Happy Halloween Witches!

 A compilation of our Halloween pictures over the past 3 years...2013 was Super Heroes, 2014 was Pete the Cat, 2015 was Witches.

The Wicked Witch and her Flying Monkey!

A Quick Hike After Work

Ha! Nothing like an 8 mile hike squeezed in between work and picking the girls up from school.

Completed all of the South Loop: 116 Ravine, Meadow Bypass, Grotto, 5 Fingers of Fun, Eagle Ridge, and Edge of the World (3.5 miles) and then continued over to do the entire North Loop: Bob & Don's, Gary's Thicket, Serengeti, Z-Trail, Goose Neck, Cedar Ridge, Rocky Ridge, M&M, Malibu Trail, and Keebler before heading back to the cars (4.5 miles).

This is my favorite tree at Wildlife. Love, love, love it!

It greets me on my hikes along the North Loop and gives me a high five as I pass it.

On our hike today, I did a little decorating for Halloween...

do you ever feel like you're being watched while you're out hiking or biking?

Let's Go Take A Hike!

Week #37: lost 3.3 for a total of 55.7
It's' been a long month, but finally heading back in the right direction.

Starting Weight: 250.4
Current Weight: 194.7

3.95 mile hike late Saturday afternoon + 4.72 mile hike on Sunday afternoon + 4.5 mile hike on Monday morning = a great fall weekend!

Saturday = hike #1

A beautiful view of Kickapoo Creek from the Malibu Trail on the North Loop

Malibu Trail on the North Loop

M&M...fun as always!

Even the deer thought it was a great weekend for a hike along the Z-Trail!

Beautiful fall view in the woods.

Finished up Bob and Don's in time to enjoy the sun setting through the trees.

Found this baby snapping turtle sitting in the middle of the path on Bob & Don's as I was finishing my hike. It was a little too cold out for him and he wasn't moving at all. Thought maybe I could warm him up a bit in my hands while I finished the last quarter mile of my hike.

Found a place to put him at the edge of the lake.

Sunday = 2nd hike!

A beautiful fall view of Kickapoo Creek from the Malibu Trail.

Monday = Hike #3

Found this little guy sitting in the middle of the trail on Malibu...
decided to move him over so he didn't get squished.

Top of M&M heading toward Double Stuff

Springfield Marathon Weekend

Got up bright and early, well actually it wasn't bright out yet, so just really early on Saturday morning to help out at Mike's Stupid Race (otherwise known as the 3-6-9 Race).

Helped there as long as I could and then Mom and I headed to Springfield to pick up our race packets for Sunday.

Pre-Race Selfies

Walk, jog, repeat...at least I appear to be enjoying myself.

 Post-Race Selfies 

Official Finish Time: 3hrs 16min 53sec

12 minutes and 15 seconds faster than my time for the Quad Cities Marathon 2 weeks ago!