than the last time I walked here.

I was hoping to get in one more hike this week. But we had a huge thunderstorm. I’ve never seen it rain so hard. I thought that I was done for the evening but it stopped. So I decided on a preserve that was a short loop and not too technical (since it would be muddy.)

nothing special about this one but it was nearby to Trader Joes

And it didn’t rain again until later that evening.

• Saturday – Today was a little bittersweet. I was hoping to be running my favorite race for the 13th year in a row.  Instead I ran it virtually.

I ran it on the rail trail because I was meeting friends there later for a long run. The cool part of a virtual race was that I could run it with others that lived far away such as Debbie in VA, Kim in IA and Cari in NYC.

running friends are the best

When I was done, my local running friends arrived. Some ran shorter, some walked and some ran 7 miles with me (6 ft apart) but still we were able to chat. And of course afterwards, we had our social distanced brunch together.

the first long run in a long time that was actually fun

After some weeding in the garden, the weather was so perfect that I decided to go for another hike…my 4th this week.  I have a thing for waterfalls so that’s why I chose this one. The hike turned out longer because I took the wrong trail and since it has been so dry lately, the waterfalls were not as big as I hoped.  Still felt great to be outdoors. And I got back before the unexpected rain.

• Sunday – The rain seemed to cool things down. We had planned to go boating but it was only in the 50s. The hubby nixed that idea.

I had to stop by Nisky bike path to pick up a glass for running a virtual 5k.  There were two preserves not far so I decided why not.

The first one was a not marked (but obvious) short out and back trail. Still pretty and sans other hikers.

I was actually chilly … tank yesterday, jacket today. Crazy!

When I arrived at the second one, the parking lot was full. But it was a larger preserve with 3 different trails.  Yes, there were people there but they were friendly and I’m kinda over this social distancing thing.

I did 2 of the 3 loops

I stopped on the way home to buy more plants and spent the rest of the day, planting and weeding. (Although I may take one more hike before dinner.)

This Coming Week – 

• Monday – run
• Tuesday –  rest day, college reunion ZOOM
• Wednesday – run
• Thursday – rest day, tennis friends dinner, running friends ZOOM
• Friday – rest day, mah jongg walk
• Saturday – LONG RUN 
• Sunday – rest day, boating

I am linking up with Kim and Deborah for

I encourage you to do the same. Grab the graphic, drop your link on the host blogs and play along! Please be sure to always comment on the HOST’s blogs, as well as visit and comment on as many other blogs as you can.

Happy Running! How is your running going?  How is this virus affecting you and your family? Have you done any parking lot or driveway get togethers with friends or family? Please share.