Conway

This is the spring of solo distancing the valley. Last weekend I did the old Nookachamps half marathon route, and visited with the Taylors. This week, I did a loop from home to Conway and back, adding up to 16 miles. I've always wanted to do this route, and it ended up being one of my favorite Saturday mornings in quite some time.

Most of my day was a walk. Up early, the temps were in the 50s or 60s, but the sun really came out, and we hit 80 by midday. I wandered south through Mount Vernon until I got on the Conway frontage road, and too that straight out. Came back via the Dike Road, and walked part of the dike along the Skagit River.

So many little things to see. Painted barns, hand-painted signs, honor pay system fruit stands, recently planted fields, the river, Mount Baker.  Just one of those gorgeous days, with nothing to worry about but moving on.

I am doing the Great Virtual Run Across Tennessee. I'm supposed to cover over 600 miles in four months, which means 30 to 40 miles per week. So far so good--I'm getting out more, which is sure to lead to good things.

The coronvirus thing is in the news, in every discussion. Shuffling the feet outdoors is the best distraction.

Winter Birds In Skagit

Last year I looked hard and long for a snowy owl in the Skagit, finally spotting one after several weekends of driving around after runs in the Chuckanuts. This year...well, on Saturday I felt like getting out of the house, and I literally spotted one at the first place I went, after a ten minute drive.  I wish I brought a better camera, but the white dot above on the driftwood is a snowy owl. This is at the Hayton Reserve, out on Fir Island, off the Conway exit.

Afterwards, I drove to a number of spots on Fir Island, checking out driftwood marshes.  It's really a beautiful spot, but the wind was blowing hard, so I didn't stick around. Thousands of snow geese flying in flocks, fleeing hunters. Trumpeter swans, flying across the fields, in pairs and larger groups. Hawks and eagles all over too.

I got some workouts in this weekend, but nothing spectacular. Christmas is upon me, and my plate seems full. Happy holidays, friends.