In Memory...  Rest in Peace Tippi (August 2000 - October 17, 2016)

Two years ago today we said goodbye to Tippi.  She was a rescue we were blessed with for over 16-years. She was my trail partner for somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 miles (we didn't keep track), traveling together in the car all over Connecticut, New York, Vermont and Western Massachusetts to run in the woods we both loved so much.  Together we finished 17 marathons.  She could run all day, season didn't really matter.

Often, as DL and I drive home from Adams back to Connecticut, she will ask as we pass large forested areas "... did you and Tippi ever run through there?"  The answer is almost always "Yes".  We connected huge tracts of land in northwestern Massachusetts.

I continue to think about Tippi everyday. Often on a hike or run, I come to a spot in the forest that helps me feel her presence.  The recent photograph below is one of those spots/times, along the Spruce Mountain Trail in Monroe, where my old dog's spirit overwhelmed me.

We love you Tippi, rest easy girl.

Tippi, August 2000 - October 17th, 2016.

Another completed Black Lizard / Vintage Crime novel, back to Sweden with Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo.  This time, "The Man Who Went Up In Smoke", the second Martin Beck novel, published in 1966.

Newer Cover Art

My Copy, Cover Art

Music 2018...

Effort #42, "You Blister My Paint"...  an electric version with the full Primitives in 1984.

Visited DAR with K2 to explore more of the proposed marathon route I've been working on.  Rambled through the snowmobile trails, to see how easy they are to follow without snow.  

Finished with 8.4-miles, and I was somewhat successful following the route I had hoped to.  The trails that I explored accidentally are "yellow" on the map below, and the original route I had hoped to follow in "red".

West Branch Mill River

Standing Stone along Snowmobile Path

Stonewall along Snowmobile Path

Old News...

On this day in 1995 I completed the 2nd Hartford Marathon in 3:42:02.  This was my 7th completed marathon.

Made it back to Connecticut from our 5-day / 4-night cruise on the Disney Dream.  An outstanding adventure for DL and I.

Ran along Main Street just after dark, 3-miles.

Old News...  On this day, October 13th, 2012, Wuzzam and I ran the Conway Covered Bridge Marathon in 6:33:15.  This was my 48th completed marathon.  

Very Old News...  15-years ago today, October 13th, 2003, I was running along the Appalachian Trail in Salisbury, Connecticut and snapped a few photos from Lions Head.

View off  Lions Head

Sign on Tree

Another Black Lizard / Vintage Crime novel enjoyed, this time Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep".  Novel was published in 1939, and the film with Bogart and Bacall was released in 1946.

This was the first appearance of Philip Marlowe as a private eye.

Still in the North Atlantic Ocean...

Our accommodations for the week

Music 2018...

Effort #41, "Sermon at Tallassee"...  Rev. King in November of 2017, Preaching the Blues in Alabama.  I added a fingerpicked blues in G in late September of 2018.

Somewhere out in the North Atlantic Ocean, aboard the Disney Magic, I ran 3-miles around Deck 4 in wonderfully cool breezy conditions!

Outside, water, water everywhere...

Amtrak into New York City to board the Disney Magic, for a sea adventure with DL. 

also... on this day in 2013:

DAR to Bullitt Reservation Marathon
October 9th, 2013 - Goshen & Ashfield, Massachusetts

The DAR Marathon (Daughter's of the American Revolution).

Tippi and I ran a DAR State Forest Marathon today in 6:10:00.  This was my 52nd completed marathon, and Tippi's 17th.  

We began in Goshen, at the Daughter's of American Revolution State Forest, and ran out to Bullitt Reservation, and back.  We enjoyed views from Chapel Ledge and Chapel Falls.

Tippi on Chapel Ledge

Tippi looking off Chapel Ledge.

Tippi on Chapel Ledge.

Chapel Falls.

Chapel Falls.

Tippi cooling off in a pool at Chapel Falls.

Course with Tippi's track as well

4.3-miles of "quick" running in McLean Game Refuge.

I was back at the same location where the previous day's run ended, West Road in Ashfield, Mass.  I hope to attempt a marathon from Bullitt Reservation to Williamsburg Depot sometime in early November.  I verified that Section One from Bullitt to the West Road crossing was right around 5-miles yesterday.

Today I would run through the Second Section, from West Road through the Daughter's of American Revolution State Forest to Lower Highland Lake, at East Street in Goshen.  It was foggy again, but no drizzle today.  It was very humid to start, despite the cool temperatures.

The run along the Ashfield Trails section to the feeder to the Long Trail was in decent shape, with some high water levels early on.  Some of the mountain bike bridges are submerged due to the wet weather we have been having.  The Long Trail was in great condition, I've been on it recently enough, as was the trail to the entrance at Upper Highland Lake fishing area.

From here, I had planned on using the Boat Launch Road Trail to the Sunset Trail.  This was were Tips and I had parked in 2013 for our Marathon, that dog really loved the DAR woods.  The Sunset Trail looks like trouble right now, as at about a half-mile in dozens of white pine have fallen as blow-downs.  There is the beginnings of a "go-around" to get through the mess, but it is much scrambling and climbing over massive trees for a quarter-mile or so, with the trail difficult to follow.

I bushwhacked up to Camp Howe Road to join Camp Howe Trail and the White Pine Trail, and realized that I'd have to avoid the Sunset Trail, despite my desire to use it.  The easy alternative will be to avoid the last bit along Upper Highland Lake, and head south along the Boat Launch Road to Camp Howe Road, to the Howe Trail & White Pine Trail location.  It may end up losing a half-mile off the total of the run, so nothing severe.

