Ann-Marie and New House 5 Miler

Ann-Marie and New House
Originally uploaded by toadshade

I stopped by Ann-Marie's since she's moving into her new house today and it's right around the corner from me. Took some pictures of the many and varied boxes she had packed in the different rooms. We have the same landlord and he really fixed it up for her just like he did for me. It has a nice sized back yard with a grill and plenty of room for one person. I continued my jog and ran around the pond at Southeast Park and took pictures of wildflowers. I ran at a 10 minute per mile pace for 50 minutes and walked a while in the wildflower garden. Saw many more Gerardias with Buckeye Caterpillars and saw a few Buckeye Butterflies flying around. Seem to be some Sicklepod, Partridge Pea, Heliotropes, Firewheels and Maypops blooming among some things I can't as of yet. Reckon I'll add them to my Burley Cudge collection and keep an eye on them.

I'm thinking about adding some walks during the week to my training program and Southeast Park is the place to do it. It's a perfect half mile around the pond and almost 2 miles around the whole complex. I could easily get a brisk 4 mile walk in on the days I don't run. Could help me lose a few pounds I can't seem to shake on my present 3-4 times a week running program. We'll see.

toadshade

First Post From iPhone

Hello all you millions of Toadblog fans. I now have the access to post boring photos and articles you could care less about from my iPhone 24/7! I can even add a picture!


-- Post From My iPhone

Gerardia and Buckeye Caterpillar

Gerardia and Buckeye Caterpillar
Originally uploaded by toadshade

Here's the Common Buckeye Caterpillar I mentioned in the last post. If you stop and slow down you can find caterpillars growing on garden plants. I grow the herb Parsley every year and every year the 'Parsley Worms,' or Black Swallowtail caterpillars feed on them before crawling off to a tree to pupate. This year they ate my entire plant until there wasn't any greenery left. But in few days the Parsley resurrected itself to where I can have some to garnish my Italian Sausage and Pasta this evening. Though I won't be a 'Parsley Wormhog' and eat the whole plant! Bon appetit!

toadshade

Gerardia at Sunview Lake

Gerardia
Originally uploaded by toadshade

There's a field on the Sunview Lake part of this run that is part of a housing development that was dirt for most of the Summer. Then nature took over with wind and water and made a home for many of the wildflowers I've been talking about for the last month like Goldenrods, Sericas, Fleabanes, Rabbit Tobacco and Horse Nettle. Today I discovered a Gerardia in the same field that's pictured above. It's a host plant for the Common Buckeye caterpillar that you can see in the back and in the next post. Also I saw a St Andrew's Cross out here that was more in the woods than the field but is a first sighting for here.

toadshade

The Wild Poinsettia Leaf 6 Miler

Wild Poinsettia Leaf
Originally uploaded by toadshade

I took an odd 6 mile route today just to break up the monotony and came across one of my favorite autumn wildflowers. Wild Poinsettia Leaf. It was growing along Dickcissel Road along with Camphorweed, Sicklepod, Sida, and Vervain. The run was good but slow do to the humidity. It was exactly one hour for 6 miles making it a 10 minute per mile pace. Am going a couple of more posts today since I want to add more pictures.

toadshade

Palmetto Trail Weston Lake Area 5.26 Miles

Viv and Stick of Power
Originally uploaded by toadshade

Ann-Marie, Viv and I hiked this part of the Palmetto Trail that was farther down Leesburg than last week. We did the hike in about 2 hours and 10 minutes or so and kept a good pace throughout. This trail wasn't as much bike traveled as the one last week and so they were a few spiders, mainly Spiny Orb Weavers that were giving Ann-Marie fits. That's why Viv is holding the magical trail blazing stick of power to knocks webs out the way. At the turn around point we saw a huge Golden Silk Spider that was quite beautiful. Don't know why I didn't get his picture. I think Ann-Marie had seen him one too many times already! It was more humid this week and a little tougher going but both girls were hiking at a brisk pace that was only interrupted by the spiders and the fact we kept losing the less-than-well-marked trail and had to backtrack a few times. On the wildflower side we saw a few of the St. Andrews Cross that were more plentiful last week and little else. Thinking about hitting Table Rock when the weather cools.

toadshade

Sicklepod in the Corn

Sicklepod in the Corn
Originally uploaded by toadshade

I ran my standard 5 mile run over the still closed Dickcissel Road. the corn is brown and ready to mow and tons of Sicklepods (pictured) are growing on the field edges and into the road. Vines are slowly creeping up the corn rows and South American Vervain is attracting lots of butterflies. It's amazing how much this road has grown over since they closed it to traffic. I'm sure farming vehicles use it but it hardly shows. Most of this should die off in the winter but if they let it go another summer, it may became impassable. But for now it's offering an abundance of wildflowers, birds, butterflies and beauty. The wheel turns.

My time of 52:01 at 10:24 per mile. Hot and muggy but wonderful.

toadshade