Lewis and Clark, Monday, October 26

Perfect weather; hiked on the way home from school; 5.3 miles in a couple of hours; was finished before dark.

Matson Hill Park, Sunday, October 18, 2015

Prime hiking weather. Makes me wish, again, that we started school in early August so that we could have a week off in October.  Paul and I rose fairly early, tried not to dwell on this being the first morning in 16 years that we've awakened at our house and found no dog(s) waiting for us to take them out,  made coffee, brought donuts and a souffle to Pat, and found ourselves beginning a 4.9 mile at Matson Hill Park by 11 a.m..

We found golden trees against pure blue sky, a few bicyclists, even less hikers, and three or four dogs on the trail.  We were pleased to be moving at a fast pace and finished at exactly 1 p.m.. Pat and Lynnie called us as we were driving down 94, and we met them at Wine Country Garden for lunch. Pat was a little hung over from Kathy's bonfire last night, and we spied Lynnie's work compadre at the wine bar with a friend, although none of us made ourselves known to one another. 

Matson Hill is a moderate trail with many switch backs and a few gentle inclines. You get a work out, but it's not exhausting.  It's also very close to the roadhouses in Defiance and wineries along Highway 94. One to remember.

I took this photo of Paul to send to Laura C. via text, just as before he ditched the jacket as the temperature had grown much warmer.

Tower Grove Park, October 17, 2015

Paul and I walked through Tower Grove Park this afternoon, trying to cheer ourselves up after having to put Blue, our possibly 17 year old blue tick coonhound, to sleep.  He was a part of our lives for twelve years, having been rescued from despicable conditions by the Humane Society and adopted by us in 2003.  The park was teeming with people, children, dogs, joggers, kick ball players, picnickers, and the sky was. . .well, blue.  

 I spotted a small tombstone-looking marker under a tree, and took a photo. When I got home, I googled possibilities for the inscription and found conflicting stories. The most likely is from Jerry Berger, former St. Louis newspaper columnist, who said that the marker was placed by Henry Shaw to commemorate an oak tree planted in honor of a niece from England who was visiting, hence the word "oak" at the top. Her name was Eliza Hoole (or Poole or Moore).  The oak tree eventually died, and park employees tried to plant another, although I don't think there is an oak tree on the spot at this time.  Just another symbol of impermanence, memories and the passage of time.

Lost Valley Trail, October 16, 2015

Yay for one Fall Break Day. I left the house messy after the plumber left and headed out to St. Charles. The Lewis and Clark parking lot contained, literally, 50 cars. Ugh.  But just a few miles down 94, the parking lot of the Lost Valley Trail was entirely empty. I bought a bottle of water in Defiance and started hiking. The trail's a bit different than the last time I was here. Parts have been rerouted and now you can hike through the woods behind and above the scary contaminated True Detective looking lake instead of along the road in front.  I'm not sure how many miles I did on the "short loop", but it took me 3 hours and 45 minutes. I had to hurry home for dinner plans at 8.

I've never hiked this trail in October, but it's extremely beautiful. The trees are changing colors and the sky yesterday was completely blue--no clouds whatsoever.  The last two miles, I encountered three bikers, and older woman who was booking and a young man whose device of choice was blaring music as he rode. Of course, I had to step aside--one reason I've stopped hiking this trail very often.  But I can't believe there weren't more cyclists out today, especially after I saw so many hikers at Lewis and Clark. There's also a shooting range nearby, so the woods were filled with shots for awhile near the end of my hike.

So many shots made me think the deer would be scared away, but when I stopped to lean against a tree to remove my hiking boot for a few minutes, I heard something in the brush and saw a small deer leaping away into the trees. Each time I've been hiking this October, I've seen deer.

I know I've taken pictures of these devices before (fence posts? A pulley?) no doubt a part of a farm that was once on this land pre-WWII, but as the years go by, I find myself imagining more and more about the people who inhabited this land.

Rockwood Reservation: Greenrock Trail, October 11, 2015

 Another perfect October day to hike. Started on the Greenrock at around 9:30 in Rockwoods Reservation. Hiked the 3.6 miles to the border of Greensfelder and then turned around for a total of 7.2 miles. It took me about 3 and a half hours, total. Only encountered one jogger on the trail, which seemed surprising as late in the day as it was.

Saw two deer.

