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.

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 Warm October

It seems that for the past few years, it has been staying warmer come October.  At least it has here in Michigan.  For instance, this week we could see a high of 80° on Saturday. It has been sunny and nice out all week so far, which has been an amazing change from the cold and wet of the previous weeks.  

Just yesterday, when I got home from work, it was 70°, not a cloud in the sky and I just couldn't resist taking Diesel out for a walk.  And being that it was so nice, I decided to wing it and just walk for the pleasure of it with no real route in mind.  

Along the CRT - East of Adams Rd.

We had to start out on the Clinton River Trail like always, because I couldn't pass up the opportunity to escape from the asphalt and surround myself with the peacefulness of the trail.  As I was enjoying the many new fall colors to be seen, Diesel was busy searching the trees for squirrels.  The squirrels have been super busy lately, running in and out of the walnut trees, and barking at one another.  It didn't take long for him to spot a few black squirrels and we saw quite a few fox squirrels as well.  

Downtown Auburn Hills

Once downtown, I was happy to see that new flowers had been planted along the road way, really capturing the essence of autumn.  Downtown Auburn Hills sure has come a long way since I was a kid, but one thing I can count on is a quick soft serve cone at the Twist & Dip.  It may not be run by the same owners, or carry any fancy ice cream flavors, the Twist & Dip has always been a nice place to get a cold treat on a hot day.  Today wasn't exactly hot, but it sure was nice, and there aren't going to be many more days like this!  Diesel got his usual of a doggy dish; small bowl of vanilla with a doggy biscuit, and I just got a baby vanilla cone to satisfy the craving.  After all, we are out walking for our health.

And since our health is important, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to add a little to our route and see how a detour would be.  We first swung through Riverside Park, walking along the river bank.  One of my favorite places in Auburn Hills.  The park may be small, but it has a nice trail along the riverbank, a play area, a nice gazebo, a pavilion, and restrooms.  A great place to enjoy lunch, or an evening downtown.  They have hosted a few different events at the park, most recently the Clinton River Trail Fall Classic that I participated in, as well as an Annual Exchange in the spring, and concerts on Fridays during the summer. 

The Clinton River

Not ready to head home yet, I thought it would be nice for Diesel and I to head down Squirrel Rd, and make our way back to South Blvd, and then Adams going that route, I figured it would add at least a mile to our walk.  It's funny how the simplest things can have you reflecting back on fond memories.  And its not like I haven't been down these roads before, I have many times in fact, but there is just something about walking the sidewalks where I used to ride my bike as a kid, really can bring a smile to my face. Even after a not-so-good day of work. 

It started to cool down and Diesel and I made our way down South Blvd. and I was glad I had worn my hoodie.  Even though the temps have been nice during the day, as soon as the sun sets, you are reminded that it is October in Michigan.  One last picture I took along our walk really sums up what I love about this time of year.  And maybe it can be the motivation I need to hang the Halloween decorations. (Trust me, 80° this Saturday is not going to make it very easy.)  So I leave you with this, a beautiful shot from the corner of Adams & South Blvd. 

I just love the colors of the trees right now. :)

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.

Clinton River Trail Fall Classic 2011

written 9-17-11

Burr!  It was a chilly day out there this morning, but Diesel and I got up early and headed down to Riverside Park in Auburn Hills to volunteer in this years Clinton River Trail Fall Classic. 

The CRT Fall Classic is an annual bicycle tour and 5K walk that takes place each year along the Clinton River Trail.  For a small registration fee, participants can choose either a 5K walk, or 5, 16, 24, or 40 mile bike routes.  Each participant gets a t-shirt (if preregistered), maps for the various routes and lunch upon returning.  Vendors are also set up in the park offering various goodies.

Walkers start out at Riverside Park and head west on the CRT to Opdyke Rd and back. Cyclists start at the park, but head east on the trail.  The 5 mile trail takes you to Crooks Rd and back, the 16 mile trial is to Dequindre and back.  For the more ambitious riders, you can pick up the Macomb Orchard Trail on the other side of Dequindre and either turn around at West Rd for 24 miles, or continue all the way to the Clinton River Bridge just past mile marker 12, and head back.

