Looking pretty nice outside. Going to get the bikes all fired up and go for a long ride, maybe 30+ miles. Might also go for a run tonight since it's full moon.  Foot is still sore.

QOTD: How is fall progressing in your area?

No real leaf color changes here yet. There is a little bit but it's mostly either green or brown on the early droppers. The squirrels in my woods are running all over the place. I have a huge pile of wood that contains everything from small branches to small trees up to 8 inches across. It's just laying there waiting for me to chip it and the squirrels look like kids on a play ground scurrying around on and in it. When they get so active you know that fall is fast approaching.

QOTD 2: Anybody  here use pressure cookers for canning? If so what do you use?  We have a real old one that DW got from her mother. It's a Burpee Aristocrat. Several years ago we had some stuff spoil so we got a new Allamerican canner which we really like. Sometimes though it's nice to have two so I was thinking about fixing up the old Burpee one. It's going to need a new gauge and the vent petcock is bad so that should be converted to a steam vent with a weight. In addition to that I don't really like the clamping ring that the Burpee uses as I think it could fail easier then the lugs on the ALLAmerican.  $42.00 for parts vs $199.00 for a new one that I'll only use once a year, so I'm still trying to decide what to do.

nice 9-ish miles yesterday in the hardwood hills, quick 4.5 this morning

qotd: not much turning here in central NY, DW said we got 3" of snow in Helena

no canning; DMIL used to do a lot of canning in her day-peaches to elk

SRD today. Just some last packing for the road trip up to Arkansas this weekend.  My DW and DD are now coming along. They will crew a bit and my DD will likely run with me the last 16 miles or so. I'd like to think that they are coming to support me, but I'm a realist...  turns out there is a film festival in nearby Hot Springs, AR that we will head to Sunday afternoon.  That's because they are showing a documentary film called "All the Wild Horses" on the Mongol Derby 1000km horse race that includes quite a bit of footage of my DD. It was shown at the Aspen film festival earlier this week.  Anyway most of the footage of her is not from the year she kicked ass, but from the year she bonked and had to dnf due to heatstroke, but evidently it adds a lot of drama to the movie. The director and my DD are going to be having a little panel discussion and Q/A after the screening.  Should be a lot of fun. Here's the trailer, my DD makes a few appearances talking about it would have to be serious to get her to stop, barfing, and looking like crap.

http://allthewildhorsesmovie.com/index.html

I also just found this, my DD is Devan  . http://www.aspentimes.com/entertainment/aspen-filmfest-all-the-wild-horses/

qotd1: we seem to be still stuck in summer...  like usual.  Warm, humid and green.

qotd2: no.

I ran a pretty fast 5 this morning with no light for the most part. I did use the light for a little bitty section of woods, but cut it back off when I got through that to an opening. I stayed on the gravel road this morning because I felt like running fast. I'm really getting the itch to start resting, but I have a couple of more longish runs, a marathon distance and a couple of 20's left. My wife asked me on Sunday if I was done with the long runs. I said, yes. I only have a marathon and a couple of 20 milers left. You know you are getting close to taper time when a marathon and a couple of 20's are not really considered long runs. But, 4 to 5 hours and 3 to 4 hours are not long compared to 6 to 10 hours.

QOTD: I see a little color on gum trees, but that may be because of how dry it has been. We have a lot of pine trees, so the colors are never very good here. But we haven't had any cool weather to speak of yet, either.

QOTD: I have no idea about pressure cookers or canning. People down here do can vegetables, but I think the canning of meat is something that is more of a northern thing. I have never eaten canned venison or beef or pork or fish or anything like that. I have some issues with canned meat. Here is why: I know a guy I used to work with who spent a great deal of time in Illinois, and he would always talk about "canning deer meat". I couldn't stand to be around him and his constant lies. This guy had done it all and better than anyone ever had before. He talked about canning meat a lot. He talked about it almost every time he opened his mouth as an afterthought to all the deer he killed. I took my disdain for him and projected it onto canned meats. Hahaha.  I'm kidding about that last part, but every time I hear or think about canned meat, I think of him and his ridiculously, impossible stories.

Just under 6 this morning with a running buddy. Weather continues to be beautiful, but dry-- so we're hoping for Nate's leftovers, whcih are forecast here Sunday pm to Tuesday am.

We were coming up the bike path when this little kid (barely 2) sees and us deliberately mimics our running movements (including swinging his arms) to the edge of the trail.  I asked him if he was a runner, to which he enthusiastically replied 'Yes!'. Funny kid and cute. Hope he keeps running.

Q1: Not really going yet, other than a few leaves drying up and dropping. My dogwoods have turned more burgundy than green, but they have a ways to go.

Q2: Only waterbath can (fruits, salsas, tomatoes and jams). And a new freezer for the stuff that's easiest and best frozen.

 

 

LB2 - You sound like me, projecting your dislike of someone onto a object.  I've gotten really conflicted already when there was a braggart that was bragging about how great his John Deere was. Made me want to get rid of mine and get a International just to not be associated with him.

I totally understand that.

Ran on the road earl this morning then waited around for a delivery of wood pellets. After they dropped them near my shed, I moved and re-stacked 3 tons of pellets. I'm sure  my back and hamstrings will remind me later that I'm in my mid 50's. Oh well. ready for cooler temperatures, if they ever return.

Mandy - what is plan "B"?  Where are you starting and ending?  AT has a lot of cover if rain is light, but if heavy rain, it's  not a fun place to be. Shelters won't be too bust this time of year since thru-hikers are mostly finished or finishing. Only section hikers around now.

XT - maybe we can add a Golf Forum to RA.

Sandy - pretty neat trailer. I'm sure she'll love watching herself puke on a 70' screen.  I'd love to see the whole thing when it hit Netflix's. Good luck this weekend.

Dd - How long does battery hold up on DW's bike?

Jamie - I really should have run last night. When we got home, moon was calling.  How's dissertation coming?

Warden - wow, I thought NY would have some colors by now. Any great local beers?

LB - Haha. Yes, long runs are relative to the training schedule. We don;t even call anything under 20 miles a long run anymore.

DC - I meant to comment the other day about your blind running partner. Is this his/her first marathon?

Queen - mean mommy!

QOTD:  Same as Jamie and DD.  Some color changes at higher elevation. No frost yet.

QITD 2 :  DW had a bunch of jar seals leak after trying her hand at canning.  Now we freeze everything.  Pressure cookers are making a big comeback now. DD#1 uses one often for cooking, not canning.

It is supposed to pour rain from tropical storm Nate for 4 days the day we start backpacking on the AT.  Ugh.  Trying to decide if we should stick to the original trip or plan something else in the next 24 hours.  We're supposed to leave tomorrow.  What would you do?

 

 

See below. The Ouachita Trail in Arkansas is a great choice.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm9_039448.pdf