New Friends

The other day, as I was watching my new derby friends skate around in circles at the rink for practice, I realized that I should really be using them as a more motivational tool in my life and really start being good about my diet and exercise.  One of my new friends Daya, lives near by and we occasionally carpool.  I suggested that we start getting together once or so each week and do something active. 

Yesterday she texted me and asked if Diesel and I would like to go for a walk with her and her pup, Dazzy.  We said of course! She and Dazzy met us over here and we walked Diesel and I's favorite loop.  Down the street, to the CRT, into downtown, down Grey and back again.  It was kinda late, but I knew we'd get through it pretty quick.  I think it took us just about an hour to do the full 3 miles!  That's some end of the summer speed right there.

The boys got along great, and I think Daya and I had some great conversation along the way too.  I look forward to more outtings with Daya and Dazzy this summer. :)

Weird Winter

This has been the strangest winter I can remember.  The weather has been relatively warm, and we haven't gotten much snow.  There have only been a few days that I have needed to get up early (ok, who am I kidding I never get up early) to clear the snow/ice from my car.  Most of the time I am lucky enough to check my phone for the temp, and run out in my jammies and get it started up so it has time to defrost before I get in. I think the worst of the weather was a few weeks ago, it was a bit slick on a Friday night when Mikey and I were driving home, and then that following Saturday morning I needed to fight some snow and ice on my car and on the streets.

And today was no exception.  When I got out of work today, the sun was out, it as about 39°, and the dog was extra wound up! Mikey has been taking him for walks during the day since he's been off work these past few weeks. Unfortunately though, Mikey took a little spill down the stairs the other day and rolled his ankle.  Seems someone was expecting an afternoon walk. And who could say no to that smiling puppy face? 

It was a nice enough day but it was still a little cool, and getting cooler as the afternoon progressed.  I wanted to make it a quick walk, but still get enough distance in to make Dieseldog happy.  Leash strapped on, DieselCam rolling, GPS in pocket tracking our distance and time, we were off. 

Yea, I took a picture of the rest stop.

Headed down our street towards the trail, down the trail and past the Mastodon Site.  There weren't a lot of people on the trail today, and it was a bit muddy in some places, but peaceful still. It was the first time I had been on that section of the trail since they built the new stand-alone restroom at Leach & Adams.  It was a nice improvement over the Porta-John that had been their previously.  
We headed down Leach and it was just a little ways up the street that we came across my friend Andrea as she was driving home. We stopped to chat for a moment, but didn't want to hold up traffic.  

We kept on going, without much else exciting happening. Just as we got close to home we came across a lady with her rottweiler. She introduced herself and her dog, I believe his name was Zeus.  We made small talk about the boys and agreed that we will probably see more of each other as the weather warmed. 
It wasn't a very eventful walk, but it was just the right thing for a sunny February day. We don't always get a chance to take the time out for ourselves or to appreciate the weather when its not quite perfect, but definitely better than the alternative.  I'm hoping Diesel and I can start getting a few more of these walks in.

Oh, and yes, we did try the DieselCam again but I still need to work on stabilizing it.   I get more shots of his neck fur then I do anything else. That and it clips to his collar fine, but his leash pulls his collar around and then you end up with the camera on its side, and that really makes for a dizzy replay.  I'll keep working on it and hopefully I will have a neat video for you this summer.

DieselCam: Field Test #1

I awoke this morning with the makings of a good sinus attack coming on. So I opted to call in, take some drugs, and sleep it off.  When I got back up a little later in the morning, I was surprised to see that it was 45° outside, and partly sunny.  I called Mikey, and asked him how the weather was and asked if I should take the big, sleeping beast out for a walk. He thought the fresh air would do us both good. 

Considering that when this week first started out, we still had snow on the ground, and now with this sudden warm front moving in,  and the rain this morning, the neighborhood was an absolute mud pit.  Living on dirt roads has a few advantages, but the mud, lack of a decent snow plow, and the enormous potholes, are a few things that really make it not so much fun. And definitely makes taking your mutt for a walk more of a challenge. 

