The First Real Snow

We've been lucky so far this year, 

enjoying spring like weather right up to Nov. 23rd, 

but when the snow finally came

...it really came!

And it's still coming!

I headed out for a 

first cross country ski,

but there was too much snow for skiing.

I should have traded the skis

for snowshoes,

but decided to help the hubby with 

some shoveling instead.

The snow was up to my knees

...and another 15 cm. forecast overnight.

Finding Joy In The Going

Though they bear the weight of the world, 

let your feet proclaim their joy

…not just in getting somewhere, but in the going.
~Jeffrey Willius~

One Man's Wonder 

It seems that my mantra "just move," far from progressing to a new mantra "move more" has petered out over the past two weeks...with only sputtering bits of activity here and there ...only to come to a complete stop. I haven't walked in three or four days. It started a few weeks ago with the sound of an animal moving in the woods as I walked down the gully... probably only a large raccoon... ...but being unable to see in the darkness, it was just enough to instill the fear of walking alone in the dark. So for the past two weeks I've been trying to replace my morning walk with exercise on the treadmill, but getting up at 5:30 to walk is hard enough...getting up to go downstairs to run on a treadmill is a real killer... thus I found myself choosing to forgo exercise for some extra morning zzzzz's. Looking after a house full of preschoolers all day usually leaves me too wasted to walk in the evenings but I did get out last night for a beautiful fall walk.

I started out on my usual route but veered off to follow a trail that runs through the orchards and past a series of ponds, following as close as possible the path that is kept groomed all winter for the snowmobile enthusiast and serves as a cross country trail for us. I enjoyed my walk so much that I wasn't ready for it to come to an end, so, after stopping at the house long enough to deposit the spoils of my walk, (must remember to wear jacket with bigger pockets next time) I headed out again. 

...through the woods

...to the fields and ponds behind our house.

I love that someone placed an old chair

beside the pond,

a place to sit 

and enjoy the quiet.

It was not until I reached the ponds that I remembered it was deer hunting season, and while I make it a point  to never go into the woods when there are hunters jacked up with the prospects of bagging a deer, it was too late to turn back now.

I wasn't wearing hunter orange

but surely no one could mistake my bubble gum pink jacket 

for a deer?

A moment of serenity against our magic tree, 

an old giant hemlock in a little alcove in the woods behind our house
...a magical mysterious place for a kid
...or a kid at heart. 

I found the beautiful quote at the top of my page on a wonderful blog,

One Man's Wonder 

so stop over and check it out.

Jeffrey Willius has  a lot to say

...let him inspire you.

Finding Love In A Bowl Of Oatmeal

As a child I hated cooked oatmeal....neither the instant kind you just added hot water to or porridge cooked slowly in a pot on the stove. I found its slimy texture disgusting and no matter how many times my mother cooked it and offered it to us kids with  encouraging words like "it's good for you", or on a cold winter day, "you need a hot  breakfast to warm your belly", I couldn't stomach it. While I cooked oatmeal occasionally over the years for hubby or for the girls as they were growing up, I always declined eating it myself until the past week because I know my mom was right...oatmeal is good for you! So, in my attempt to eat healthier high fiber non-processed foods, I bit the bullet and ate my oatmeal.

But I still don't like it...however, topped with a spoonful of ground flax seed and All Bran cereal, a dollop of plain yogurt and a chopped apple and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, it was at least palatable.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hiker's motto:

"Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints."

Traditionally, Thanksgiving for our family means sitting around the table and stuffing ourselves with food...all the holiday fixings of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, gravy, several vegetable side dishes and Sweet Potato Casserole, followed by coffee and your choice of at least three different pies and perhaps even a cheesecake. After enjoying food and company we waddle to the living room to settle our food and wait for the pain from over stuffing our stomachs to subside so we can  wander back to the kitchen to try a piece of the pie we didn't have room for earlier.

This year we broke from tradition and spent the day hiking along the trails at Cape Blomidon on the Bay of Fundy. The day couldn't have been more perfect... sunny but with a cool breeze that made our four hour hike enjoyable.

When we arrived at the Cape, the tide was in.

From the bottom parking lot, it was a very steep uphill climb on the Jodrey Trail

til we reached the camp ground,

but the view was worth it.

We took a break at the camp ground playground 

to have a little fun!

After getting our second wind, we hit the trail again. 

While still going up, the trail was more gradual and  easier.

Stopping at one of the viewing stations.

The view looking down.

The view from the very top.

 

 Heading down.

By the time we reached the bottom, the tide was on it's way out.

We ended our hike with a picnic of turkey sandwiches, 

cookies and brownies

before heading home

...where we

stuffed ourselves with pie.

But our choices were limited to two,

Pumpkin or Lemon Merguine.

For more Sunday Citars, join Tabitha at Fresh Mommy.


Happy Thanksgiving
and happy walking,
Marisa

6 for Six Word Saturday

Remember the Nike campaign...

"Just Do It"..." I Did It!" 

