Albinos, Painted Deer — What’s Next?: Tea/coffee Date July 2021

July 2, 2021June 26, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 33 Comments

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Thanks, Coco and Deborah, I’m sitting here with my hot chocolate (whether it’s cold or hot outside!) and I have a lot of unusual animal sightings to share with you this month.

**Photo credit Lloyd Litt. Albie. Yes, his eyes are pinkish!**

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I we did see the Albino squirrel again. He was hanging out in one of our pine trees grooming himself in a rain storm. Unfortunately Mr. Judy was unable to get good photos this time — although he actually went out in the rain to try!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you Mr. Judy also noticed a deer in our yard. The first time we’d ever seen a young deer in our yard was last year; we figured he’d gotten lost and we never saw him again. This was a doe and her adolescent fawn.

The interesting thing was that the doe had white blotches, kind of like a pain/pinto horse. I’ve never seen a doe that looked like that. They were running through the neighborhood too fast for Mr. Judy to take any photos, alas.

We joked what’s next? Bear? Tigers? Elephants?

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I was very excited when I saw this bird hanging out on top of the kennel. I thought maybe it was a baby hawk. My birder friend informed me it’s a fledgling Robin. Can you believe I’ve never really seen one? And he was big!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you that a long time ago I had wanted to try an Amazon Firestick (we don’t have cable) but never did buy one. We got the light version of it on Amazon Prime Day. It came with several free months of both Disney+ and Hulu. We’re almost set for the Summer now.

We watched Nomadland, which I’d wanted to see. It was slow, and although I adore Frances McDormand, I was actually rather shocked she won the Oscar for that performance. It was still an interesting movie and I’m glad we watched it.

We have started WandaVision (we’re big Marvel fans) — I’d heard so many raves about that show, and I’m enjoying it so far. I also enjoy that the episodes are short!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I still want to get HBOMax so I can see “In The Heights” before it’s gone (7/11, in case you were wondering). My sister didn’t think it was that great, but I still want to see it and I think there are other shows on HBOMax we’d enjoy. My sister and my cousin both recommended Mare of Eastown..

Seen some unusual animals in your neighborhood recently?

Anything to recommend on Disney+ or Hulu?

Have you seen In the Heights? What did you think?

Also linking up with:

Morning Runfessions June 2021

June 25, 2021June 22, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 25 Comments

Three months in and I still have runfessions about my Garmin! I’m also coming clean about those early morning runs and my desperate need for a haircut.

I runfess . . .
On a recent early morning hot run, I saw the mama duck and her ducklings again, which I wrote about in that WRD. What I didn’t share? I stopped to take photos and a short video.

I kept messing up pausing and unpausing my Garmin. That first mile came out to almost an 18 mm pace. I have actually run that slowly — but on steep trails when it was very hot. It doesn’t really matter, but it was a little frustrating and for once not my Garmin’s fault.

Oh yes, and I also did that on a recent hike with Mr. Judy and Bandit.

I runfess . . .
I struggle with whether to walk Bandit before my run or run first when the heat is on. There was even one day I wasn’t running but I didn’t want to skip my first thing in the morning Yoga. Usually running wins, but I have been getting out there earlier and earlier — but sometimes he gets walked first.

I runfess . . .
There is a certain satisfaction to having 10k+ steps before 8 am. That’s the reward for those early morning runs. The downside is I find that as the Summer wears on, those early mornings begin to wear me out. I ran with USAFit for several years, and we definitely got out there pretty darn early as the Summer went on to accommodate our longer & longer runs.

I am not missing those 0’dark thirty long runs

On a recent morning there were pine needles all over the driveway. Which is weird, the pines are a fair distance from the driveway.

I runfess . . .
There was a morning recently when a lot of swearing was going on downstairs. Turns out a hornet had gotten into our office, but thankfully Mr. Judy took care of it. Not long after that I put on my shoes to walk Bandit, took a few steps outside, when suddenly there was a stabbing pain in my toe.

My first thought was there was a hornet in my shoe! I kept feeling that pain! I took my shoe off — it was a single pine needle stabbing into my big toe.

I runfess . . .
When we walk Bandit, I put my hair up into a ponytail and stuff it all under a hat. A while ago as I did this I noticed the hair was falling into my eyes, which was annoying. I would have to sort of shove it back under the hat at my forehead.

It’s a clear sign that I am in desperate need of a haircut, and yet I still haven’t made that appointment. It has nothing to do with COVID; I just haven’t gotten around to it.

