Cough, Cough, Color Me Rad

While most of our adventures take place outdoors, in the wilds, sometimes the adventures are just wild and happen to be outdoors.  Such was the case when I ran (believe me, I use that term loo-o-o-o-osely) my second 5K of my life.  This time I was joined by both my spawn.  One outran me.  One did not. 

The Bug and The Whee joined forces to try and make me look bad.  Let's just say that The Whee was all show and a lot less go than one might expect.







"Dear Lord, please let there be cheeseburgers at the end..."

Color Me Rad is a charity run, which is the only kind I do,  You know, where I'm a charity case when they call out my run time....  They usually just say "And coming to the finish line in ..oh wait, she finished.  Good enough."

Seriously, the proceeds go to local charities in each town where the 5K is held.  I like to know that my blood, seat, and tears is doing some good.  And that's before I even get out of the car.

Half the fun of these kinds of runs are the costumes.   The Whee made her own tutu.

 I refused to wear a tutu, no matter how much she WHEEdled...

And when it was all over, and we were colorful, and tired, and in Whee's case- starving, there were no cheeseburgers, but there were delicious pizzas (and perhaps a mimosa, to help restore the electrolytes, you know).

Where else can you have stuff thrown at you, breathe in cornstarch, run till you smell bad, get pizza with your progeny and call it an awesome day?

Happy Trails, and may all your adventures bring color to your life!

Water in the Wichitas

It's been awhile since I posted, mostly because it's been awhile since I've done anything post-worthy.  A life is a terrible thing to waste. 



But I've finally amassed enough pictures to convince you that I don't sit around all day every day pinteresting.  Only on some days.



I went to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge for a hike when it was still cool enough for a jacket.  Does this jacket make me look fluffy?

The name of the refuge is a misnomer.  There are wildlife.  It's a refuge.  But mountains... mountains are not something Oklahoma really has.  It's a dream, a wish, an outright lie.

But enough whining down the plains..

There were the usual residents who would prefer you keep you distance.  I would prefer I keep my distance too!

There was some great color showing here and there...

and something you DON'T usually see- water!!!

It was a great 8 mile hike up to Charon Gardens and back.  It was also a great excuse to trot out my  little Osprey daypack I got at the Backwoods Ladies Night.  It just happens to match my BIG Osprey backpack.  This is purely coincidental, I swear, but it makes me very happy and in my world happiness does not need a reason.

On the drive home we kept seeing yellow- which is not at all like seeing red.  I couldn't figure out why anyone would grow fields of ragweed!

Come to find out, it's canola-the hot new trendy crop of choice of dusty, red-soiled drought areas.  Who woulda thought?  Made me feel better to find out it wasn't ragweed.  My sneezing stopped instantly...



Happy Trails, and may your adventures be as wet/wild/wooly/wonderful/weird as you hoped for!