Another week

July 30th-Aug. 3d 2017
Central NY

Sunday, Mark and I started off the day with a trip to the gym....FINALLY! We had (I say had as in the discussion was.) planned to get back to the gym like we had been every morning. As of Sunday, that was the plan.
After the gym we took the pups to Onondaga Lake Park.

I encouraged Mark to take us to a spot we haven't really walked before.

It was a beautiful morning.

We started in Willow bay and wound around the concession stand which did not look like it has been open all summer. Oh well. I was ecked out by the green growth on this stream leaving to the lake. Is that healthy?

well at least the lake looks pretty.

As it so happened we ended up by the good dog park. We haven't been since Riley had a difficult time with another dog about a year ago. As we approached Mark and I discussed visiting with the pups. There were only a few dogs in the gates so we figured, why not?

Riley was certainly having a good time and there was a female husky that looked just like him.

However...he started to play with this guy....

It all started out friendly enough.

Then all of a sudden....the other dog started to growl. I went over to pull Riley off. (I've only seen Riley react a few times, but when he does he is out for blood.) By then the other dog was fighting. Once I approached Riley reacted (Mark said it was a protective thing.) Riley never got a nip in, but the other dog bit right into Riley's rear. Luckily, Riley has so much fur, it only left a saliva string.

Okay....were out! Back to our walk.

Here is an example of why Onondaga Lake is one of the most polluted lakes....

Polluted or not...it is pretty.

Walk SELFIE!

My walker tracked just over 2 miles. Not to bad..but it was getting hot. Time for the next thing on today's agenda.

 It was still pretty early when we got home...predicting that the day may actually get warm and not rain, I vacuumed the pool.

My older kids hung out with me on the deck, I took a swim and played around with my snorkeling gear. I kind of liked it until I went to deep and sucked in water. Keep practicing. Someday I would like to learn how to scuba dive. My mother was actually once a scuba instructor. That women is pretty amazing.
Alexis had her friend over with his twin sons and they played in the pool for a bit in the afternoon while Mark cooked on the grill. The meal ended up to be just the two of us, but I enjoyed the grilled chicken. YUM...still sticking to the healthy eating. Evening ended with tv time Games of Thrones!

Monday...back to work and it was BUSY!!! My calendar looked like I wouldn't even get a lunch break.....but my noon appointment was not there...so I took a walk. I was in the city, in my old stomping grounds actually. Meadowbrook/Barry Park. I saw a few people walking from the view of my car, but I wasn't sure if there was an actual trail.

There was, although I found it difficult to walk as most of the initial walk and most of the trail is somewhat slanted. I'm not sure they really need all that mulch. WOW!

Why is there so much muck on the top of these bodies of water?  Years ago, my bestie Lynne and I had walked to this park and collected several really cool "fish" from this pond. They were unlike any fish either of us had ever seen.

They were black slippery eel like creatures. We caught as many as we could find slipped them into our discarded mayo jars and headed home on our bikes with our new "pets". I imagined that they were some kind of special fish. I am sure I had even named them.

When I showed my prized new "fish" and informed my mother of my intent to house these critters as my new pets she giggled. Lynne and I had caught about a dozen leaches. EWWWE!!!! Luckily we had not been victims of their blood sucking powers.

The day was quite beautiful as I walked. There was just enough shade on the trail to keep the warm sun from becoming to warm. Then I saw it. Something moving in the wooded area off the trail. Yep. There she was.

There were three all together although this one was the only one that did not escape deeper into the green woods.

She almost seemed curious as I tried to take several shots of her with my phone camera.

Okay...back to the trail and my power lunch walk....of course I had to stop and smell the flowers.

I wonder if anyone still lives in here?

A duck quacked in the brush. There she is...

Rounding another corner of the trail I saw yet another deer cooling in the shade.

According to my walk app, the trail totaled just about 1 mile. I headed back to my car and cranked the air before I was off to my next appointment. What a wonderful break in my day.

Later that day,  I was excited to find a small package in my mail box from close to my heart. I now have five years as a consultant. (I actually have more, but I fell out of status for awhile and had to re-start.)

Tuesday....no Mark (He does overnights on Monday) and I was tooo lazy to get out of bed for the gym....Another missed day.  Oh well...better find another activity to make up for it. 

So I did. I had an early appointment then plan to meet one of my clients down town to go to the department of Social Services. I called her once I got downtown and she reported she would be about 1/2 hour late. I finished up some notes and took advantage of the beautiful day with a walk. 

I set my walk app and off I went. 

 It wasn't long before I realized that I had not set my app..I missed a bit of my walk. Oh well.
It was a beautiful day....and it was getting HOT! Not to self; do not wear a skirt when its hot out, your walking and your legs rub together. OUCH!

 As I had just been downtown this weekend in the same areas, I tried to take an alternative route to spice up the views. I didn't get to far when I was once faced with an area I had been on Sunday.

 I decided to go left and wondered down by the galleries and hotel Syracuse. (Mark and I stayed there nearly 16 years ago New Years Eve. The day before we were married. This was before it closed and was remodeled. Someday I have to take the remodeled tour.