Well, I thought it would be fun to see how well walking Diesel in his boots would be.  A few years ago, Mikey and I bought Diesel some boots after we had gone out on Lake St. Clair while it was frozen. The top layer of the lake was an icy slush and we didn't realize until it was too late, that while Diesel had been running and chasing the four-wheelers and snowmobiles, his little paws were getting sliced open.  

So here I get the great idea, its muddy, lets put the dog in his boots so I don't have to clean up an awful mess when we get home. It was hard to get a decent, picture, but this is Diesel in his boots. It wasn't too bad to get them on him, once he put two and two together and realized that we were going for a walk, he was patient enough. Only doing one lap around the living room between getting each one on. Once we were on the road, it was even muddier that I thought it would be!  I decided to take the small route that has quite a bit of paved surfaces to try and limit the amount of dirt I would be cleaning later.  Of course the boots don't fit all that great, and so I had to stop probably six times to pull them back up and secure them.  And in the process, getting mud all over my hoodie and jeans. But we kept on trucking.

I also made the fun decision to test out my new collar cam.  I purchased the Dogtek Eyenimal Digital Videocam for Pets about a week ago, and today is the first day the weather has cooperated enough to want to use it. Having only really used it the one time, its going to take some time to get right.  It's not one of those things you can just clip to your pets collar and away you go.  My first mistake was attaching it to the wrong part of Diesel's collar.  I forgot that the weight of the clasp on the leash was going to rotate the collar, so the first 10 mins of our walk is at a 90° angle, and it eventually rotates all the way to the back of his neck and is staring straight at the sky.  And only then did I notice that. I moved the camera, and started again, only now it was facing the ground. Another adjustment. Better. It eventually rotated a bit more, less than a 45° angle and stayed like that for the rest of the walk. The other problem was that his neck fur was constantly obstructing the view. And with every step he would take, the camera would bounce in and out of his fur, also forcing the camera to have to auto-focus every few seconds.  Needless to say, it wasn't a great first walk.  The footage was hard to watch, and if you get motion sick easy, it's best not viewed at all.  

Because I know some of you may be curious about how it turned out, I did cut a one minute section off of our final 7 minutes of recording time and posted it to YouTube.  You can check it out below.  Any suggestions you might have to help stabilize it would be appreciated.  I am thinking I may buy a harness for him, and attach it to the front of that. Not really sure yet. 

Mild Winter Day

I am one of those people who come November, I usually stop doing fun things outside.  I hate the cold.  My toes always get cold first and then I feel miserable. And I am not that big of a fan of snow either.  Snow always manages to find its ways onto my bare skin, ya know, either up my pant leg or down my cuffs.  However it does it, it does.  I am also one of those people that hates wearing coats.  I don't like being all bundled up in a restricting jacket, add gloves, a hat and a scarf and I feel like I am suffocating. These are the many excuses I have for why I don't take my poor Diesel dog out for walks in the Winter. I am going to try and work on that this year. There is no reason I can't take him for a quick walk every now and again.

Thankfully, Mother Nature gave us one of those weird, random breaks from the cold this week. Yesterday, I believe temps where as high as 56° here in Metro Detroit.  Which for January, is warm.  The sun was out all day, and melted away all of the remaining snow from the past weekend.  The sky was blue and there wasn't much of a breeze, it actually looked as if it was welcoming everyone out to enjoy it. 

As soon as I got home from work, I located the leash, and walked around out back to find my puppy.  Diesel was overly excited! He's not one of those dogs that jumps up on you usually,or on to the fence even. But boy oh boy, was he excited! He was going for a walk and he was happy! Once I was able to finally get him to back away from the gate so I could open it, I clipped onto him and we were off. 