The hair also annoys me when I have to move it out of the way when I roll over onto a different side in bed. Yet I enjoy throwing it up in a loose bun and having a long braid. I’m a bit undecided how short I want to go, plus I know when I get it cut she’ll go a little shorter than I want — but seriously, this needs to get done!

Drag yourself out of bed early to run or bounce right out of bed?

Couldn’t wait to get back to normal hair or embracing some change?

What do you have to runfess from June? Come join us

I am also linking up with:

Case of the Mysterious Disappearing Tulips: Tea/coffee Date June 2021

June 4, 2021May 29, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 29 Comments

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Thanks, Coco and Deborah, I’m sitting here with my hot chocolate (whether it’s cold or hot outside!) and ready to share one of my pet peeves.

**The red tulips got moved from the back of the house to this plantings area up front — & now they completely disappeared from there, too. Weird.**

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you on one run a while ago I watched a woman planting a bunch of red tulips. The next week I ran by the same home, and they were all gone — with other bushes planted in their place.

Mr. Judy has suggested she moved them to another planting bed — but why go to all that effort? ETA: it appeared she moved them to the planting bed above, but then they promptly disappeared from there, too.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I do not like invisible fences. They often don’t work (the dog is willing to take the shock to get at what it sees near its lawn) and it doesn’t protect the dog from being attacked by people/other animals.

**These are big & determined dogs (Bernese Mountain Dogs)**

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you one house in our neighborhood put in an invisible fence. I never saw the dogs out in the yard. I have seen the dogs basically eating their actual fence, and I know how expensive fences are!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you that another house in the neighborhood put one in, and their dog was still hit and killed by a car. Now the house across the street from the house where the dog was killed, which doesn’t have a great track record with dogs, is trying one.

They had an elderly (sweet) cocker spaniel who was forever getting out of their fenced yard. Then they had a Border Collie puppy pretty much doing the same, and that dog disappeared and we never found out what happened to it.

There were no dogs for a while and now apparently they have a new (large) puppy, and they’re trying the invisible fence. Another reason I don’t like invisible fences is that the dogs can run right up to your dog while you’re walking, if it takes the shock, which is exactly what happened to me on two walks with Bandit so far.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you we had these sorts of situations plenty of times with both Lola & Chester, and Bandit & Lola. It is not easy when there’s two of them, but much simpler one there’s one. The puppy and Bandit seemed fine, but Bandit is almost 13, and you never know when an older dog’s gonna get annoyed by a dog suddenly running up to it and getting all up in their business, even if they are both polite.

The woman came over and said they were trying to get the dog used to the invisible fence. I couldn’t see if the dog was wearing the shock collar, but it sure didn’t make a difference to this dog. This house is basically on almost any route we take with Bandit.

Ever had an invisible fence?

Ever had a run-in with dogs that have an invisible fence?

Any landscaping antics from neighbors that make you go — whaaaaaat?

Also linking up with:

Travel Edition: Runfessions May 2021

May 28, 2021May 24, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

Do you find it difficult to travel again after a long time with travel? This period was one of the longest time with absolutely no travel in my entire life. Some of it due to the Pandemic, and some of it due to helping out with my Dad in the last few months of his life. It was the perfect storm, unfortunately!

I runfess . . .
I had some trouble tracking down my travel stuff when packing for our trip to Long Island. There was a time I was half living at my parents, and I pretty much had things down to a science. It’s been 2+ years since I had to use various packing cubes, etc. Not to mention reorganizing a lot of my space in that time!

I runfess . . .
I brought running shoes and clothes with me to Long Island. I never felt like running. Plus it warmed up much more than they predicted that last day we were there, and I would have been very warm in the clothes I brought. We did plenty of walking.

#sorrynotsorry

**Warm clothing takes up space! Doesn’t look warm, right? Well, it wasn’t!**

I runfess . . .
You might get a laugh from this: I took my largest, expendable suitcase with me, although I did not have to expand it. Technically it fits in an overhead, but the long way. Mr. Judy couldn’t understand why. He was like: seriously? Yes!

The weather was cold to warming, which required a couple of sweaters. I dragged a pair of boots with me (although these ultimately didn’t go in the suitcase) because, burial (and maybe rain, although thankfully it ended before the burial). Lastly I packed running shoes and clothes — which, of course, I ended up not wearing — hat, sunglasses — you know that stuff is bulky!

Again, #sorrynotsorry. We were driving. Why not bring what I needed? I also brought a travel Yoga mat and Yoga blocks, by the way, which I used every day.

