Bird + Seed

St. John for the Week

I went away without telling you all.  I meant to, really.  But the last minute packing & getting things in order [and going to bed early cause we had to wake up at 2:30am for our 5am flight] trumped a post.  So now you get to hear about it.  We went on a family vacation to St. John in the US Virgin Islands.  It was my parent's 30th wedding anniversary & they wanted to celebrate with everyone.  My brother & his girl friend, my sister, our cousin, me & Damon.  We rented a house on a hill overlooking a secluded bay.  We swam & snorkeled, ate & drank, visited Jost Van Dyke & Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, explored & shopped, read & slept, hiked & explored.  Here are some pictures!

View from the deck, right outside our bedroom.

Hiking in the Virgin Islands National Park.

Petroglyphs from the Taino people, carved into rock by the sacred spring.

On the bow of a boat we chartered for the day to take us snorkeling & to Jost Van Dyke.

 

Wild baby goats!  We saw goats, deer, mongoose, geckos, iguana, lizards of all sorts and of course, fishes.  The best though was probably the chickens that roamed the islands freely.

They sure love their fruity rum drinks down there.  

Lots of ruins of old sugar cane plantations & forts dot the island.  

Wonderful to be there, but glad to be home.  

Backpacking in the White Mountains

Yes, we've moved.  But things are still in a state of disarray.  And rather than allowing ourselves be mired in the little things we've yet to do, we went backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Thankfully, this trip was much more easier going in terms of trail difficulty compared to this spring's journey that we actually got to enjoy the scenery in all of it's Fall glory.  

It was approaching 80 degrees as we started along the Lincoln Woods trail, which was actually an old logging railway- complete with old railroad ties along the way.  It was like a highway- straight and pretty flat.  Until about three miles in, and we lost the day hikers and the trial got difficult and barren.  Mostly just backpackers then.  We entered the National Wilderness area and tried desperately to find a place to set up our tent- but the whole area was bog & beaver pond.  Beautiful, but not really great for a tent.

Night was closing fast and we were starving.  So, after bushwhacking through a bog we set up our tent on the mossy ground- which was really an elaborate meshwork of fallen logs suspended a foot over a bog- which we discovered with each misstep that sent us postholing into the marsh.  In the fading light we went back to the river for dinner.  Dehydrated Pad Thai never taste so good.  But ominous grumbling sounds and fresh moose tracks sent us quickly back to our tent and the cover of dense undergrowth for the night.

Damon says that one of the best parts of backpacking is imagining what you're going to eat when it's over.  I think my favorite part is imaging a hot shower and a comfy couch.  We kind of sped out way out of the wilderness in the morning, motivated by food/shower [and the fact that our water filter broke, leaving us with under a liter of water and we were already dehydrated] and horrible thoughts about the Columbus Day traffic back into Boston.  I swear 50% of the city goes into New Hampshire on every long weekend.  The other 50% goes to Cape Cod.  As for Damon's food, we stopped in the cute tourist town of Lincoln for bagels and coffee and I got my shower about 2 and half hours later.

It was the first backpacking I've done in years, and am totally ready to do more.  But maybe with more people.  And the opportunity to bathe in a river.  I'm not keen on stinky feet.  And if you are traveling with me, you won't be keen on my stinky feet either.

Escape the Heat

Please excuse the lack of posts recently.  The heat has kept me far away from my computer and it's hot little keys.  And let's be frank, when you're sluggish and hot there isn't anything interesting enough in the whole wide world to stir you to blog.  Except an escape to the Cape [Cod]!  Our friend has a family house right on the tip, so across the bay we went.  Because summer Friday evening traffic is a mass exodus of the entire city we opted to forgo the drive and take the ferry!  We loaded our bikes up with bags and panniers and loaded ourselves onto the boat.  An hour and a half later we were in beautiful, old, gay Provincetown.  The actual first landing site of the Pilgrims before they made their more permanent settling across the bay in Plymouth.

We wheeled ourselves off the boat and then 8.5 miles along a dark and hilly seaside road to our destination where friends, food and drinks awaited.  I had never ridden Toulouse that far all at once before.  Sure, I ride at least 7 miles a day, but that is commuting in stop and go stressfull downtown traffic.  This was straight going- carrying stuff.  And hills.  Oh my the hills.  But we made it.  We really picked the best weekend to be there.  Even though 85 is really warm for the Cape, Boston was suffering through 105 degrees.  And when the ocean is just there, nothing really can go wrong.

