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

Ready for warmer days!

Worked back over at the shop this evening and tried to get a little more done.   I got a few more straps on the fence and a few more studs put up.   I hope to have the east wall done this weekend if it warms up.

I will be up to Denver tomorrow and Thursday for meetings with clients.  Weather is supposed to turn cold and possibly snow.

I did take the Ford Modal A out for a spin around the block this evening.  I need to change out all the fluids and grease it up before I take again.  Ok, so we did buy another Model A truck, so now we have two of them.   This deal came up and we felt it was too good to pass on and we had the room to keep it.

This truck is pretty much all original and looking forward to getting it out on the road once I check everything out. 

Happy Hiking

Sunny Days!

Snuck out of work about an hour and half early today and went out and hit the trails.  I managed to get just a little over 4 miles in.  I say snuck out early, but after I got home I ended up working for another 3 hours so it washes out I guess.

I couldn’t resist.  The weather was absolutely great here today and the temperature was in the high 60’s.  Tomorrow is supposed to just as nice so I am going to try to walk to work.  Come Wednesday it is supposed to cool off with a chance of rain and snow through Thursday.   Joy! Joy!

Sunday was also great here.  I didn’t get any hiking in but I did spend most of the day working over at the shop.   Managed to get a few more studs cut and up as well as boxing in some areas around the steel support beams.   If we could get some nice weekends I could be hanging sheet rock in a couple of weeks.  I am ready to get this project wrapped up as I have other on my list that I need to get to.

I also started putting in some support straps on the wood fence.  We have had a couple of days in the last few weeks with some high winds.   Two panels had blown down and a couple months ago, I had another two blown down.   If the wind blows it down now the whole fence will be down.

Happy Hiking

St. Mary's Falls

I left the house at 6:20am and headed over to pick up Eric.  We were in the Gold Camp Drive parking lot at 7:20.  We were the first ones on the trail this morning.  It was cold and windy when we started.    It stayed that way until we got off the road and caught the trail head.

I put my MicroSpikes (http://www.pogu-spikes.com/) on once we hit the tunnel.  This is the first time I used them.  There was quit a bit of ice still on the trail and we had a light dusting this morning.  Eric didn’t put his on until we reach the top and figured he better have them on for the descent.

Saw some rabbit tracks but no rabbits.  We did come across several chipmunks chattering away up in the trees.  One chipmunk was running up the trail with a big pine cone in his mouth.

We managed to get six miles in round trip.  We climbed 1,401ft with an average moving time of 2.3/MPH.   Total hiking time was two hours and forty minuets.   I did manage to snag a couple of pictures today and have included them.

We reached the top of the falls at about 8:40am.   We thought about having our sandwiches but with the wind blowing it was to cold to stop moving.  The falls were covered with ice.  I ventured out a little ways but didn’t go to far.

We worked our way back down moving at a pretty good pace.  On the way down we ran into two other hikers working there way up.

Happy Hiking!

Mary A. Clark

Oh man (big sigh), not even sure where to start as it seems like it has been so long. I started off the first of the year with a bang! I had already logged just over 20/miles by the 12th. Then I had to hit the road and my walking came to halt. I kept telling myself to make the time but I just didn’t. Spent a week in Austin and then had to make a run up to Wichita, Ks.

On January 22nd 2012 my grandmother Mary A. Clark passed away at the age of 87 and the funeral was held on Friday the 27th. She packed the church with family and friends! Growing up in rural Kansas in the 1930’s on a farm. She always had a thirst for knowledge and when you tell your kids that you had to walk to school in the snow uphill both ways, well that’s how it really was for her.

At the funeral the minister said that he asked her children about her and memories that they had. They all came back and referred to her as their GOOGLE. When the preacher said that, I sat there in the pew with my draw dropped as that was the perfect definition. She knew everything about almost every subject.

I would go to Kansas in the summers while growing up and I would stay at her house. I remember her always working a crossword, putting together puzzles, playing chess and other games. In her kitchen she had a large room with a long table, needed it for raising 10 kids. Anyway there would be thousand piece puzzle on the table that everyone worked on. Family and friends always visiting who would add a piece or two as they came and went. Good times!

The following is from obituary in The Wichita Eagle.

Mary A. Clark
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=mary-a-clark&pid=155617262&fhid=11129

Clark, Mary A., 87, retired co-owner of Scotty Clark Plumbing, passed away Jan. 22, 2012. Rosary 6:30 p.m. Thursday; Mass 11 a.m. Friday, both at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 2007 N. Arkansas, Wichita 67203. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, "Jack" and Agnes Ridder, husband, "Sharkey," brothers and sisters-in-law, Tom Ridder (Jeannie), Larry Ridder (Mary); sister, Anita Ridder; daughter-in-law, Debbie Clark; grandson, Tommy Clark; great-grandson, Anthony Marsh. Survivors: sons, Mike Clark, Scotty (Charlie) Clark, Jan Clark, Pat (Paula) Clark, Eddie (Pam) Clark, Tommy (Peggy) Clark; daughters, Goldie (Dennis) Robinson, Carolyn (Mike) McClellan, Lisa (Ron) Land, Rosie (Jeff) Creekmore; brothers, David (Jo) Ridder, Jerry (Pat) Ridder; sisters, Sr. Helen Ridder, Esther Oliverson; 28 grandchildren; 38 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild.

A few days back I loaded http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ on my IPhone. I have been using it now for 5 days. It tracks what I eat and the calories as well as my exercise and calories burned. I am set to 1650 calories a day. When you start looking at this way, it sure makes me consider what I am eating. I have already lost a couple of pounds, so we will see how it goes. I logged into their website and you can build some reporting that graphs out calories burned, calories consumed and others.

Once I get a little data loaded ill add some charts to the blog showing my progress.

Happy Hiking!