Rainy Day Walk

My route for today - 3.5 mi

I decided to go a bit further north today. About 2/3 of my walk was on roads I'd already seen, but the ones north of Bonnie Brae St were new to me.

The weather today was cool and wet. While it didn't actually rain on me during my walk, it was dark and damp. My photos are a bit softer because of it.

Orange & Yellow Dahlia - SW 149th Ave

Pink Dahlia - SW 149th Ave

Unidentified Red & White Flowers - SW 149th Ave

I have taken so many pictures of Dahlias and Roses lately, that I was happy to see a new type of flower.

These red and white flowers reminded me of peppermints... then I ended up seeing more and more pink and white flowers ... peppermints everwhere!

Orange Dahlia & Japanese Maple - SW Rocklynn Place

Pink & White Fall-Blooming Azalea - SW Rocklynn Place

Pink Dahlia - SW Rocklynn Place

Pink & White Dahlia - SW 149th Ave

Pink & Yellow Dahlia - SW 149th Ave

This one is so delicate. It reminds me almost of the lotus flowers at the Chinese garden.

Front view

SW Nehalem Lane

I can't remember the name of this tree right now... but I liked the contrast between the yellow leaves and berries and the red maples in the background.

More leaves

Pink Dogwood - SW Rochester Drive

I have no idea why this tree is blooming at this time of year. It must be confused. Still, it's very pretty.

Carolwood, Sexton Mountain and Beyond

My route for today - 3.8 mi.

Walking is still the only time when I'm comfortable. However, I'm getting slower and slower. At least I have the camera for an excuse.

Yellow Maple Leaves - Wilson Ave

Orange Gazanias - Corner of Barlow Rd & Barlow Ct.

Pale Pink Rosebud - Corner of Barlow Rd & Barlow Ct.

Large Pale Pink Rose

Yellow Roses

Walking along Barlow Rd near 141st.

Golden Maple Leaves - Barlow Rd

Japanese Maple Leaves - Barlow Rd.

Another Japanese Maple Leaf

Red vs. Green

Canna (?) - 142nd Ave

Honey Locust - Gleditsia triacanthos - 142nd Ave

Japanese Dogwood - Cornus kousa - SW 27th

The pink fruits on these dogwood trees are so strange to me.

Yellow Maple Leaves - SW Tierra del Mar Dr.

Tree Spirit - Circle off SW Dunsmuir Ln.

Pink Honeysuckle - Lonicera sp. - Carolwood Park

Pampas Grass - Cortaderia selloana - Sexton Mountain Dr

Blackberry - Sexton Mountain Dr

Looking southwest on Sexton Mountain Dr

Same view a bit closer

Yellow & Orange Daisy - SW Gearhart Dr

Ginkgo - Ginkgo Biloba - SW Gearhart Dr

More Ginkgo Leaves

Camelia (?) - SW Gearhart Dr

Birch Bark - SW Gearhart Dr

The birch tree

Interesting Sculpture - Couple & Dog with Umbrella - SW Telluride Terrace

Vine Maple - Acer circinatum - Hyland Forest Park

Sword Fern - Polystichum munitum - Hyland Forest Park

Unidentified Pink Flowers - SW 24th St

Another view - single flower

Belly & Floor Update

The floor is nearly done and that's a good thing, because my belly is getting HUGE!

In this picture, I am taking the tape off the floor, because the glue has dried and the floor is OK to walk on. It is a floating floor installation (above concrete and vapor barrier/insulation), the boards are glued only to each other and not to the floor.

I still have to work on the door threshold and the the last couple rows of floorboards. Hopefully I can get the baseboards installed next weekend.

Making a Vihta

Our Homemade Vihtas ready for Sauna.

I'd been eyeing our neighbor's birch tree all summer, ever since we finished our sauna. However, those neighbors never talk to us, so I hadn't gone to ask if we could use any of their birch branches.

Anyway, last week they trimmed their tree. Although it's a bit late in the season and the leaves are starting to fall off, I picked up some of the clippings and we made two Vihtas. The second one is in the freezer for Christmas.

Home Theater Wiring & Floor Installation

Sami is nearly finished putting all the wires in for the home theater.

(He took these two pictures, so they must be important).

There will be a big panel here with all kinds of fancy outlets so all the wires can plug in.

Finally we got to start installing the floor.

It is an engineered hardwood floor - American Hickory.

The tape is only on there temporarily to hold the boards in place till the glue dries.

Walk to Wonderland

My route for today - 4.1 mi.

The neighborhood to the west of Wonderland Park has some interesting street names - Cheshire Rd, Mad Hatter Lane, etc. I thought there could be some cool houses and gardens in that area to explore.

In reality, the neighborhood was kind of run down and sad. Nothing much pretty for me to take pictures of.

Pretty Pink and Peach Rose - SW 22nd St

This was my longest walk so far, but I have the fewest pictures from it. I walked though several apartment complexes and neighborhoods where the streets were torn up by road construction.

The neighborhoods east of Hall are significantly more run-down than the ones west of Hall.

Salmon colored Rose - further east on SW 22nd St

The Stuhr Center (where I stopped about 3/4 of the way through my walk) is apparently a Recreation Center for senior citizens. I stopped by there to use the toilet and the water fountain and found lots of older folks playing bingo.

Fading Black Eyed Susans - SW 22nd St

Scheffler Park is nice enough. Mostly ball fields and a few picnic areas. There were a bunch of young kids' teams playing soccer today.

Red and Green Maple Leaves - SW 12th St

Red and White Dahlia - SW Wilson Ave

Same flower close up

Another bloom from above

Walk through Brookview Park to Schuebach Park

My walking route for today - 4.25 mi.

Since I now have the issue with my separated ribs, my daily walk is the only time I'm comfortable. I think that's why it has been getting longer and longer without me really realizing.

SW 141st. Ave

I didn't take as many pictures on this walk as I have on previous days. Partly because I felt like I would be taking nearly the same photos over again.

Big Pink Begonia on SW Lisa Lane

I was actually sitting in the driveway to take this picture when the little old lady who lived here drove up. She was very nice and very glad I wasn't there to sell her anything.

Flowering Plum (?) leaves on SW Bonnie Brae

More of these leaves.

Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua on SW Bonnie Brae

Dinosaur sculpture in the front yard of a house at the end of 150th court.

There was a stegosaurus too but the shadows were so bad I couldn't get a decent picture... maybe next time.

SW 152nd Ave

This picture doesn't quite capture.

The red and green leaves were shaking in the breeze and looking like jeweled ornaments on this tree.

Wood Sorrel - Oxalis sp. on Division St

Small Red Flower (?) on Division St.

Firethorn - Pyracantha sp. on SW 155th terrace.

From another angle.

Maple (?) leaves on Kirby Lane

Locked door on the port-a-john at Schuebach Park.

I have to say I was pretty disappointed to find the toilet locked. It was really the only reason for me to walk as far as Schuebach. It is a powerline park and mostly grass. Good for dogs, but not so interesting which is why I continued my walk south on Village Place.

Pink Dahlia on Village Lane

The whole flower.

Small Pink Rose on Village Lane

Dark Pink Rose on SW 20th St