There was plenty of widelife to spot.  We swam, and played wiffleball and frisbee.  We built sand castles.  I ran and spotted Damon while he swam a mile along the coast.  

And we picked pounds of wild blueberries on the hill behind the house.  What to do with them?  Muffins?  Coffee cake?  Unrelenting shoveling of berries straight into my mouth?  The answer is all three.  And with a huge freezer bag stashed away until January I will be savoring and remembering this trip for a while.

Stumbling in the White Mountains

The trail starts to get dicey

This is a sorta-sad and wet Damon.  'Well, get out of the creek Damon!' you might say.  But alas, that is not a creek he is standing in, but the trail.  We went hiking stumbling through the White Mountains of New Hampshire this weekend.  The camping trip was first meant to include 6 of Damon's friends and co-workers but our 2 week long bout of rain detered some of the more wimpy sensible of our group and only Damon & I ended up making the trip.  It only rained on us once and during one of the nights while we were asleep- so it wasn't too bad.  Except that all the firewood was too wet to get a good fire going.  I'd say the toughest part was the hiking.

Up up!

When our trail wasn't a creek [which it was only a creek due to the winter melt and so much rain] it was a jumble of roots.  

Or a waterfall.  Yup.  That was the trail.  Scamper up the waterfall.  Actually, that was fun.  And we didn't get too wet.  Crossing the creek 5 times [10 actually because of there-and-back] by wading in the knee-to-ankle deep 40 degree snow melt rushing water barefoot was the real challenge.  

That's me making my "I'm tough" face.  Or the blood is finally entering my toes.  Either way.  At least it was 60 degrees outside, so we warmed up pretty fast.

And the best remedy for a long wet hike is a fire and wine out of a plastic mug.  We both really needed to get out of the city.  But tonight, I'm telling you, we are so happy to sleep in our own bed.  

Site of the scariest water crossing.  Shimmying across wet logs that we wedged into rocks.  

Back from Woods Hole

My program went on retreat last Thursday-Friday to Woods Hole, MA.  Because if you're going to be couped up in a cold dark auditorium listening to research updates you might as well be in a nice place.  [Actually, the talks were only 5 hours long split between 2 days, so it was mostly fun-expolore time].  Woods Hole is actually a neat place [not a town, it's a Census-designated place... whatever that is] in that it has all the charm and cuteness of Cape Cod without touristy crap and with SCIENCE.  There's the Oceanagraphic Institute, the Marine Biology Lab, some fisheries and an outpost of the National Academy of Science.  Neat.

I enjoyed exploring the quaint quirkiness of the place in my off time.  I ran early in the morning along a winding coastal forest road, mucked around in a tide pool and stuck my feet in the water.  Every time I see the ocean, I must commune with her.  It's required.  No matter how cold.

But all day Saturday was spent recovering from the retreat as I only got 2 hours of sleep the night we were there.  Stoopid kids were running around drunk.  Damn first years.  I swear I was never like that ;).

Vancouver, you grew on me

I think my initial so-so impression of Vancouver came from being a) jet-lagged, b) sick & popping Dayquil & c) nervous/anxious for my talk.  But Vancouver grew on me, and I think if I had the opportunity to explore parts of the city that were not downtown, it would grow on me more.  I was not too keen on the downtown part- but that's like saying you don't like New York because you don't like Manhattan.  There's a lot more else to like- a lot more else that isn't fancy shops and chicks in high heels and guys with lots of cologne. 

First off, the temperature was great.  It never got below freezing and was typically around 40 degrees.  There was green grass and some flowers out.  Amazing.  Totally makes up for the 8am sunrise.  And the water everywhere was beautiful.  And of course- the seaplanes.  Or as one sign called it- float planes!

