The view from Tuesday

I don't know why I'm obsessed... but I am.  I can't get enough of it.  I look at it through the windows of the library at work.  I dream about being in it when I get home.  I drive/bike/run past/through it and wonder when I can just stop and take it all in. 

Nature.  

The colors.
The smells.
The breeze blowing my hair all around on my head.
The warmth of the sun on my skin.
The coolness of the evening breeze coming through the house.
The vibrant colors of the flowers/trees/grass/leaves.
The sounds the early waking morning makes.
The tickle on my skin as the wind ruffles the tiny little hairs on my arm.

It's all so very, very good.

So I've been taking a LOT of pictures of nature.  Not great pictures.  Not National Geographic award winning photographs.  Just pictures of things that make me smile.  And sigh.  And feel so warm inside and joyful that fall is here.

Here is what I saw in my yard when I got home...

Watchin' the clouds roll by

“A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed...It feels an impulsion...this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.”         -Richard Bach

Don't know why, but today I was fascinated by the clouds.  They were so fluffy and billowy in the afternoon sky.  I hurried home from work so  I could get the camera and start snapping some shots.  Clouds are so welcome in so  many ways:  they provide respite from the searing sun, they deliver rain (sometimes much-needed, sometimes unwanted), they provide us with images of dogs, bacon, warriors... clouds are just beautiful in so many ways. 
Here are my cloud shots from the day.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed looking at them and photographing them. 

The ONLY time my legs are this long.  Thank you, shadow!!!

 The view of my front yard from my roof

The view of my feet from my legs

The view of my face from the camera

Oh the pain... it hurts so good!

 

Coach Troy worked me hard tonight.  I haven't worked that hard on the bike in a loooooong time!  I loved it.  I was like jello at the end, but it was so great!!  I bought this DVD this weekend as a supplement to my weight training workout.  I need to start doing strength training, and this seemed like a great way to get in a good bike workout and some strength work.  I wasn't disappointed.  I worked my butt off (well, I can only dream about that actually happening).

You know how sometimes you think you're doing everything right, but then you push it a little harder and realize you haven't been working as hard as you thought you were?  Yeah, I got that feeling tonight.  

Can't wait until next week!!

Hi October!!

 It's so nice to see you again, October.  Every year I yearn for your return, and every year I'm not disappointed in the fantastic weather, the early evening sunsets and the spider webs.  Yes, the spider webs.  You know who you are and how many times you've hit my upper lip/face while running/hiking on the trails. How I love the outdoors, but oh how I loathe the webs that grow across my trails.

This week will be a busy one.  International Walk to School is on Wednesday (along with my b-day), and Thursday and Friday I'm gone to Encyclomedia downtown (great times at a librarians dream conference).  Will be a quick week, and a great one.

Because we have so many students who live too far away to walk to school, and we cannot organize a Walk To School event without permission slips and such (stupid IMO), some students will walk from the church to the school to make it count.  All students who walk or ride their bikes to school on Wednesday will get their name entered into a drawing for some cool prizes (drawstring backpacks and blinky lights).  I hope we have a good turnout!


The 24 hour race is looming in the near future.  3 weeks to the big day.  I'm so tired of the long training days and so ready to get my game on.  Did 14 miles this weekend.  My body should have done more, but I don't think my mind would have allowed it.  We already fought it out just to get that many miles in.  I *LOVE* the trails at Bluff Creek, but after months of making the same loop, I'm about to tire of it.  At least the season is changing and the trail looks different with the leaves changing color and falling off the trees.  Makes the trail look totally different!

Have a great week!