I runfess . . .
Running has been going well lately. I still have no real goals, I don’t really push myself all that much, but for much of the Spring it was a struggle. I really do blame the COVID vaccines! For a while the cooler weather was great for running, but even as it’s warmed up, it’s still been going pretty well.

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I runfess . . .
My Garmin is at it again. In a run last week, when I went to check my steps after my run, my watch told me to turn on tracking to show that activity. I know I did not turn it off, because it was tracking steps just fine before I left the house. After my 3 mile run and a half mile cool down walk it showed me something like 755 steps.

For some mysterious reason my Garmin decided it didn’t need to track my steps from that run and walk. It was the first, and so far last, time this has happened.

Have you had trouble finding things you haven’t used since the Pandemic began?

Do you travel light even if you’re driving?

What do you have to runfess from May? Come join us

I am also linking up with:

Raindrops falling in containers: Tea/coffee Date May 2021

May 7, 2021May 3, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 47 Comments

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Thanks, Coco and Deborah, getting us altogether virtually for a coffee date. Raindrops aren’t falling on my head, they’re falling into glasses around here. Confused? Read on!

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If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you on our last get together I was telling you about all the vaccine appointment hoops I had to jump through. While my reaction to the vaccine wasn’t fun, it was relatively short. Since this time I knew it was coming, I also planned on some rest in the days after. I actually think that did me a lot of good, the aftereffects didn’t seem to linger on quite so long.

**It took all 3 of these to water about 5 plants**

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you about one of my newest projects: rainwater harvesting. Never heard of it? Well, it’s simply collecting rainwater. I made it really simple and just put out containers I already had. It also took almost 24 hours of some pretty heavy rain to fill four of these containers.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I used the rainwater I “harvested” to water my indoor plants — just a few of them (plants, that is). It used up almost all the rainwater I “harvested”.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I also found out that in CO it’s illegal to harvest rainwater. I didn’t know you could legislate something like that!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
We are taking our first “trip” in 2+ years this weekend. Unfortunately it’s to finally bury my Dad (who passed away in January of 2020). My parents’ cemetery is on Long Island, which is a longish drive from here. I finally convinced Mr. Judy to rent an AirBnB.

I figured if we have to go to Long Island, I might as well get to be by the ocean!

Have you ever heard of rainwater harvesting?

Are you gearing up for any trips?

Also linking up with:

More Garmin: Runfessions April 2021

April 30, 2021April 25, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

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While catching up over hot chocolate (yup, still drinking it hot!)

We’ve had lovely Spring weather in April, and several days of snow. Transitions are never easy! Most mornings still find me drinking a healthy hot chocolate, and I’ll add a scoop of collagen if it’s my post run snack, which it often is.

I runfess . . .
I have struggled with getting out earlier for my run longs on those warmer April days, and I paid the price — especially when I chose the wrong running clothes. I dragged myself through, with longer and longer walk breaks, on more than one long run this month.

More time on your feet, right?

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I runfess . . .
My Garmin Vivoactive has been acting a little strange lately. It seems like it’s often updating the software, and the last time it did that, I had already reached my step goal for the day and it dumped like a thousand steps.

I was annoyed. I don’t know why, it doesn’t really matter!

I runfess . . .
Another day I was charging my Garmin. It’s pretty much habit now that every time I make a cup of tea, I pace around while it’s steeping (3 minutes for Green tea, 5 minutes for herbal tea). If you pace around and you’re not wearing your Garmin, does it really count?

I sat down and relaxed.

I runfess . . .
This one kind of makes me laugh every time I see the water bottle sitting in the freezer. You know how I’ve shared that I fill a water bottle halfway in the summer, and then let the water freeze overnight, then top it off with more water — the ice slowly melts and the water stays colder longer.

I have had a water bottle, filled halfway, in my freezer since last Summer. There have been a couple of those warm long runs when I wish I’d used it!

I’d tell you over hot chocolate . . .
My mom does get confused easily. She often says she watched a movie that she’s never seen before, although I know she has — she just doesn’t remember it. She can’t always think of names and has mixed up dates for important appointments occasionally.

She is 93

The date of my second vaccine? She was laser focused on that! That she remembered, because that was important to her.

If it’s not a running day for you, how do you get your steps in?

What have you found in your home recently that made you laugh?