Greensfelder, October 3, 2015

Paul was in Colorado visiting his sisters, so I got up fairly early and drove out to Greensfelder to take advantage of the Fall weather. It was in the 50's and a bit overcast.  Not very many people, if any at all--although the area around Greensfelder is much more populous than it used to be. Hiked the Beulah Trail, but first visited the Beulah Shelter to finish my morning coffee--and then walked down to the overlook to take some photos. Still trying to convince someone to camp with me there after ten years.  Saw two deer.

 Outhouse at the Beulah Shelter

Short hike, but I always love the first Fall hike of the year.

Walks Around Iowa City, Iowa (June 27, 2015)

Visiting my friend Tess is what brought Paul and me to Iowa City, Iowa for a weekend.  It's a small, quaint, walkable city where the University of Iowa is located.  Taking Tess's recommendation, our first stop in the pedestrian mall on Saturday morning was The Java House, a coffee shop that specializes in "pour over coffee".  We each had the medium roast American Gothic selection,which was extremely tasty. We stopped Sunday before our return trip to repeat the experience.

Sustainability abounds, even in the Pedestrian Mall!

 The "Ped Mall"  is the central focus of downtown, with shops, Prairie Lights Bookstore, bars, cafes, and coffee houses.  It stopped raining on Saturday with a high around 75. The Bread Garden Market has live music at night, wine, sandwiches, coffee, candy--really anything you might need. It was on the lower level of our hotel building.

The Pedestrian Mall was pretty tame this weekend. Tess assured us that most of the undergrads were home for the summer, leaving more mature graduate students in town to work and attend classes.  She and her husband Alan say that the town actually has a machine which cleans up the vomit of undergrads who, heady with freedom, imbibe too much alcohol.

One of the many painted benches in the ped mall.

Doggies were everywhere (and children and college students).

 This man was just hanging with the birds--his own and also the pigeons.

In a shop window across from the courthouse, I found a "corn coffin", for the agriculturally enthusiastic ( and dead) Iowan.

The golden dome of the courthouse is visible from many vantage points in the city.

HotelVetro (one word) provided some open vistas from its hallways and our suite.

 Unfortunately, I haven't taken my free class on the new camera yet, so these shots are a bit crooked, still, and the lighting is not how I like it. But for the sake of documenting. . . .  I decided to take a mile and a half walk to the Oakland Cemetery to see the Black Angel.  Tess picked me up after the walk to do some more sightseeing around town.  The walk, however, was very pleasant.  This is a fraternity or sorority house on the way. . .

Peaking through a layer of ivy and leaves.

 A nice if slightly kitschy house on the way to the cemetery.

 The Black Angel!  The cemetery office was closed, but there was no mistaking her, walking down the path midway in the Oakland cemetery.   On-line mythology varies, but what I could piece together was that a woman named Teresa Feldevert emigrated to the United States from Bohemia, bringing along her son, Eddie Dolezal, who died of meningitis at age 18.  The small tree monument next to the angel is in honor of Eddie.  Teresa remarried Nicholas Feldevert and commissioned a Bohemian artist living in Chicago (Mario Korbel) to fashion a bronze angel for her and her husband's grave.  After her death, the bronze began to oxidize and turned black, causing this eerie appearance.

 Teresa's death date is not inscribed on the monument, for some reason.  Tales told about the angel include that it turned black because Teresa was not faithful to her husband after he died and that Teresa was a witch.  Supposedly, if you touch the statue, especially at midnight in the moonlight, you will die within six months. . .or, if a young woman kisses the statue at midnight in the moonlight, she will die unless she is a virgin.  Apparently, the statue gets a lot of attention on Halloween in this college town, if the internet is to be believed.

Not sure what the inscription reads.  I think the caretakers should make informational flyers for those who make the trek to visit and make them available in a case near the monument.

In between the angel and downtown is the North End, with Bed and Breakfasts, more historic homes, shops and restaurants--and artsy, interesting monuments (see below).

Hannibal: Short Hike, June 26, 2015

 On the way to Iowa City, the rivers and streams were so high from the unseasonable rains we've been getting, that Paul and I had to take a detour off Highway 61 just before Troy.  After returning to 61, we stopped in Hannibal for a few minutes and hiked up to the mini-lighthouse on the Mark Twain Trail. This is how high the Mississippi was. . . .

 It began to rain again as we made our way down.

House that is located midway up the hill.

Viewing "lighthouse" overlooking Hannibal

Beyond the lighthouse is a road where prime real estate overlooking the river is located. I stopped in the rain to take a few photos. We were questioned by a police officer who thought he knew me until I looked up from my phone.   Hannibal is a cute little town with art galleries, B and B's and restaurants. This was a reprisal of a walk Tess and I took in the Fall of 2011.