The rest of it went fine, intersected Headquarters Road off White Pine and witnessed the large gang of men gathering for their annual Dungeons and Dragons Festival at Camp Howe.  This is the second time I've run into these guys, it is great to see young people having fun in the woods.

On the way back, I ran through the campground, and I recalled all our years of camping and how much I miss it.  Someday, we'll be back, I hope.  It looks like the end of the season, as only about a fourth of the spots were occupied.  I took the Darling Trail back to Moore Hill Road, and noticed a cellar hole along the way, which I'd never noticed before.

Ended the day with 9.4-miles, and really good scouting regarding the condition of the Sunset Trail.  I have time to adjust going forward.

Section 2 of the planned Bullitt - DAR - 'Burgy Marathon

Beaver Dam along the Ashfield Trails section

Gazebo along trail at Upper Highland Lake

Upper Highland Lake

Cellar Hole along the Darling Trail 

Sections 1 & 2 of the planned Bullitt - DAR - 'Burgy Marathon

K2 joined me for a ride to DAR State Forest, where we would actually not run in DAR.  We would run along Ashfield Trails, from West Road along the northeastern edge of DAR, to Chapel Ledge, Chapel Falls, and then the Two Bridges Trail to Bullitt Reservation, and back.

It was misting and cool when we began, and throughout the run in the woods I did not notice the mist at all, but once back at the car it remained.  No sun today, so we kept cool.

The view from the ledge was fogged in, but still uplifting.  The series of waterfalls were heavy with flow, crashing down the rocks.  Excellent run with a total of 9.3-miles for the out-and-back.

This is the 1st leg of a planned marathon route from Bullitt Reservation off Route 116 in Ashfield to the Williamsburg Snack Bar in Williamsburg, along Route 9.  I had measured along the map at 5.6-miles, but today I landed on 4.8-miles.  Some twist and turns, so the higher mileage may be more correct.

Chapel Ledge

Chapel Falls

Chapel Brook Kiosk

The Pebble at Bullitt Reservation

Bullitt Reservation Meadow

Stonewall along Ashfield Trails

Stonewall along Ashfield Trails

Stonewall along Ashfield Trails

4.1-miles along Main Street just as dark was approaching on a beautiful night.

Also, my friend the Woodswalker was flown out to Harris, MI to participate and present at the 2018 AAPS (Ancient Artifact Preservation Society) Conference, the 14th Annual.  The Woodswalker had presented at this conference back in 2014 as well, and he was in great demand to participate once again.

Scheduled Speakers for the event are as follows: 

* Goeffrey Whittum: Woodswalker extraordinaire, back after 5 years, to tell of his fabulous new finds in stones (dolmens, menhirs, balanced, structures, walls... of CT, VT, MA, NH) He calls his new program,  "Evidence of a Lost Civilization in New England; the Appalachian Backbone."

* Sarah Kholer: of Mass. A woodswalker and friend of Geoffrey’s, with a different approach to her finds: “Circles in Stone; Art and Geometry of the Stone People”

* Jo Lorichon, Jim Scherz & Team: on recent examinations of a very large magnetic  standing stone"menhir" with curious markings, in N. MN

* Wayne May: Publisher of Ancient American Magazine, author, researcher. And co-sponsor of AAPS Conferences. Exciting new research:  Hindu America"

* Dr. James Scherz: Master surveyor & mathematician, "Long Range Alignments from Effigy Mounds to the Keweenaw". More fine connections pointing to U.P. Copper Country!

* Dr. Lee Pennington: World traveler and award-winning author & film-maker shall share his long time research on, "Spratt Stone Works: Kentucky's Lost City"

* Lon Kreger: Retired military man, expert at digging for facts, has found a passion for ancient garden beds of Michigan. His expansive research gives a new and broader understanding to these mysterious structures. "The Amazing Garden Beds of Ancient America"

* Rick Osman back after many years, has much to share about his research in stone walls, structures etc. of the Ohio Valley.

* Jay Wakefield: world traveler, always has some well researched things to share, this time a most intriguing look at- "The ICA Stones" of South America.

*Dr. Steve Spyrison: Researcher- "Making the connection between 'crop circles' and ancient sites and petroglyphs" 

*Earl Meshigaud: A brief history of the Hannahville Tribe, their growth, the "Turtle" Center and association with AAPS. Earl is the director of the Potawatomi Cultural Center, and liason to AAPS on the AAPS Collection displayed within the Center. He is ably assisted by Claude Alexander in teaching their culture and language to their youth.

* Richard Moats  Avocational archaeologist and Archaeo-astronomer. "The Reconstruction and Archaeoastronomy of a Hopewell Hilltop Celestial Observatory in Ohio; A window into Hopewell religion"

** Bruce Hardwick & Duane Kinnart: These Ojibway cousins always bring us ways and wisdoms to look at the world and into our hearts. They are Spirit-led, so we never give a title for their talks.

* Dr. Carl Johannessen: The definitive researcher on "out of place" plants & animals of the ancient world. We hope our dear old friend will be well enough to again make the trip to the UP.

Music 2018...

Effort #40, "Fade Into You"...  Mazzy Star cover quickly done.

"...I look to you to see the  truth."

Newest completed Black Lizard / Vintage Crime read is once again by Chester Himes, and his 1959 novel  "The Crazy Kill".