Federal Red Tape

Federal Red Tape
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

It *is* in a national park...

I'm sitting on the porch of the Boston Store now, knitting socks as I cheer for the runners. Rick should be finishing anytime now...

 

Captain America Isn't Dead.

Captain America Isn't Dead.
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Wow. There's that guy with that unstoppable patriotic spirit! I really admire him. Well done, and way to support the ultimate "support staff", our Armed Forces.

I wish I could have gotten as good a picture of my husband... perhaps Rick needs to run with a huge get-up on his back, so I have advanced warning when he's coming, too!

 

Marathon Man

Marathon Man
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Yeah! There he is!! That's my Speed Racer! I'm so proud of him.

He's the one in the burgundy shirt with the helpful fluorescent orange "arrow" pointing up at him.

The jersey he's wearing is for RunMS, the next marathon he'll be running. It's in Columbus, and it's to raise money and awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Marathon Upd8

Marathon Upd8
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Rick just sent me this picture from the race route. It's the 8 mile mark, where they turn around and start running back north. What a gorgeous day, and how distractingly beautiful a race course! I think he's having fun, after a fashion... (I sincerely hope so!)

 

Waiting for the Towpath Marathoners

Waiting for the Towpath Marathoners
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Obligatory pretty picture while I wait for runners to appear on the course. It IS a national park, after all. There's scenery and there's scenery, and it's all over the place.

This is the Cuyahoga River, as it runs along the old Canal Towpath in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Taking this picture, I'm right by the M.D. Garage and the Boston Store, and I stayed across the road from those landmarks for the most of duration of the race.

 

Patriotism & Dedication at the Race

Patriotism & Dedication at the Race
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

This man is a true hard core (corps!) runner. What a heart of gold. I hope he has a terrific PT!

 

Pre-race Silliness

Pre-race Silliness
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Why the foamy stuffs? Mountain bike bling?

We saw this on our way to the start line. It just struck me as odd in so many ways; perhaps it's something a child made and gave the bike owner. It hangs so as to be a bit mechanically distracting to normal bike operations.

I don't know. If it were me, I'd want to rip it off after the first 12 miles or so. Lucky for the foam flower, it's not.

 

Funny thing seen at Boston Mills ...

Funny thing seen at Boston Mills ...
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

...while picking up Rick's race packet.

Did I mention how proud I am of my husband for running the Towpath Marathon tomorrow?

 

Funny thing seen at Boston Mills ...

Funny thing seen at Boston Mills ...
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

...while picking up Rick's race packet.

Did I mention how proud I am of my husband for running the Towpath Marathon tomorrow?

No Exit

The race is over and we would like to go home. We'd even heed the sign, but it's hard to return when one cannot leave.

Camp Manatoc is so scenic, we didn't mind that we had to backtrack to leave!

Back at Lock 39 Parking Lot

End of this week's ride! Martha, the ride leader, is at front left. My Beloved is behind her in black and yellow. It was a perfect day and a perfect ride. And only 20 miles, so I anticipate no major aches: bonus.

 

Friendly Farewell to the Hostel

Yum! That was fantastic. Plus, there were members of the Cleveland Colectivo, another altruistic group we belong to, serving the breakfast, so that was a nice surprise. Heading out with full stomachs and heads full of good conversation, we are very ready for the bike trail!

 

At the Stanford Youth Hostel

Paladins (and many others! ALL friendly!) eating pancakes to benefit the Stanford Youth Hostel. We made new friends that day, and discovered friends in common with friends. How fun! What a small world!

 

"Roads go ever ever on, ..."

"... Over rock and under tree
By caves where never sun has shown,
By streams that never find the sea:

Over snow by winter sown,
And through the mery flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon,

Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known."

--J.R.R.Tolkien, The Hobbit

I hope you'll indulge the whim. The windingness of the path just seemed to fit.

 

Riverview by Bike

The Rte. 82 bridge, just about a mile south of the eagle's nest. People don't think of views like this when they think of the Cleveland area. It's well past time for a paradigm shift.

 

Squint. Or, Just Take My Word For It.

There's an eagle in this picture. The resolution of my cameraphone isn't high enough to permit enlargement, but trust me, it's there. There is a colony of great blue heron nests among those tall trees in the distance, and with them is the colossal nest of a bald eagle. Moments after I took this, it took off after one of the herons, who clearly had something in its bill, and chased it for a short while. It was dramatic and majestic. I was gobsmacked. And I stood there, just watching, cameraphone in hand, somewhat bitterly wishing I had my camera. But so grateful to be present.

WOW, That's Blue!

Perfect spring skies for a very good bike ride. And I'm ashamed to admit it, but it's true: my husband had to literally pull me by the arm to get me out of bed this morning. I would have missed this! I'm grateful I didn't, and this picture will warn me against future temptations towards sluggishness.

 

Sunday's Trail

The canal and the trail, in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio's only national park. We cherish it. We are training for a 150-mile bike ride to take place in August to raise funds and awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Our team, Patti's Paladins, really appreciates this park, its gentle path (an old towpath along this picturesque canal), its frequent hospitality (tree coverage and Szalay's!) and its gorgeous scenery. It's a small park when compared to Yosemite, but truly NOT to be missed.

 

Cuyahoga, the Burning River (though, not lately!!)

Cuyahoga: Crooked River, indeed. And quite beautiful. The arterial flow of Cleveland. (...and then I had to pause to check whether I really wanted a 'vein' or 'artery' reference there, Cleveland being also the heart of biomed research and development...)(definitely 'arterial')