"Non" Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #18 for 2023...

"A Ticket to the Boneyard" written by Lawrence Block, first published in 1990.

This is book eight of the Mathew Scudder Series.

Traveled out to Heath to see if I oould locate the connection on the Burnt Hill Catamount Trail to Catamount State Forest at the 3-Town Boundary Marker.

I didn't have great hope as someone placed a sticker on the Kiosk Map on Flagg Hill Road Trailhead stating that the trail was "under construction" or something similar.

Regardless, once at the marker, I saw nothing heading in the Catamount State Forest direction, so I continued on the path that existed.  Followed it to roughly the 3 mile point, and decided to turn around (it was roughly an hour with the last bit very slow due to downed trees and difficulty finding the trail).

Finalized the miles at 5.6.  Mentally recorded two options for the future, that do exist (old forest roads that hopefully get me somewhere I want to go).  I will be back!

Roadside Effigy at near Gould Road, Route 2

Looking off the first lookout on the Burnt Hills Catamount Trail

Slab underneath that first lookout, extends hundreds of feet

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Also, from the archives...

On this day I've finished two marathons...

In 2008, Tippi and I finished Metacomet II, which began at Phelps Road in Suffield, and covered north to Route 57 and south to Route 20.  Running time of 5:32:00.  This was my 39th and Tippi's 13th completed marathon.

In 2009, Wuzzam joined Tippi and I at Tunxis II (South), which meant we ran from Route 219 to Satan's Kingdom, and also north to Roberts Brook I believe.  Our time was 6:04:44.  This was my 44th and Tippi's 15th marathon.

Suffield 5km Course #1 for 2023.

Hot and Sunny (~80-degrees); 29:50. 

First effort of 2023, not much running never mind 'hard" running to this point.  I was dreading this attempt.

Due to the lack of miles and lousy conditioning, I set a reasonable goal of under 36-minutes.  Coming in on the first loop in 14:50 had me encouraged.  I felt the effort, but I thought I could finish the second loop running and I would not have to resort to walking any of it.

The second loop wasn't much worse than the first one, I was only 10-seconds slower so my pace setting was ideal.

Completed the 3.1-miles in 29:50, which surprised me.  Nicer work than expected..

Times for my Race Against Myself (plus official events) at this location:

• #1, 2023 - 29:50 (August 26th, 2023)

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• #5, 2022 - 27:30 (October 1st, 2022)
• #4, 2022 - 26:07 (June 20th, 2022)  Official Event
• #3, 2022 - 25:28 (May 22nd, 2022)
• #2, 2022 - 25:20 (May 7th, 2022)
• #1, 2022 - 27:24 (April 8th, 2022)

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• #7, 2021 - 23:50 (October 30th, 2021)

• #6, 2021 - 24:34 (September 17th, 2021)

• #5, 2021 - 25:10 (September 3rd, 2021)

• #4, 2021 - 25:29 (August 27th, 2021)

• #3, 2021 - 26:48 (August 20th, 2021)

• #2, 2021 - 25:20 (July 9th, 2021)

• #1, 2021 - 27:00 (June 28th, 2021)  Official Event

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• #2, 2019 - 27:46 (July 9th, 2019)

• #1, 2019 - 28:04 (July 2nd, 2019)  Official Event

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Also - depsite missing it, today was Play Music on the Porch Day 2023.

The Primitives record release on Bandcamp.

The Primitives - Get Drunk and Party

3.4-miles in Granville with K2 exploring the Bad Luck Mountain area. 

Visit with the folks, stopped in Plainfield on the return trip to Connecticut and rambled on old and obscure paths for 4.3-miles. 

Canton Land Trust, exploring more of Ratlum Mountain.\

4.6-miles.

"Non" Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #17 for 2023...

"The Sinaloa Story" written by Barry Gifford, first published in 1998.

2023 Unsupported "Non" Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #9

Granville Reservoir 8 KM (4.9-Miler)

K2 joined me for a run in Granville, at the Reservoir.

I decided that the Ankle, Achilles and Heal are feeling a bit better, at least enough to move a bit better than I have been lately.

Stuck to the forest roads, and the loop measured out at 4.9-miles with 550' of climb, mostly from mile 2 to mile 3.

Completed Granville Reservoir 8Km #1 in 1:05:00 (4.5 mph).  My speed is not impressive, but my right foot felt better than it has in 10 months, and I managed to run the entire way.  It's a start.

To the Tunxis area to run on Canton Conservation Property nearing Ratlum Mountain.

Completed 4.6-miles.

Took a drive with DL to Chicopee to purchase a pair of Redwing Boots because I'm thinking that it's time to treat my feet correctly. 

Pavement's Gary Young passed away at age 70...

My friend the Hillbillage gave me a bunch of albums to listen to back in the very early 2000's by the band Pavement.  Once I listened to the first album, Slanted and Enchanted, it stayed in my rotation for months.  It was that fantastic.

I finally got around to listening the the second record, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain much later on.  It was just as impressive.  But, as I now had two Pavement records in my rotation, which I really thought the world of, I didn't get around to listening to the three final albums for a few years.

You see, I dove into all the early EP's and Singles, and Unreleased Tracks from those first two records instead of moving on to the later recorded output.  I was happy doing so.

Nowadays, I do enjoy their entire output, but those first two were and are magical still.

Which brings me around to announcing the death of  Pavement's Original Drummer Gary Young, who also Produced their first records in his garage studio.

From Wikipedia:  Pavements first EP, Slay Tracks (1933-1969), was recorded at  Gary Young's "Louder Than You Think Studio" with Young contributing drums.  Young would also appear on their next two EPs, Demolition Plot J-7, and Perfect Sound Forever, released in 1990 and 1991, respectively, as well as their 1992 debut album, Slanted and Enchanted. Young began gaining the band a degree of notoriety with his on- and offstage antics. He was noted for greeting the audience at the door, giving out vegetables, such as cabbage, to fans, and for doing headstands.

His last release as a member of the group was the EP Watery, Domestic. He later appeared on two tracks on the Major Leagues EP as a producer.

Young was fired from Pavement in 1993 due to conflicts with the rest of the band. He reunited with the band to play two shows in 2010.

3.4-mile jog in Granville, cool, damp and humid. 

Bands and Live Performances I've been a part of:

#7.

Folk Duo, Adams Aggie Fair, Summer 1981.

Kirk C and I decided to jump into a talent contest at the Adams Aggie Faire around August 1981..

We made an attempt at Hey Hey My My.  

My guitar was a very cheap acoustic with rusty strings and guilty of being out of tune.

We pretty much were awful.  

At the time, once we completed the tune and there was no applause, it seemed a bit embarrassing.  Afterward, in retrospect, it was a pretty punk thing to attempt, as we had no practice or preparation whatsoever.

From the archives...

Mahican Mohawk Marathon
August 15th, 2014
Florida, Savoy & Charlemont, Massachusetts

Mohawk, Savoy, Florida Marathon for Wuzzam and I.

Wuzzam and I ran the Mahican Mohawk Marathon in 6:43:30.  We began and ended at Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont, along the bank of the Cold River.  Our turn-around or midpoint was roughly at North Pond at Savoy Mountain State Forest in Savoy / Florida.

This was my 53rd completed marathon.

Running through Stafford Meadow

 

Red Pine Plantation, set in 1930's..

Up through the Red Pine.

Wuzzam at the first crossing of the Cold River.

Bog Pond, a long-time favorite area of ours..

Burnett Homestead Cemetery in Florida..

Second crossing of the Cold River.

Visited the Folks today, with a stop at Chi's for take-out.

Chi's is housed in the old store named "Kelly's On the Corner" (I think).  Back in the mid to late '70's I recall playing a lot of pinball in there.

On the drive back to CT, I stopped in Plainfield and explored along South Road, completing 3.0-miles into Dubuque State Forest.

Worked a brief shift in the early morning before my adventure.....