"Walking My Ass Off" pays off!

One million down... two million awaits!

I'm so f******* proud of myself!

 Yea! Let the bells ring out!

My "girls" had an uplifting experience! 

Two weeks ago I finally crossed my first threshold on my way to a healthier lifestyle. I walked my first "one million steps" since I started tracking my steps with Heart and Stroke Walkabout in May...two million awaits!

I was rewarded for sticking with my daily walk routine when I stepped onto the scales and found I had reached my goal weight...down 23 pounds since Christmas and 40 pounds from my all time high!

Have you ever seen a naked lady do the dance of joy?

Of course that only lasted a day and I haven't registered the number in the past two weeks, 
but I know I will get there soon
...slow and steady wins the race.


To celebrate I treated my girls to an "uplifting" visit with Lisa and her staff at
Essentials Lingerie for my first proper bra fitting.

Well...that's not much of a treat you say

...but it is you carry a rack like mine on a small frame.

I always wondered how Dolly does it, now I know...she shops at 

Essentials Lingerie in Greenwood!

I did treat myself to more than just undies

...mouth watering 

bacon wrapped scallops.

For more Six Word Saturdays, visit  Cate at Show My Face.

Happy Walking, 

Marisa

Weekend Morning Walks

 Now that the days are getting shorter, I head out for my walks during the week in the dark, 

which means I miss the amazing sunrises and painted skies. 

But on weekends I set my alarm for 6:00 

and head out a little later

...perfect for catching the fiery skies.

 And it's light enough that, 

if you're lucky you get to see 

some wildlife.

I caught one,

but there were five.

 A gaggle of Canada Geese in a farmer's field

...that took off in flight as I approached.

And you meet some 

not so wild friends 

along the way too.

Happy Walking,
Marisa

Pushing Myself

This week has definitely been a struggle to keep up my morning walking routine.

Crawling out of bed and heading out 

in the dark is never easy, 

but the warm sticky weather all week has made it very tempting 

just skip the walk altogether 

and enjoy an hour extra sleep.

But I did  manage to push myself every day and hit the pavement, 

albeit a little slower heading out,

managing only 3k - 4k instead of my usual 5k

... but at least I moved which is better than nothing.

~Just Move!~

This morning, by the time I headed out the door wearing
just crop pants and a tank top 

under my reflective vest, 

it had already started to rain, the wind had picked up 

and it was actually quite cold for a change.

Being already late getting started I went back in the house
and hung my hat, ready to give my walk a pass due to the rain,
but I must be conditioned to walk...

In spite of the time,

I geared up in my rain clothes 

and headed out...

And I'm glad I did.

  Although I only had time to get in a 3k walk,

it was the best walk I've had all week. 

The air was fresh and wonderfully cool and the rain was

...well it was wet...

but 

quite

refreshing.

Happy walking,
Marisa

Through The Fog

"From now on we live in a world where man has walked on the Moon.

It's not a miracle; we just decided to go." 

Tom Hanks

I was greeted this morning as I headed out the door by a Waning Gibbous moon, 

large and bright in the western sky, 

before the fog over the north and south mountain 

settled in to blanket my path.

The sun tried to break through the fog in the east

as the moon continued to 

cast a rosy ring.

Usually, at this time of the year, wisp of fog can be seen touching the tree line on the horizon, giving the mountains a mysterious magical feel ,but this morning the fog was so thick I couldn't see the mountains.

...the mist through the orchard.

...my walking path.

Happy walking,
Marisa

"They Were Going Up" Sept. 11th, 2001

As I was going through the garage on my way out for my morning walk, 

a noise from the window caught my attention. 

This small bird was trapped between the panes and couldn't get out.

I was able to reach in, catch,

and release it outside. 

 ...so beautiful

 ...and now free!

Although I risked nothing but perhaps a fall from the work bench,

to this little guy, 

I was 

...a heroine.

Real courage is:

"knowing you're licked before you begin

but you begin anyway

and you see it through no matter what."

~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

I would like to share Tom Paxton's song about the real heroes of 9/11, the fire fighters who went up the stairs of the towers to help others escape while knowing the fate that awaited them.

"The Bravest"

Join Tabitha at Fresh Mommy for more Sunday Citars.

Bringing It In

"When autumn comes into the house!"

Acorn squash from the garden, ready to be popped into the oven.

One of my favorite and easiest ways to cook squash is to cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, add a tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of brown sugar and a good sprinkling of cinnamon sugar, cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour. The best way to eat baked squash is with a spoon so you get every bit of the buttery sweetness.

Always, there's lots of swisschard...it just keeps coming and coming...

A nice bunch of kohlrabi and basil....

The basil  became pesto

...which ended up on Triscut crackers

along with tomatoes and goat cheese 

and baked in the oven until hot and crispy...hummmmm..

Another staple food for autumn

...steaming hot bowls of hearty soups

like this Chicken Veggie and Orzo Soup.

For more Six Word Saturdays, join Cate at Show My Face.