Billy Goat Trail 2018.

A friend and I went to the C&O Canal National Park recently to perambulate the Billy Goat Trail, a 3-mile rocky trail in Maryland alongside the Potomac River that involves scrambling over rocky promontories overlooking the river and traversing boulder-strewn granite outcrops that make up a large part of the trail.  While not considered a difficult trail, it does necessitate maintaining balance at high points and footing and hand grips along rock faces.

We went clockwise this year, traveling the most difficult part first, having went counterclockwise last year.  We went down the rocky valley, crossed over the first stream by going from rock to rock in the stream bed and crossed over the bridge spanning the second stream.  Thence started the climb up rock slopes to eventually arrive at high overlook points along the far-below river.

But disaster struck, as my friend's shoe came apart from the stress of rock climbing and the sole separated from the shoe.  It was unsafe at that point to go the entire distance with a floppy shoe which could catch in any rock crevice along the way and cause her to lose her balance, perhaps at a perilous point.

So we egressed the trail at the halfway point on a short exit trail to the canal towpath.  The mile and a half of rough trail we had gone had tired us anyway and we enjoyed a less stressful walk back to my vehicle, spotting some wildlife along the way including deer, cranes or pelicans, turtles and frogs.

A morning run

Last week I did a five mile loop around my greater neighborhood, after a preliminary mile in the 'hood, at 6:30 am to avoid the heat build-up.  The sky was really active, I love the diffusion of early morning sunlight that the cloud cover sometimes creates.

Not many people were about, except for commuters driving by in their cars.  I saw some wildlife, this bunny thought I wouldn't see it if it remained stock still.

I ran by some flowering weeds which were pretty.  My favorite is the Queen Anne's Lace which is abundant in the meadows currently.

With six miles in the books I ran up and over the last tall hill and headed to McDonalds to get my morning coffee and perhaps a fruit cup.  It's interesting there; half the time I get the senior discount on coffee (I never ask for it but I'm qualified to get it) unbidden and half the time I don't.

More Billy Goat

More Billy Goat Trail 2016.

A blue crane.  My camera was too slow to catch it when it majestically spread its wings and flew away.

Another bird.

That's all.

Daytime Holiday Lights Run

Usually I take a group out from work after dark on a December evening for a Holiday Lights Run around the Mall.  There are plenty of lighted Christmas trees there to run to and enjoy in their lighted brilliance.  (Below: The Police Tree, circa 2012.)

We're all busy at work doing more with less so this year only Lia and I went out on a modified Holiday Lights Run, in the afternoon.  It was a fun run of about five miles.

First we ran to the tree in front of the Capitol.  As always, it was well-decorated and very pretty.

Next we ran to the tree at the Canadian embassy.  That had not been on the tour formerly, so I'm glad Lia spotted it on the embassy's porch as we ran by down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Ellipse.

Next up was a run across Freedom Plaza where there was no tree made out of an iron bar, recycled plastic streamers and empty cans as in the days of the Occupy Movement there, but tents were being set up on the plaza for a Homeless rally and sleepover that night, with a shout out gesture planned for the next morning to greet DC Mayor Gray as he went to his office in the building across the street. (Below: The Occupy Tree, 2011.)

The National tree on the Ellipse seemed a little skimpy this year but perhaps it only seemed that way since it wasn't lit up at the time.  Since it is also Hanukkah, the Menorah was up.  Surprisingly, there is a crèche in one corner of the holiday display.

To finish our run we ran around the Lincoln Memorial.  To our amazement, we watched a fox by the Memorial Bridge patiently and purposefully cross three busy lanes of traffic and bound into the shrubbery on the west side of the Memorial at the base.  We told a ranger about our observation and he explained that there was a den of foxes that lived there and they were quite clever and observant about crossing traffic while going to and fro.

I wasn't swift enough or sure enough with my digital camera to capture the fast moving fox so I had to satisfy myself with a picture of two mounted Park Police horses instead.  They accommodatingly stood still and I was able to line the shot up and capture the scene.

The weather cooperated as it was a pleasant 45 degrees and dry, but with a little bit of a biting wind.  It was an excellent run.