And the bike lanes were a thing of true beauty.  Weird that there weren't too many bikers out.  But at the same time I never saw rush hour traffic.  That also blew my mind.  We had some great food- sushi, south Indian & Mexican.  Plus I got to spend the week with my two goodest buddies, Alissa & Claudio.  In the end though, it seems more like a blur as most waking hours were spent at the conference and much of the rest of the time we were brain dead & recovering from listening to the conference.  And I am so glad to be home- it was a long trip.  But of course Boston welcomed me back with 5 more inches of snow and highs in the low-teens, so maybe I need to shoot off to Vancouver again.  As my 'warm' winter home.  

In Vancouver

Sorry for just abandoning you internets.  Things were busy and then Poof!  I had to go to Vancouver for a week long scientific conference.  Conference is going well, my talk was well received and the city is nice.  Well, especially the city is warm and there is grass.  I guess I'm really an East Coast girl because I find it almost unnerving that all the buildings and structures seem to be about the same age and done in the same aesthetic- each street looks the same to me.  And while now the sun is shining [sorta] I must nap as I have been going full throttle with very little sleep for several days now.  Be well and I will be back in Boston Thursday night.

A Chicago Christmas

Damon's eldest sister lives in Chicago, so to the windy city we went for a mini-Christmas.  [it was not that windy].  But it was very relaxing.  I haven't spent that long doing that amount of nothing in forever.  We spent 5 days just chilling- partly because each of us were wracked with colds and sinus infections, partly because of all the snow and cold- and partly because having easy access to holiday cookies makes leaving the house seem like a silly thing.

It was a homey and vegetarian Christmas.  Lots of soups and stews and bread.  And spending hours playing with the Retro Duo- an 8 & 16 bit video game console.  I was never allowed to play video games as a kid, and the games out these days seem way too complicated or violent.  But Dr. Mario & SuperBomberMan, are things I can totally handle. 

One of the highlights of the week: going to the Shed Aquarium for free and only an hour before closing.  No one was there and we got such great views of everything.  Including being all alone to observe the Beluga whales.  I highly recommend going to museums near closing time.  You get the whole place to yourself!

Wonderful weekend aside, getting home was a nightmare.  The huge snowstorm caused our Monday flight back to Boston to be canceled.  This prompted such a massive call-center overload at JetBlue that we couldn't even call to get our flight rebooked until 12 hours later despite repeated attempts [we're not talking just being on hold- we're talking them hanging up on us].  The next available flight back at that time was Thursday evening.  WHAT!  So we booked a Tuesday flight on US Airways from Chicago to Philly to Providence, with the plan to take the commuter rail up to Boston.  A delayed flight in Chicago [pilot didn't show] meant that we barely made our connection [which ended up being delayed also].  Finally from Providence we caught a shuttle to the train station, but massive traffic got us there with only 5 minutes to spare.  Sheesh.  It all worked out but not without a good deal of stress and money spent.  But now we are so happy to be home.

I hope all of your holidays were not as hung up- and if they were- I hope you are all cozy in your homes now.

Maine & Mount Desert Island II : The Race

For as tough as this marathon was, it certainly attracted a rather gangly bunch of runners.  Myself included.  This marathon was all hills.  All hills.  We mostly went up as the gained elevation, but even the downhill isn't great.  Sure your heart doesn't pound as hard, but your feet pound the pavement hard and all that jarring really adds up.  

That said we couldn't have asked for a better day.  50 degrees and sunny.  The wind picked up a bit- particularly while running against it up a two mile long hill between miles 15 and 17.  Here I am at mile 19 about to pass by my parents.  Which is also the part of the run when you start bargaining with yourself just to make it that next mile.

I finished in 4:03.  Exactly 20 minutes slower than my last marathon.  Which makes sense considering the hills.  My goal was 4 hours so I guess I was right on.  With a month of non-serious running ahead of me now I have time to contemplate my next marathon.  Ocean Drive? [Near my south Jersey roots?]
 

Maine Here I Come

The gu is packed [an all natural organic version of course].  My favorite running shorts and socks are clean.  A small bottle of Vaseline is safely stored and comfy pants and compression socks for the "after party" are neatly stowed.  I'm headed off to Maine and the Mount Desert Island/Acadia National Park Marathon.  It's going to be beautiful.  If only this damned Nor'Easter with it's wind swept rain calms down.  But the day of the race looks sunny at 50- perfect running weather.  Ok, I'm off- see you all on Monday!