Location: Dodge Park V

Hiked with: myself

Weather: 52 degrees and not a cloud in sight

Duration: 45 min. -didn't track the miles

Altitudes/elevations/conditions: a little muddy

Sightings: bits of green emerging from the brush and children on the playground

Emotions, etc: so filled with energy and happiness to visit the park for the first time since it turned really cold...ready for spring!

Location: the outlying roads of our neighborhood

Hiked with:Gary

Weather: sunny, 49 degrees

Duration: 2.64 miles, 45 minutes

Altitudes/elevations/conditions: some paved roads, some gravel, a few hills (Michigan style)

Sightings: went into our woods to retrieve a soccer ball that has emerged from the snow melt and discovered green plants! 

Emotions, etc: joyful anticipation that spring is around the corner

Location: LaCroix, Haiti (actually took place 3.1.15)

Hiked with: American and Haitian friends

Route/trail: Highway One to several family clusters of homes

Weather: 90's and sunny

Duration: a couple of hours, a couple of miles

Altitudes/elevations/conditions: fairly flat, rugged

Sightings: chickens, motorcycles, goats, taptap's (taxis), many people, laundry being dried on cactus, much trash (no garage removal services in Haiti), and several people calling out "Jenny" or "Darby's Mama" "Bonjou"

Gear/food: water, hat

Emotions, etc: humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude and joy as we went to see artist friend, Jimmy's studio and then were invited to see where a friend Jesamine lives and to meet her extended family. 

Location: Highland Recreation State Park

Hiked with: Gary and Sarah

Route/trail: Past Teeple lake and the small sledding zone

Weather: overcast and 35 degrees

Duration: 2.56 mils in 59 minutes

Altitudes/elevations/conditions: trails covered with snow which wasn't all packed down. This allowed for a better work out than normal.

Sightings: kids sledding

Emotions, etc: Happy to have a Pittsburgh friend along for the journey!

Location: Dauner Martin Nature Association Trails, Fenton, MI

Hiked with: Gary-don't let the pic deceive you, he did put his phone away!

Route/trail: Yellow and part of the blue...the trails were well marked and we should go back to explore during other seasons

Weather: 34 degrees and sunny but we could see the impending snow storm rolling in from the distance

Duration: 1.96 miles, 40 minutes

Altitudes/elevations/conditions: mostly flat but totally snow covered yet easy to navigate because of the cross country skiers that had packed the path

Sightings: deer and a few blades of green grass

Emotions, etc: Looking forward to spring when these walks can be longer yet the woods were so beautiful today and it was great to have Gary's company. Glad we took the time because tomorrow we'll probably be shoveling the snow from that storm that is headed our way!

Location: the neighborhood

Hiked with: myself

Weather: 25 degrees but absolutely glorious because of the sunshine

Duration:  just 30 minutes (doesn't really qualify as a hike)

Altitudes/elevations/conditions: mostly clear paved road with patches of ice

Sightings: the birds are starting to sound different as uf they are beckoning spring

Gear/food: tried out my new extra warm mittens. They work!

Emotions, etc: after several weeks of walking only on the treadmill this was such a treat.

Location: the neighborhood

Hiked with: my dear husband

Route/trail: the main loop plus three circles

Weather: 29 degrees, cloudy

Duration: 32 min., 1.97 miles

Sightings: so many different animal tracks in the snow....I want to learn who they belong to

Emotions, etc: it felt so good to engage in this little walk after the busyness of the holidays, being under the weather and the bitter cold of the last week.