Fairview Cemetery

"A dreaded sunny day, so I'll meet you at the cemetery gates," cheeks the pope of mope, Morrissey, in one of my favorite Smiths songs.  I love this graveyard, and it must certainly be one of Cody's top 3 places to romp about in Ann Arbor with the way she always pulls us toward its entrance.  The name is Fairview Cemetery.  Not Greatview or Crappyview, it's just fair.  I suppose it's apt; nothing more fair than death.

The sun is coming up earlier these days, so we can wake up at a leisurely 6am now, get a workout in, and still catch the sunrise for the entire walk.  Clearview skies one might say.  Friggin' freezing is what I'd call it.  10 degrees feels like -6. 

Absolom Traver bought all the land that our neighborhood squats on in 1831, so he gets this big statue and his name on the road.  Show off.

Squirrels sometimes find safety from ferocious pups atop this statues head.

This obelisk easily makes my top-25 obelisks of all time.

"The whole number of enlistments from 5th ward during the war was 25."

I wondered which war this was...

"Erected by subscription through the efforts of the Ladies Decoration Society May 30, 1874."

OH, that Civil War!

Peek a boo!

Kinda makes you want to make a snow angel, doesn't it?

Thanks for your parts, everyone.

The markers to the left of that fuzzy thing are for the donors.

Whachulookinat?

This is the oldest part of the cemetery.  Back then the dead didn't care much about uniformity.

Not fade away

Rumor has it the name Eloisa is finally making a comeback.

Night hike

The wimps are afraid of the Argo trail at night, so Cody and I always have the place to ourselves.  Major Quiet and Private Peaceful are our sentries.

Cody sniffs out her friends.

Cody holds rear guard versus the snowflakes.

 Ain't no stick too big for this girl.

Leslie Science Center on MLK Day

Today starts a recovery week after three weeks of building volume and a little more intensity to training.  My legs are nicely toasted and ready to melt butter, but they're not totally burnt, so all is going well.  We'll cap off this week (hopefully) with our first snowshoe race -- a 10k -- in Traverse City this weekend and then get in some cross-country skiing with the pup.  Good sticks, ruff.

Fire in the sky is never as striking as when the whole world is black and white.

Leslie Golf Course, which lines the edge of Black Pond Woods, is just about to get lit ablaze.

Cody urges me toward the golf course for our early tee time. 

Nickname, Flash.

Nothing as quiet as a winter sunrise.

As if 12F + 7mph wind weren't cold enough, Cody feels compelled to coat herself in the snow.

One of the best sledding hills in Ann Arbor is also one of the best places to catch a sunrise.  Is she in heaven or what?

The bridge over Black Pond.  If you can even call this puddle a pond.

I think she got a mini snowball caught in her throat.

Aw yeah, that's the view I was looking for!

Some like celery with peanut butter spread on top.  Cody and I prefer logs with heaps of snow on top.

Poto Trail Run

I'd been trying to get a group of BTers to join me for a winter trail run but there were conflicting schedules and injuries and the like, so it turned out to be just Alaina and me for today's gloriously sunny run.  The temps dipped into the single digits over night and rose a couple of degrees during this run, but I double bagged my noggin and tights and was actually a bit hot at the start.

Aquaphor on the nose and cheeks before we headed out.

This is one of the rare flat areas on the Poto, though with the obviously uneven surfaces, footing was tricky.  Every step went backward and sideways, but it's all part of the adventure.

Look ma, I'm flying.

Still smiling, and check out all that sun behind us!

I love descending!  The closest you can get to the freedom of downhill skiing while running.

Check out how much the trail has carved out of the terrain.  Cool to run through, but they should probably reroute this section to allow for re-vegetation.

This was my view for an hour and a half.  Actually, this has been my view for the last year and a half as I try to keep up with that skinny speedster.

She'll be comin' down the "mountain" when she comes.

Perfect Michigan Winter

I wanted a place to keep a photo log/journal type of thing about our fun adventures in Michigan, which, after all my complaining, isn't really such a hole of a place as I once thought.  For one thing, it has woods.  The kind of old, fallen log, lose-yourself-in-the-beauty-of-it-all kind of woods.  And that's pretty great.  

I figured I needed to start a blog where I could easily put up pictures for a few reasons: a) I have a terrible memory and this will help me remember what happened in my life b) in order to remember, pictures are a huge help c) BT and FB post to too many people for me, so this is a little more private c) sometimes this will just be for me and the family. 

Oh, and you can click on the pics to blow them up.  Pretty cool, eh?

And now for the first photo blog wherein Cody and I go for an afternoon hike, which happens to be the start of a three day weekend.  Can't beat that.

This is the Argo Trail, which runs from the Argo livery down to the wooden bridge that runs alongside Barton Drive.  Cody and I hike here almost every day and I run here all the time.  With the Huron River on one side and a steep ravine up to Longshore, it's a perfect little place to get away from cars and find peace.

There's the Huron river on the left, and Cody trotting along so happy to be out here with me.

The pitter patter of feet along the trail makes me happy.

Holy leaf!  The river is completely frozen now and covered with snow.

Cody makes fresh tracks with her little poofy fur kicking up all over the place.  The best pup ever.

Initial climb up Kuebler Woods from Huron River Drive.  Someone's been XC skiing, those lucky dogs.

A rare sunny winter day in Michigan.  But when it does come out, it's so magical.  I've never seen anyone sit at these benches, but there they are.

Top of a rise, Cody surveys what may come.

Especially squirrels.

We made it all the way to Bird Hills, where this relatively unused trail leads down the side of a very steep ravine.  Great place to test your new trail boots.

Cooler than a cucumber.

That pine will be huge one day.

The dropoffs here are serious.  Better not get too close.

She keeps an eye out for foxes across the ravine.

We ham it up for the cam.

A slippery slope with the last glimpse of sunlight over the crest.

I love how fearlessly this dog will descend.  She's cooler than pop rocks.

View from on high down to Huron River Drive.  What are these flags and who put them up?

A little closer.

It's important to make your mark in this world.  Cody has good aim, no?

Back to Kuebler

A completely frozen Huron River.  This turned into a pretty good shot.  The long reeds poking up from the watershed are my favorite.

'Ooh, daddy's gonna love this stick.  I'll tease him good with it!'

'Come and get it sucka!'

 'Neeeee neeeee'