The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another.
–Henry van Dyke
Apparently the theme for spring this year is pink. I’ll take it. It looks kind of pretty against a blue sky.
Any sign of spring in your neighborhood yet? (Or autumn, whichever the case may be? 😀 )
It’s the changing of the seasons here, the most beautiful time of the year!
I hope I can be the Autumn Leaf,
Who looked at the sky and lived.
And when it came time to leave,
Gracefully knew life was a gift.
–Dodinsky
And so training begins again, only this time I have a decent amount of time to get in shape for the Tulsa Half taking place in November, my 7th state.
Or wait… maybe I’m supposed to be getting ready for the Hamster Endurance Run in August… oh well… moving on…
I’m not sure I mentioned it before, but because of that crazy stint I pulled off with the SLC Half, RNR Seattle Half, and just recently Missoula (3 half-marathons in 90 days), I managed to qualify for Half Fanatics. I am now Half Fanatic #15164! For my friends across the pond and elsewhere that aren’t familiar with it, it’s a national running club here in the States which affords certain race “perks.” For example, in Tulsa, we will have access to the VIP tent. And yes, James qualified for Marathon Maniacs as well. We both have joined the Asylums!
Anyway, as I was saying, today was the first day of training for Tulsa… or Hamster… whatever. My feet are feeling much better (thanks Rob!), almost completely healed and normal again. Regardless, I kind of had a lazy run. Okay, not kind of, more like really really. But it’s all good. I haven’t been able to train properly since the PF started, so it was good to get out and just get ‘er done.
I opted to go ’round and ’round at the soccer fields. It was flat. And I was feeling lazy. And could the sky get any more beautiful?
So I completed 5 lazy miles going ’round and ’round. It got a bit warm with no shade, but I’m thinking I shouldn’t really complain about that as, last I heard, the rest of the country is melting.
And hey! I spotted the bird… little Robin Redbreast!
But if Mr. Redbreast doesn’t get it done for you, then have a duck:
Lastly, Sheba would like to say hi, because she’s like that:
Wishing you a blessed week!
A rainstorm with wind gusts up to 115 mph hit western Washington yesterday, knocking down trees and power lines. It left over 300,000 without power for many hours, some still without. At least 3 deaths were reported from fallen trees, one even as far as Spokane (on the eastern side of the state) as they got hit too. Rivers throughout the Puget Sound flooded, causing even more damage.
James takes the train into Seattle, and his 1-hour commute home turned into a 4-hour nightmare. They had to evacuate the train half-way due to a fallen tree on the tracks. All the passengers then had to walk to the nearest bus stop where the winds were whipping around them, all while watching trees fall down on transponders which then caused the transponders to explode. Not my idea of a fun night.
Today is the calm after the storm… no wind, no rain. Nothing but a huge mess to clean up. Our power came back on after 18 hours, just in time before my fish froze to death (my oto/sucker fish turned completely white). School was cancelled, and I minimally went into work. I love living among a whole bunch of trees; however, when the wind blows, they can be quite lethal.
Needless to say… I did not get my 3-mile run done yesterday, but I did manage to cross-train on Monday… 😉
This power pole snapped in half. The wires from it now stand only about 8 feet off the ground.
Typical storm debris and fallen branches.
The ground is saturated. Hence, an uprooted tree from the wind.
Another uprooted tree… this one was huge…
These people are lucky this tree wasn’t closer to their house.
More fallen trees and debris in the road.
The next weather system is due to hit the Oregon coast and southern Washington. Brace yourselves people… when they say be prepared, then be prepared, because they aren’t kidding.
Never A Dull Bling 