 I rounded the bend and decided to sneak between buildings rather then do the sidewalk square. I needed to get back to the DSS building and it was getting hot. I'm not sure what building this is. Like many of the buildings downtown, I generally do not notice them until I pay attention to them and I usually don't have a way to inquire about it.

 This big Orange and White sign adjacent to the building didn't have any clues about what the building was either.

 Returning to the office after my appointment I was forced to park on the far side of the parking lot. Our office parking is across the street from our building and the overflow is situated on the far side of the train tracks.

I was stuck on the opposite side of the building for nearly 15 minutes as the train passed. Just one small annoyance of the job.

 As soon as I pulled into the drive after work I had only one mind set...GET IN THE POOL! for as much as I complain about the cleaning and the opening and the maintaining of this pool...DAYS like this make it all worth it.

 We had some drama during the evening. Four cops showed up next door. Mark watched for awhile. We never found out what exactly happened.

(My flowers are not looking good...geeze)

Wednesday...wow the week is going fast...NO Complaints here!!! 

My lunch walk found me at Websters Pond. I had walked here before, but it was local to my appointments. I realized that there was a trail that lead on the far side of the pond and decided to take it. 

 There were no markers on just how far this trail took me, but I thought if nothing else it was something new and I could get my power walk in. Off I went.

 As I ventured in I was greeted by more ducks.

 They were everywhere. As I walked along the trail more would flutter out of the brush and glide on to the pond. Hi guys!

 Where there was one or two suddenly there were five and six as my approach apparently brought them out of their nesting in the wooded area.

I even was greeted by this little fella. 

 What an absolute gem of a trail hidden here in the city.

 and MORE ducks.

Well, hello there... your not a duck are you? I believe you may be a Canadian goose. 

 This one was chasing another.

 I looped around the pond on the trail which lead me back to the opposite side. (Where I had ended my walk a few weeks ago.) I stayed away from the mean ducks and darted around to the front of the pond.

 Another duck unlike many of the others. He let me get very close to him.

The trail was about 1/2 mile in total. Not my usual mile power walk, but it was enjoyable just the same. Wonder where my next city park adventure would take me. 

Thursday offered a new park experience. I was located in the city's south west side in an area called Straffmore. There are several beautiful old houses off some of the cities not so desirable areas and right in the center is this amazing little park. Upper Onondaga.  

Although there is not a trail that leads through and around the park there is an identified walking area that runs along the roadway and I saw several runners and walkers taking this marked off area for a bit of exercise. 

It was SUPER hot out and I was shocked that there was no one enjoying this beautiful pool.  

 or this fun fountain.

 I started my power walk against the flow on the roadway, then deviated off it to make my way towards the center of the park and this beautiful gazebo jetting over the pond. I took the trail as far as it lead and wondered upward from the base of the gazebo.

 The trail ended here with some construction so I entered on the grass and continued upward. I was certainly getting my heart rate up today.

 My grassy stroll (heart beating hard, sweat on my brow and heavy breathing was not really a stroll) lead me to a small bit of paradise hidden in the center of this inner city park. Ahh....beautiful.

 This tall pine area could be right out of the Adirondacks.  Just beyond the trees was this amazing little man made waterfall. So peaceful and scenic. I may have missed it had I stayed on the roadway walking trail.

 The park area ended about here as I took the small dirt trail leading away from the tiny waterfall to the roadway. With two directions to go as I had actually split the park in half by walking off the paved roadway trail, I choose the direction of the left as this would have been the direction I would have been taken to had I stayed on the roadway. The road lead upward towards an amazing view of the city.

 The roadway trail did not offer as much scenery as I continued along, but I had noticed a sculpture up on top of a hill as I headed downwards on the paved road. I convinced myself that the road would offer me an opportunity to get a better view of it as I followed.
However, there was an additional roadway that was off the main trail leading straight up in order to get a better view of what I could make up as a goat. Well I simply had to get a better view so up up up I climbed. Huffing and puffing all the way. And at the top I was welcomed with another great view of the city,,,and

 ...yep it was a goat!

 He is a statue of a mountain goat. He was erected for the annual area Mountain Goat Run.

 Okay so maybe not so exciting..but I made it up the hill.... now down. By now I was so hot. Sweat was burning my eyes and I could hardly see. Kudos to those few people I saw actually running along the trail. I yearned for a plunge in that crystal cool blue pool water.

 By the time I was walking along this area of the park I was wishing I hadn't taken those extra steps up the hill to see that goat. My car (with air conditioning) seemed so far way... (Parked just to the right of the building below)

 With  no other choice I pushed on through and was soon back at the car.

 One more quick picture.. as I let the now very warm interior of my car to cool. Whew!! Walk app indicted over a mile. And I still did it under my 1/2 hour time. I think I may be getting faster.

I was impressed with this gem. Most definitely will expect another "stroll" someday. 

Friday I did not take my lunchtime walk. I ended up flexing out my lunch time to leave a little early as I had a date with the Adirondacks and time with one of my friends/co-workers at her family camp. Hooray for the weekend. TTFN !!!!