What do you have to runfess from April? Come join us

I am also linking up with:

All the Seasons of Spring: Tea/coffee Date April 2021

April 2, 2021March 24, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 36 Comments

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Thanks, Coco and Deborah, getting us altogether virtually for a coffee date. It may be Spring, with all that applies — swinging back & forth between Spring & Winter — so I’m still drinking hot chocolate. 🙂

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If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you a couple of weeks ago I was having serious vaccine envy. It seemed as though everyone I know — aside from my sister & BIL — is vaccinated. I whined to everyone about it and I apologize! The next week they opened it up to 50+.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you the day I learned that I would be eligible to try to make a vaccine appointment the next day — (3/22) — was also the first day I was able to use the Yoga platform in 2021. I got a little goofy trying to take photos of my wrap after I wrapped that practice. It was a good day! My appointment is 5/29, although I’m hoping to move that closer.

ETA: the day after I made the 5/29 appointment (3/24), I made an appointment for 4/26. It was at a site a bit over an hour from me; the 5/29 appointment was much closer. Then I made one for 4/15 (same place, longer drive). This was all the morning of the 24th. Then Darlene told me there was a more local place that had a lot of appointments for that day (the 24th — are you following all this?).

Yup, I made an appointment for that afternoon and prayed I wouldn’t have a reaction so I could go visit my mom the next day as planned, which also happened to be my Dad’s birthday. My mom is pretty stoic, and rarely mentions those sort of anniversary dates. Still I thought it would help brighten her day to have a visit. I knew it would brighten her day to hear I’d had my first vaccine!

On top of all that, my brother is in the middle of getting his vaccinations, and planning a trip out to see my mom in June. He hasn’t seen her in over a year. Plus I also have to fill out a jury questionnaire by the beginning of April; I don’t know when/if I might be called, but the thought of jury duty was definitely freaking me out. As long as it’s not on the date for my second shot . . .

**This photo was less than a week before the photo above — Spring is nothing if not changeable!**

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I’ve been doing my best to ~~drag~~take Mr. Judy out for hikes. Any day that is even reasonably warm and dry (and by warm I’m including windy, cloudy, and about 50 sometimes). Bandit doesn’t need any prodding.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I have been jonesing for a cookie. I’ve also been busy and not baking. Then I spied a container in the freezer — lo and behold, it was brownies! I’m usually fairly good at mentally keeping track of what’s in there, but I had no clue they were there — and so happy they were!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
We started to watch Upload (Amazon Prime). The first episode was silly, but mildly entertaining, and it’s definitely light fare, but it got better after the first episode. Although I’m beginning to think we should consider an HBO subscription. You’d think Netflix and Amazon Prime would be enough, wouldn’t you?

Does your beverage of choice change with the seasons?

Have you been able to put away Winter running clothes? At least I’ve fairly certain I won’t need the stuff for 20 and below anymore, but I don’t want to jinx it!

What are you watching these days? Always looking for recommendations.

Also linking up with:

Learning my Garmin: Runfessions March 2021

March 26, 2021March 22, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

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I’ve had my Garmin Vivoactive 3 for almost 2 years now? Something like that. I know I was actually able to race with it . . . it’s amazing what I still don’t know about it! But first my car is making its way into my runfessions.

I runfess . . .
My car did not get driven for 6 weeks at the beginning of this year, mainly due to illness. I did go to see my mom in that period, but I take my husband’s younger car for those drives. I did not go to the grocery store at all in that period! I swear I heard it sigh with relief when I finally drove it — not to mention she started right up. I call her Old Faithful for a reason!

I runfess . . .
The first time I did drive my car was to the grocery store. I’d been cooped up so long, that even that seemed like an adventure!

I runfess . . .
Apparently what I really think about on the run (outside) is counting my run intervals (as opposed to what I wrote about here). I often just run when I’m on the treadmill, but am still using run/walk intervals outside. I know that I have approximately 4-5 run intervals per mile — and then I drink a little water.

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I runfess . . .
It took me years, but I finally realized that the vibration my Garmin Vivoactive 3 makes for a run/walk interval is shorter than the vibration it makes for each mile. If I’m paying attention and counting those run/walk intervals, I can usually tell when I’ve hit a mile just by the longer vibration. Which means I don’t have to look at the watch at all.

I runfess . . .
When we went on our hike last week, we crossed a road that crosses a path I used to run at often, although I haven’t run on that portion in a very long time. Winter, Pandemic. I have spent so many miles there.

Since I wasn’t driving, as we crossed the road that bisects the bike path, I looked up for some reason. Obviously I never do when I run, because I was astounded to see the McMansions that are perched on the hill above the path! Who knew?