Originally, Diesel and I were just going to participate in the event as walkers, but I came across a posting on the Friends of the CRT Facebook page asking for volunteers.  Since we live so close by anyhow, I figured why not.  I got to wear a spiffy neon yellow vest and direct the walkers and cyclist from the park to the trail.  It was a great opportunity for us to meet so many people who enjoy the trail just as much as Diesel and I do.  We even had a chance to pass out a few of our cards and hopefully gain a few more readers to the blog.

Once I knew most of the crowds had made their way to the trail, we stopped back in at the registration table and got my t-shirt.  We browsed around a bit talking with the vendors and then headed out to complete our walk. 

Diesel and I have walked this side of the trail a few times, however we've never gone as far as Opdyke, we usually turn around at the I-75 bridge, and walk back.  I never knew just how nice the rest of that walk could be.  The section of the trail between I-75 and Opdyke is mostly wooded, and you can spot the backyards of a few houses but otherwise the trail is pretty secluded.  We saw quite a few squirrels and even a bunny while walking, and even had the chance to chat with a few more walkers along the way. 

It took us about a half hour to get to Opdyke and then another half hour to get back, so not a bad walk at all.  I took quite a few pictures that you can see by scrolling to the bottom of this page, though I wish I would have remembered to turn on my Noom so I could track my stats. 

Once back at the park, Diesel and I shared a few snacks and talked with more volunteers and participants about different routes and about the trail. It was a nice morning despite the overcast and the lower than welcomed temperatures.  All and all it was a great morning.

If you walked/cycled the Fall Classic, please feel free to share your stories in the comments below.  I would love to hear from you! 


If you would like more information on the Clinton River Trail, check out the Friends of the CRT Facebook group or visit www.clintonrivertrail.org

Fall is Near

written 9/5/11 

On Friday, before Labor Day it was close to 100 degrees here in Metro Detroit. As I sit here today, this Labor Day Monday, it has been in the high 50's all day.  How the temp dropped nearly 50 degrees in 3 days... Oh yea, that's right I live in Michigan. Anything is possible.

Today was very overcast, with the sun only peeping out here and there.  I stopped by Auburn Oaks Nursery after breakfast and picked up some more perennials for the flower boxes and the front garden.  After getting those planted I figured that I should take the dog out for a walk.

We headed on out of the neighborhood as we always do and it definitely felt like an early fall day.  The leaves were crinkling as they drifted on down the road, and you could see the trees were starting to change colors.  As much as I look forward Halloween coming, I have to be sad the the end of summer is soon upon us. And after those few brief weeks comes the good old Michigan winter.

The trail was quite busy today with so many people enjoying the cooler weather.  We made our way downtown and decided that it would be nice to cut through River Woods Park, and head back around that way.  I had actually thought it would be a longer walk but it turned out to be just about the same as our other walks, 3 miles are so.

It still ended up being a nice walk and we met a few nice people along the way.  I am looking forward to more walks as it starts cooling off, though I am working on some ideas for what I will write about over the winter as I am not a huge fan of being cold. I appreciate any ideas you can toss my way.

Starting Again

Sorry to all of my readers for being a bit absent lately.  The weather has been rainy and icky these past few days and I haven't really gotten out on many walks with Diesel.  Not to mention I have been battling my allergies and it seems to be draining all motivation to do anything.  I've even skipped out on two personal training sessions!  I've been working this week on trying to get back on the good side by going to the gym every day after work, getting my butt kicked by Toria and trying not too eat too much crap. 

Hopefully, this weekend can be the start of a new healthier week.  Earlier this week I signed up with Door to Door Organics a produce delivery group.  I am hoping that the new, fresh fruits and veggies being delivered to my home every week will give me that needed push to start bringing my lunches to work. Not to mention its also getting colder out and I hate going out for lunch when its cold. 