Clinton River Trail 1/6/12

The road of course was a muddy mess, and Diesel nearly dragged me all the way down it. He was walking so fast, we actually passed another dog walker.  I had to convince him to slow down for the sake of my shins once we got to Auburn.  I was hoping the trail wouldn't be too muddy either, considering that it sits on top of an embankment from where the old train tracks ran.  And sure enough, as we reached the trail, we stopped and waited for two joggers to pass us by.  It was a good day to be outside.

I don't know if it was the weather, or just the excitement of being out on a walk, but it seemed like we couldn't walk 50 feet without having to stop so Diesel could investigate some smell he had found.  That dog had his nose to the ground almost the entire way down the trail.  At one point he had stopped so dead in his tracks I nearly fell over.  Sometimes having a leash that connects at your waist isn't a good thing.

Diesel stalking a squirrel

We walked the trail to downtown, and crossed Auburn on to Grey like we usually do.   There weren't too many people out on this stretch but we did pass one other dog walker along the way.  I actually expected to see quite a bit more. What we did see however, were squirrels.  Lots and lots of squirrels. And Diesel knew it too.  It was a welcomed break from all the sniffing, now he was searching the trees and yards with a keen eye, looking for his favorite little creatures, hoping I would let him off his leash for a good chase.

It started getting cooler once the sun started going down a bit more.  We continued down Adams and crossed back over into the neighborhood.  We met a man on a bicycle who had just moved into the area.  We chatted for a bit about the nice system of trails in the area and all of the good neighborhoods to cut through.  He said we really had a good town here.

And that was it for our first walk of the year.  Sure is nice to go out on a January day wearing just a fleece and a scarf. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate some more this winter and Diesel and I will be able to go out again like this. And like this I mean without feeling like my ears and nose are going to fall off, or having soaking wet pants from all the brown icky slush.  Oh what can I say, I am just not a fan of Old Man Winter.

A Bit of Fresh Air

Sunday night I started to get a stuffy nose, and sure enough come noon on Monday I had a full blown cold in the works.  I left work early on Monday and came home and got some rest.

Today, still not feeling the best I decided to call into work. Diesel and I spent most of the morning snuggled together in bed.  He will take the spot of anyone who has left it. And besides taking up a lot of room, he's quite the cuddler.  As a matter of fact, as I am writing this, he has just awoken from another nap and has come walking down the hall from the bedroom stretching his poor legs.  Such a lazy dog if we'll let him.

Around 1 o'clock or so today, I couldn't help but notice just how awesome it was looking outside.  The sun was out, the sky was blue, and I could tell there was even a bit of a breeze.  A quick peek at the weather on my phone confirmed it.  Should we go for a walk? Will it make me feel any better? Could it actually make my cold worse? I just couldn't resist it though and I got my stuff together for the walk.

I got some water for us, and ate a quick banana while he finished his breakfast. He could tell something was up.  And sure enough, once he saw his leash he was ready to go.

I love all of the colors that come out in the fall

We took it nice and easy, and headed on down to the trail. Avoiding the millions of potholes that fill my street.  It always surprises me how many people are out on the trail in the middle of the day, but its good it gets its use.  We walked down the trail a bit and I was starting to get worried I was wearing too heavy of a hoodie, but I think it worked out ok.

The Clinton River in Riverside Park - Auburn Hills

We stopped at the Twist N' Dip and got Diesel a dog dish, which will probably be the last of the season.  I ate a nectarine I had stashed in my pocket and then we continued on.  I thought it could be a nice day to head into the park again and see how the river was flowing.  As we walked on down the road we stopped and chatted with a man outside of Duffy's that thought Diesel was a great looking dog.  Not to brag, but he is!

At the park, we walked along the river, and stopped to see some ducks.  The park was pretty quite today, with kids back to school.  The lunch crowd had started to thin out a little as well.  After we hung out there for a while, I decided that we should get on back home and rest for a bit. 

And rest we did!  Diesel took a nap while I watched a few episodes of Buffy on Netflix.  Now the nice weather has shifted to rainy and cloudy, but that's autumn for you.  At least my mums are getting water, and they'll continue to fill out my planter boxes a little more.  I love looking out the front window at all the awesome fall colors as they change day to day.

