Friday Picture Wrap-Up

It's another Friday Picture Wrap-Up. This week's wrap-up is dedicated to believing in signs. Sometimes the message is obvious: "I love what you've done with your hair!" And sometimes you really have to look for the true meaning: "Ginger Hot Tea" must be tea for good-looking redheads, duh! There are compliments and nice messages everywhere if you look for them.

 Thanks

 Hot Ginger

The Robbin Birds?

In running news, the Kyoto Marathon is only 50 days away. I haven't been able to really train as much as I'd like to because I've been sick the past couple of weeks. But this weekend I will get a slow 15-miler in and see how it feels. All signs point toward me being able to do it.

Friday Picture Wrap-Up

Hey, it's Friday Picture Wrap-Up!*

Today is a very special day, not just because it's Friday and everybody's working for the weekend, but also because it's my brother's birthday and I'm really glad he was born. Happy Birthday Bro!

During the holidays I did some running in Irmo, SC, where my mom lives. Here are some things that I saw.

 

This last picture is a running store that I visited in Columbia, SC. (It was windy and I'm trying to keep my dress from blowing up.) Lots of people were coming in to register for a 5k race which was happening the coming weekend, and this made me feel really happy. Go runners!


I had this conversation with the store clerk as I picked up a pair of Brooks Adrenaline to inspect:

Me: Are these the 13s?
Running store dude: yup
Me: How are they different from the 12s?
Running store dude: They aren't that different.

BOOM! Look at me dropping some shoe knowledge on this guy! I bet he didn't see that coming!

I'm nursing myself back to health this week after getting some kind of flu or whatever it is when you cough a bunch and hurt all over and feel sorry for yourself. But this weekend I really need to get a 15 mile run in, even if I have to crawl. I only have 9 weeks left to prepare for Kyoto so every weekend counts. Maybe running while sick is good mental preparation for the last 6 miles of a marathon?

*Not actually a weekly event.

Friday Picture Wrap-Up

If you live in Brooklyn then you're familiar with the habit of people leaving their unwanted books out on the sidewalk. This past summer I started to take pictures of these orphaned books whenever I passed them. The piles almost always make sense somehow. I can imagine what kind of person has left each particular pile. Or at least this is what I like to do.

This Friday Picture Wrap-Up is dedicated to imagination, and what imagination says about you.

Friday Picture Wrap-Up

This Friday Picture Wrap-Up is dedicated to sometimes-just-wanting-to-look-at-something-pretty. It comes with a very special soundtrack, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Matt Sweeny singing "Only Someone Running". One of my favorites. "Through your eyes I swallow Flowers."

TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN

TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN

TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN

FISH EAGLE LODGE, LAKE MALAWI

FISH EAGLE LODGE, LAKE MALAWI

FISH EAGLE LODGE, LAKE MALAWI

THE HIGH LINE, NYC

THE HIGH LINE, NYC

THE HIGH LINE, NYC

Friday Picture Wrap-Up: The Nerdy Birder

Not much running news lately. I really need to be getting ready for the Brooklyn Half Marathon that will be taking place in a couple of weeks, but I've been easing back into running after taking a little physical and mental break from it.

In the meantime, I would rather talk about birds!

I love birds (who doesn't?), and I became quite the nerdy birder in Zambia. Don't be surprised if I take off to Vermont for long weekends of birding with my camouflage and binocs. I just might do it! Here are a few of the birds I saw on my trip.

Soooo....this Friday Picture Wrap-Up has gone straight to the birds. I hope you enjoy. You should be able to click on the first image and then scroll through the enlarged photos like a slideshow.

WOODLAND KINGFISHER

YELLOWBILLED STORK

FRANCOLIN (oh, oh, oh, how I love this adorable and funny bird)

A STARLING (I'm not sure which one)

 WHITE BROWED COUCAL

A ROBBIN BIRD

AN OXPECKER HITCH-HIKING ON A SWEET IMPALA

GREY CROWNED CRANES

HAMMERKOP

GREY HERON (top) AND EGRET (bottom)

GREY HEADED KINGFISHER

NIGHTJAR (spoooky)

GUINEAFOWL

GREY HORNBILL

GREY GO-AWAY BIRD (this bird sounds like it is actually saying "go away!")

LILAC BREASTED ROLLER

 LITTLE BEE-EATERS

OPEN BILLED STORKS

EGYPTIAN GEESE

MARTIAL EAGLE (I was told this is "most powerful eagle." It can kill baby impala.)

Friday Picture Wrap-Up

All the recent pictures I have are from vacation. So, this Friday Picture Wrap-Up comes with a very special soundtrack and is dedicated to that lucky old sun. 

 The Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Africa

 Floating on the Zambezi river

 An evening snack: Grass!

Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi Part II