Also this Saturday, Diesel and I will be walking a 5K hosted by The Friends of the Clinton River Trail.  The Fall Classic is a great opportunity to support the community, the local hiking/bicycle trail, and meet people who love the trail as much as I do.  Before the CRT was even a designated trail, I would walk along those abandoned railway tracks to pretty much anywhere I wanted to get in the Auburn Hills Area.  And no, the tracks back in the day were not the spooky things you see on TV.  They ran the length of the town and crossed by many homes and business and into neighborhoods where my friends lived.  The tracks were just a shortcut.

Well that's all I have for now.  Just wanted to pop in and let you know I am still around. I'll be posting an update on the CRT Fall Classic sometime this weekend.  Hope everyone is enjoying the end of Summer cool down. 

For more information on Door to Door Organics, please visit https://michigan.doortodoororganics.com.

To participate in the Clinton River Trail Fall Classic, visit www.clintonrivertrail.org

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?

June 9th, 2011

Downtown Auburn Hills

It's been incredibly hot these past few days.  Too hot for walks.  Today was nearly perfect though.  The air began cooling off earlier in the day and by 6 PM the temps were in the 70's with a nice breeze.  It was overcast, but didn't look like it would start raining too soon.  Diesel and I had more than just exercise on the mind when we headed out today.  

Being Thursday, it meant the Auburn Hills Farmer's Market was going on downtown.  The farmer's market is along the same route we normally walk.  We headed out the door, down the street, and on to the CRT.  The trail was full of life today.  Lots of bikers, and the occasional runner/jogger.  There were plenty of birds as usual, and not too many bugs.  Once we were downtown, we headed over to the public parking area where the market was set up.

Being that it is still early June in Michigan, there's not too much produce out.  What there is a lot of is sweets!  The Cookie Lady was there as always and we made sure to stop by so she could meet Diesel, and get some of her famous cookies.  After taking a lap or two, enjoying the sounds of the one man band, and letting Diesel meet all of the new dog lovers, we made a stop at Duffy's tent and ordered a fresh of the grill hot dog and soda.  The guy even sneaked a hot dog out for Diesel too!  After a few bites we headed on down Grey Rd on our way back home.

Along the way, we ran into Connie and had a quick chat until the mosquito's drove us back down the path.  So long as you're moving they don't seem to bite.  Just before Adams Rd we stopped and Diesel met a 1 year old German Shepperd puppy out for a walk with its owner.  She was a cutie!  We made it back home without too much more effort.  And we were both ready to chill on the couch for a bit.

Our First Walk

I love spring! The weather in Michigan is just right for taking nice long walks after work without being too hot or too cold. And if you can plan them just right you can squeeze them in between rain showers.

Our walking route via Gmaps Pedometer

Today, Diesel and I completed our typical route. This route is roughly 2.8 miles, and takes about an hour for us to complete. It takes us through my neighborhood, onto the Clinton River Trail, into Downtown Auburn Hills, around through the Grey Rd subdivision.
 The weather today was pretty nice, sunny, few clouds, and around 54°.  It cooled down quite a bit on the way back, and I tried to stay in the sun as much as possible.

The Clinton River Trail just west of Adams

We didn't make any stops today, but we did see a rabbit and a black squirrel out today.  If I go at the right time, I have seen deer, partridge, rabbits, squirrels, fish, and some hawks, along with other birds.  We have also been lucky as to not have to deal with too many bugs, mosquitoes and nats can be quite annoying! There were quite a few people out enjoying the trail today as well.  Some runners, a few on bikes, and some dog-walkers like ourselves. 

One of the other things I love about spring time in Michigan are the colors!  The little green and red buds start to pop out onto the long, tall branches, and flowers begin to appear in the greening grass.  There were yellow forsythia, purple hyacinths, and red tulips! 

Some of the wonderful colors around town

There's not too much else to say about today's walk.  Mikey said he was going to join us but got caught up at his father's house longer than he had intended.  There will be plenty more chances for him this summer, as he has said he would like to walk with us more.  We also have a fancy new Subway downtown with a patio, it could be nice walking up for dinner some time. 

I will share more walks, and more photos next time.  Hope you enjoyed it!