An Evening Walk

written 9/1/11

The other night I had the urge to talk a walk downtown, but Mikey and Diesel were up state and I don't do silly things like that when I'm alone. So I put it off, and decided that one night before it starts getting too cool outside, I would do it.

The moon over the CRT

Tonight ended up being that night.  Not having to work tomorrow was an added advantage because I knew I would want to come home and immediately upload my pictures and start writing. So about 8 o'clock or so, Diesel and I headed out on down the road.  It was still close to 85 degrees out, and a bit on the muggy side, but it wasn't awful.  I sprayed down with some bug spray, did a spritz across Diesel's back as well.  I was not going to deal with mosquitoes all night!

We started our walk as we usually do, crossing Auburn and heading west down the Clinton River Trail.  There was quite the serenade from all of the wild life. The cicadas were out in full force and you could hear them all over.  The bat's were flying up and down the trail so low to the ground that I could make out the detail on their bellies. 

Downtown was bright and alive despite the shops starting to close up.  There were teens on their skateboards pushing curfew as the sky grew darker.  There were kids and their parents lined up for some after dinner treats and the Twist n' Dip. Outside Duffy's tavern, a group was enjoying a cigarette and talking about the nice weather.  We walked past all of the shops, many of them new, but a few that still remain from my childhood.

Rather than walking down Grey Rd as we usually do, we circled around and walked back up the other side of Auburn.  The street was nicely lit all the way to Adams and it was a nice stroll back to the neighborhood.   And honestly I wasn't worried about anything going bump in the night, that is until I hit my own dark street and remembered that we could encounter a skunk!  I kept my eyes open and we made it back to the house without any unwanted visitors.

Downtown Auburn Hills

It was a nice walk through my old downtown.  I used to ride my bike up and down those roads as a teen, though it wasn't as nice and lit up as it is now.  And the streets are much nicer and have working walk signals now too. I probably won't do too many night time walks but it sure is nice to get out every once in a while.

When is your favorite time to walk?

Auburn Hills Farmer's Market

My apologies for not getting this posted sooner!  I had plans to rush home that night and blog, but a friend called and needed some talk time, and before I knew it, two more days had past.

Auburn Hills Farmer's Market

On Thursdays in Auburn Hills, there is a small but delightful Farmer's Market on the corner of Auburn and Squirrel.  It runs from 4pm to 7pm, weather permitting. They have a few farmer's that bring their produce of course, but they also provide booths for other local businesses.  There's the cookie lady and her friend who makes smoked meats.  Duffy's Irish Pub can always be found grilling hot dogs and selling sodas.  Auburn Oaks Nursery has a booth as well, and has specials on many of their plants. I have also seen booths selling organic dog treats, home made pasta & cannolis, pies, fresh breads, jewelery and woodworking.  Nana’s World Café has also had a small booth offering up samples of their gourmet marshmallows. And one of the other treats I love, is the live music! A different guest artist each week.

In the past I have always just driven up and browsed the market on my own, but this year I thought that it would be nicer just to walk up with Diesel.  I have done this once before, and Diesel was so well loved and welcomed (even getting a free hot dog) I had to bring him again, and post about our walk.

Well come Thursday wouldn't you know it, the weather was hot! And usually on hot days I like to wait until after dinner when the sun has started to hide behind the trees a little more.  If Diesel and I were going to make it to the market we'd have to be on our way no later than 6 and it would take some extra planning and supplies.  I got on my lightest weight cloths, my walking shoes and packed my little backpack.  Complete with Diesel's travel water dish and a bottle of water, and for bring the goodies home, my farmer's market bag I got last year.

Diesel and I headed on down the road about 6 o'clock, hit the Clinton River Trail as always, and then made it to downtown about 20 minutes later. It didn't take any time at all to meet up with my mother-in-law who had stopped up as well.  And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I turned around there was Mikey on my motorcycle.  He deemed it too hot to walk but wanted to take our new bike out for another test run. We  let Diesel get some water and we rested in the shade for a moment and then the four of us wandered amongst the merchants.  While Diesel was busy making friends, I picked up some tomatoes, some garlic bread and an ice cold Arnold Palmer. Mikey headed on down the road to our friends house, while I parted ways with Margaret.