How long does it take you to figure out your GPS watch?

Have you been surprised by something on a route you run regularly?

What do you have to runfess from March? Come join us

I am also linking up with:

Signs of Spring: Tea/coffee Date March 2021

March 5, 2021March 1, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 42 Comments

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Thanks, Coco and Deborah, getting us altogether virtually for a coffee date. I may have to stop drinking hot chocolate as we move into Spring. Yeah, not happening, bwahaha!

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**The long & winding road up. Yes, this day was 50F!**

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you the first time I stopped at Olana on the way to my mom since being sick, I had to pause to catch my breath multiple times on the very steep uphill back to the car. Normally I can make it without stopping at all.

Last week’s visit there was no stopping, although I did walk up the other side, which I think is less steep. My V02 MAX has continued to rise into a more normal level for me.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I wanted to get the Saucony Peregrine Ice shoes I heard about. But I couldn’t make up my mind. I couldn’t figure out what the right size was, and some reviews said they weren’t really that great on the slippery stuff anyway. Now we’re close enough to Spring, maybe I just have to make up my mind what I want for next year and see if we can get a deal.

**Eagle? Turkey vulture? Just a very large hawk?**

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I spied a really large bird in the trees across the street last week. I often see hawks there in spring/summer/fall but I haven’t seen them recently. This bird seemed much larger. Mr. Judy got this photo but even with his big digital camera it was pretty out of focus. I think it was a young male bald eagle! So that was our excitement last week.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you we are really hoping that things will have settled down enough by the Fall so that we feel safe to travel again. We already have a loose plan for our anniversary in October. By that point in time it will be close to three years since I’ve had an actual vacation; of any length.

It will also have been almost a year and a half since Mr. Judy has seen his mother. She’s significantly younger than my mother, but she’s still no spring chicken!

**I wonder if he’ll stop the snuggling when it’s warmer? Apparently yes, he’s already mostly stopped**

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you Bandit likes Outlander. I will sometimes watch an episode right before making his dinner. He’s taken to laying next to me and snuggling during it. I’m sure he’s just waiting for his dinner, but he lays quietly next to me so it’s all good.

Are your furkids snuggly — or only when they want something, like Bandit?

Do you have special running shoes for Winter?

Are you ready to plan something — anything?

Also linking up with:

We Can Rebuild Her: Runfessions February 2021

February 26, 2021February 26, 2021 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 34 Comments

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I slowly and steadily eased back into running and strength training in February. Some of that strength training was the never ending shoveling. We were actually quite lucky, no monster storms in February, but there was snow often. It seemed as though it always fell on a running day, so I was often shoveling after running.

**Oh the weather outside was frightening! Often.**

I runfess . . .
I am definitely not minding that my runs are short and sweet right now. Or that they can be whatever I want — slow & steady, a little bit of speed work, run/walk. It’s all good.

I runfess . . .
I had one half that was supposed to have been June 2020, and not surprisingly that was canceled. I never signed up for the 2021 race, but it was no big surprise when I heard from Laurie @ MeditationsinMotion that that, too, was canceled; we were hoping to meet up at the race in 2020! I wasn’t planning on running it this year either. If I’m very lucky, by that point I’ll be vaccinated but who knows?

I runfess . . .
I am glad that my Achilles finally seems to be healed. Some days it seems a little tight when I first get up, but I do some SMR (self myofascial release) and it seems fine the rest of the day — whether I’m running or not. Returning to running hasn’t seemed to bother it. Now the hamstring that’s forever cranky . . . still cranky. That’s been on and off a long time, much longer than my Achilles; it’s one of those aches that isn’t bad but just won’t seem to go away. I’ve been working on that, too, though and it does seem better.

I runfess . . .
When I was sick in January and not very hungry, I went through an entire loaf of Trader Joe’s sourdough bread in about a week. By myself. I don’t usually eat a lot of bread. Although I runfess that sourdough loaf I baked has been disappearing pretty quickly too, although after 2 weeks and both of us eating it there’s still a little left.

I runfess . . .
Some people are #runningallthemiles in the Pandemic. Me? I’m taking #allthecourses. Winter is definitely a good time to be learning new things! Because I am definitely looking forward to getting out in Spring and doing some short hikes again. Even though I know it’ll be muddy.

Are you running more or less than usual right now?

Are you old enough to know what TV show I’m referring to in the title of this blog?

What do you have to runfess from February? Come join us

I am also linking up with: