"High Points" along trails during October 2023... 

Still Building up....

• Northern Drake Mountain, Southwick, MA
• Crag Mountain, Granby, CT

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

#10.

Primitives, Dong Show #2, Summer/Fall 1984.

Prior to the Primitives attempt at Rock N' Roll, Boy Joe, a co-worker from SE, did an a cappella, operatic vocal, in drag, in front of a full house.

Prior to our appearance, K shot-gunned a can of beer.  Out of the band but in our atmosphere.

This time, we practiced, and had AD for lead vocals.  TB might have been playin' with us as well.

We crushed a three-headed monster medley of Louie Louie / Wild Thing / Blitzkrieg Bop.  

We were still fueled by alcohol and youth.  

Still didn't care.

Crowd went "woo!".  

We won a hundred bucks.

Much of what I can remember of these times is fuzzy, but what is remembered seems incredible.  

Watery Hill 6-Hour Run

November 6, 1999 - Somewhere in MA or RI

I completed 30-miles during the Watery Hill Six-Hour Race today, with Johnny Bandit.  I called it a day at 5:35:00.

Visit with the folks today.

On the drive to the visit, I stopped in Savoy to make the connection from  the Hollow to Griffin Hill Road (turns into Savoy Hollow Road in Windsor I believe).

My last visit on this trail was much different, it was still mostly single-track.  Now it is a wide snowmobile path.  Completed the journey just fine, out to the gate in Windsor just past Tamarack Hollow Nature Center.  Finished with 3.8-miles.

After my visit I still had some daylight available so I stopped off in Windsor State Forest to check on the snowmobile trail from Windsor Bush Road to Windsor Pond.  Found it, and got to the pond but noticed the trail sort of continued.  Followed out to Nawadaha Ave (connects to 8A).

An additional 2.2-miles.  

3-hour shift at work before the night was over.

Back to Dismal Brook to get back on track finding the correct path to Sodom Mountain.

Success, and finished with 7.1-miles.

And, from the Archives...

On this day, the year 2000...

Watery Hill 6-Hour Run

November 4, 2000 - Somewhere in MA or RI

I completed 33-miles during the Watery Hill Six-Hour Race today, with Johnny Bandit.  

I called it a day at 6:00:00.

DL & I drove to Plymouth and back to assist TC. 

Long day in the vehicle for us, roughly 2:20 out but and extended 2:50 back due to some traffic early and a crash that needed to be cleared out roughly 5-miles ahead of us near Ludlow.

On this day in 1997...

Bash Bish Falls Marathon

November 2, 1997 - South Taconic Trail, MA & NY

The Old Goat, the Gullivers, and a few others rambled out to Bash Bish Falls to participate in a marathon along the South Taconic Trail.  

I managed 26-miles in 6:28:00, with the last few miles being in a driving rain.  

This was my 18th marathon.

November 1st begins Native American Indian Heritage Month!

November is National American Indian Heritage Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

Today also starts my commitment to health and fitness, and I hope to complete 30-days with thirty total exercise events.  Today, I managed a 2-mile walk along Main Street at 7:00 p.m.

On this day in my marathon history, 30-years ago...

Bridgeport Marathon
October 31, 1993 - Bridgeport, Connecticut

Today I completed the Bridgeport Marathon in ~3:32:00.  This was my second completed marathon, and it was more difficult than the first.

November 1 - December 31, 2023 - Kick-off celebration October 30, 2023

The Trinity Health Of New England 61 Day Challenge is a healthy lifestyle initiative that includes education about healthy eating, physical activity, and positive behavioral changes. It encourages individuals and groups to participate and learn how to make smart choices and develop healthy behaviors.

New England 61 Day Challenge Pledge

Today, I pledge to participate in the New England 61 Day Challenge.

During this time, I will make my health a priority and focus on developing and nurturing my body, mind, and spirit.

I will strive to meet the challenge goals of no soda, no sweets, and no cigarettes.

I will remember that there will be bumps along the road, and I will stay focused on the entire 61-day period.

I pledge to learn and grow in knowledge and to make healthier decisions on a daily basis.

I will support my colleagues, friends, and family throughout the Challenge.

Finally, I will take what I learned during the Challenge and strive to maintain my new healthy habits.

****  Additional steps we will be working on are:

•           No Fast Food.
•           No Fried Food.
•           No Alcohol.
•           Exercise regularly.
•           Drink 64 ounces of water daily.
•           No Eating after 6:00 p.m. (Sunday through Thursday).

Travel in the rain to visit the folks.

Short Work-Shift at the end of the afternoon. 

K2 and I drove to Granville for a couple hours on the trail

I covered a few more of those already cataloged, verifying that they are still "active" and "passable".

It was just under 80-degrees when we finished at 11:30 a.m., and my legs were tired.

Ended the day with a decent effort of 7.1-miles.

It seemed like a great afternoon to connect Dismal Brook in North Granby, CT to Sodom Mountain in Southwick, MA.  The sky was clear, temperatures were in the mid-seventies, which for the end of October seemed excellent if not a bit too warm.

All went well up to the old main dirt path that once upon a time lead straight north to cross over Sodom Mountain Road.  It seems as though a great deal of improvements have been made to a number of forest roads or paths.  This distracted me, I couldn't help myself from exploring, and I ended up not making it to Sodom Mountain.

Finished with 5.3-miles and with the knowledge that there are a number of additional forest roads that appear well cleared as well as a few single-track trails possibly worth exploring.

2023 Unsupported "Non" Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #16

Cowles Park 3.5-Miler

Unlike the first attempt at this run, today was dry, sunny and very warm.  I didn't have a water bottle with me, which wasn't the end of the world but I could have used a sip or two through the effort today.

Dry ground with better footing was one factor in my increased speed today, but my willingness to make a better effort helped as well.  A pretty good run, made me wonder if I could get around 35 minutes on this course with some additional practice and a committed running schedule.

Cowles Park Ramble #2

3.5-Mile Trail Run in 37:50.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #23 for 2023...

"The Jugger" written by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark, first published in 1965,.

Book six of the "Parker" series.