Our Farmer's Market Goodies

Since the sun had started to set, the air was cooling off a little better now and Diesel and I weren't in much of a hurry to get home.  We headed on back towards our house, but stopped at our friends house for a bit.  He ran and played with his girlfriend, a blond lab named Daisy while Mikey and I chatted for a bit with our friends and their kids.  It was a nice walk home after that reflecting on how delightful the day had turned out.  Hopefully next week it won't be as hot, but the forecast isn't playing to my favor right now.  But it wouldn't be a Michigan summer if it wasn't 80 and humid.

June 14th, 2011

Last night after returning from our walk, I was much too exhausted to do anything but sink into the couch and watch my summer guilty pleasure, America's Got Talent.  I think I may have over did it with our walk.

I started out my afternoon hitting the gym for some strength training and a little cardio as I do each Tuesday.  After getting home and showering I just couldn't resist going for a walk.  The weather was perfect, a sunny 70 degrees with a slight breeze.  I wasn't feeling up to walking the usual route so I decided that we would just hit the Clinton River Trail for a bit and turn around and come back.

Sitting Area documenting the finding of Mastadon Remains

Armed with my headphones, and my phone queued up to play my Pandora App while we walked, Diesel and I headed down the street and picked up the trail in our usual spot.  We walked west, passing by the Mammoth Crossing sitting area.  As much as I love the little shaded area and Flintstone-ish bench indicating where Mastadon remains had been found while excavating for the new Adams Road, its painfully too near the busy street to really call it serene.

Rest Stop Near Adams & M-59

If there is one thing that I do truly love about living along the Rochester Hills stretch of the CRT its that the city, or the Friends of the Clinton River Trail keep the section beautifully maintained.  Grooming, providing maps and rest stops equipped with water and restrooms along the trail keep the trail traffic happy and bountiful.  There were all kinds of people out on the trail.  Bikers, joggers, runners, whole families, and those just taking their dogs for a walk. When we reached the first of the rest stops, Diesel was able to get a drink of water from the fountain as someone has been pleasant enough to leave behind a dog dish just for the occasion.

Wetlands along Mile Marker 6

We continued on down the trial until we reached the road block at the M-59 overpass.  Construction on the expressway has the trail closed under the overpass, but a detour is available for those wanting to continue further.  Diesel and I took this as our opportunity to turn back and head home.  Along the trial at that particular location, right around mile marker 6, are wetlands on either side of the trial.  They can be great spots to see local wildlife.  We stopped and took in the sights for a while, but saw nothing more than a family of ducks.  It was at that moment that I started to ponder.  Just on the other side of the little pond is the neighborhood that is home to my mother-in-law.  Would it be possible for me to get to it from here?  She had been wondering the same thing after buying a new bike recently.  Sure enough I found a little trial leading to the industrial area, and after a brief little jog through an open field, Diesel and I were on her very street.

Diesel and I stopped and visited for a while.  He got another drink of water and we headed on back out towards home.  I wanted to see just how long of a walk it would be taking the main roads so I headed on out of the neighborhood and onto Auburn Rd.  Standing at the top of the hill I could see I had another large hill in front of us that would need to be tackled before we'd see the edge of our own neighborhood.  There was no turning back now.

Today I would look up our walking route on Google's Pedometer page and discover we walked nearly 4 miles.  Our usual walk is just under 3.  That, along with the lunges, and ball squats would explain why my thighs were sore today.  But it was still a nice walk and good knowing I can get to Mom's house from the trail.   

For more information on the Friends of the Clinton River Trail, view their Facebook Group.  
For a great tool to determine the distance of a walk/run/bike you've already made or to make future plans, check out Googles Pedometer using GMaps.