Busy work week this week.   I am in Birmingham Alabama, just got in this evening.  We have a large project going with a company here in the Birmingham area.   We met with this customer when we were in Florida for the Gartner Portal Conference.   Tomorrow we have some big meeting's planned and looking forward to getting feedback on how we are doing.

Another week gone bye, I just can’t believe how the time is passing.   Candy was out of town this weekend visiting family so it gave me a chance to get some work items knocked off the list.

Friday night I noticed I had a broken sprinkler line.  So I went ahead and dug up the area and found the cracked pipe.   I left it open overnight so that the water would evaporate and that I could fix it on Saturday.   Over the years I have become quite the sprinkler repairman.   I compare myself to Mr. Parker from a Christmas Story.   I can fix a broken sprinkler line in minutes.

I have an area in the back yard that doesn’t get water so before I headed over to pick up sprinkler parts I went ahead and dug a trench and dug up the line where I would need to tie on to get water.  This should help my transplanted Lilacs, now I don’t have to run the hose up there to water.

Once I was back it took me 20 minutes to get everything hooked up.  Ran a quick test and didn’t see any leaks so went ahead and filled in the trench.

Along with all the laundry, dishes and other house cleaning items, I also managed to get the garage swept out, some pictures hung, deck swept.

Saturday night was Prom for CMHS.   Clark and his friend Nicole went with another couple.  They looked great and from what I was told about the evenings festivities it sounded like they had fun. 

Sunday I worked over at the shop, it was time to mow and clear the weeds.   I am trying to get grass to grow but the weeds keep choking out the grass.   Helped Eric to put together a bed and cleaned up the storage room.   Things are starting to look pretty good, may not have grass but we have weeds and they are green so from a distance after a mowing it doesn’t look bad.

Lilacs in bloom are one of my favorite things.  We have a large one in our backyard and it’s in full bloom now.   It looks beautiful and smells awesome.  I transplanted three shoots two years ago and they have all taken.

Oh man the weekend is just about over.   Winding down watching a little TV and figured this would be a good chance to catch up from the week’s events.   I didn’t do as well as I would have liked to have had, just a little over 19/miles average of 2.7/miles a day.  I walked to and from work on Monday and Thursday.  Wednesday I did the Bear Creek Park loop and Saturday to a trip up Williams Canyon.

Saturday morning we picked up Eric and drove up Manitou Springs to hike Williams Canyon.   The weather was great and you couldn’t have asked for a better day.   Williams is one of my favorite little hikes.  It has a nice steady incline with lots of scenery and wildlife to look at as you’re moving.  The canyon trail is directly below the Cave of the Winds.   In the cliffs, you will see what could be cave entrances.   The stream flows thru the canyon, well not really a stream more of a trickling of water.  In a couple of sections of the trail with steady sun, there were lots of the butterflies like the one pictured sunning themselves.

We took the trail head off of Williams and hiked up to the Waldo Canyon trail.   We had an awesome view of Pikes Peak.  Plenty of wildlife out today, we saw lizards, chipmunks, birds.  We came around the corner on the trail where there was a pool of water.  Climbing on the side of the cliff wall were four chipmunks chasing each other around.  Looks like they were having a good time!

This morning Candy and I loaded up the truck with the boys.   We drove over to 21^st and parked.   We picked up trash along the road and bagged it up.  All together we picked up 5 bags of trash.  Most common item found was those little single serving whiskey bottles.

Happy Hiking

As of today I am up to 13.25/Miles.  I did 5/Monday, 3.25/Wednesday and 5 today. Slowly getting myself back into the groove.  Wednesday evening I did the Bear Creek Park loop.   Today I walked to work and back.  Took the camera with me and snapped off a few pictures.  Was able to get pictures of a Robin, Northern Flicker and a TowHee. Even had an opportunity for a couple finches but they flew away before I could get a shot off.  Found this cool looking fungus growing on a downed tree trunk.

Happy Hiking

Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mr. Robinson

Yes, yes I know Jesus loves me more than I will know.    Wow, so I just looked and it has been over a month since I posted anything up here on the blog.   Sorry folks, I have been busy with work, family and chores.  You know the drill and how it goes.

I am back to my hiking.  Making the time to get my fat butt on the trails and get some new pictures, stories and what ever else I may come across.   With gas prices lately it doesn’t hurt my feelings every time I walk past the gas station on my way to and from work.

Figured a Monday was a good day to start working my way back into the hiking routine.   So yesterday I did 5 miles by walking to and from work.    It was a little cool in the morning but nicer in the afternoon.   I started a new spreadsheet to keep track of my miles, diet and weight.   So if you pass what looks like Randy from A Christmas Story, honk because it is probably me.

I was supposed to take Clark to rent a tuxedo this evening and he bailed on me.  Mom will have to take him tomorrow.  Guess he decided to go to prom this year so needs a tux.  Mowed the yard this evening, did it need it? No but there were a few high spots.  I dropped the mower to the second lowest setting so I could try to suck up the pine needles and dog crap.  I don’t know how but I managed to fill two trash bags.

While out in the yard I snapped up a couple of pictures.  Going on three years now that we planted the Bradford pair tree pictured above.   This year it was loaded with flowers, more than we have had in the previous years.

In the front yard we have some scrub oak trees.   I don’t really care for them as each fall they drop their leaves and produce acorns.  Every year I have to clean out the rain gutters in the front as they are full of leaves and acorns.  So anyway this little bird has been busily working on its nest that it is building in one of the trees.   I have been watching him/her go at it now for about two weeks.

Happy Hiking