Dehydration Station

My friend Jenny suggested that my friend Pat might need a canning intervention.  I think Pat and I both need help....

Because I Can

And now, a picture of Schazi:

Because I can.

...and a River Runs Through This.

The other day I decided I would finally FIND the Deschutes River Trail, especially since I think I ran a piece of it during the Happy Girls Half Marathon last month.  I dug out an article I had read about it with a map, laced up and drove to Bend.

I started at the same starting point as the half, which brought back great memories (I finished a half marathon, yay!) and started jogging up the trail.  Until I saw this and had to take a picture.

I continued to run, then had to take a picture of this, too.

And this.

Then this.

Then I just gave up running for a while and took more pictures of the beautiful day, Deschutes River, and surrounding awesomeness.

 I DID run down the other side, since I figured I'd already seen the river, until I got to Farewell Bend Park, and realized it was a stone's throw from Riverbend Park.  Literally.  I think I could have picked up a rock, thrown it from here, and hit Riverbend Park.  They should have named Bend Parkville.  Or maybe Parksburgh.

I'm making a list of the other trails I'm determined to find and run.  I <3 Oregon.

A Canal Runs Through It

Remember the last time I ran along the canal to my PowerCut class at the gym and it looked like this?

AND it was cold??

Yesterday it was beautiful, and looked like this:

In the shade of the second tree across the path is a marmot - one of about three that ran around there.

I can't think of a better place to run than next to water, even if it is just a canal.

Just 5 Miles and Jelly

The other day I ran the dry canyon trail in Redmond for the first time.  I'm surprised it took me this long to do it.

 I ran north on the paved trail for 2.5 miles, and tried to snap a picture of three deer walking just the other side of the rock,  but I'm danged if I can see them now.

 Something about this Oregon sunshine feels hotter than the thermometer says it is, so I ran the 2.5 miles back on the dirt trail next to the canyon wall, which was partially shaded.  It also made for an added core workout hopping over rocks and branches.

I came across a few other runners, lots of walkers and a few cyclists, all of whom exchanged greetings and smiles with me.  I really love that town.

On another note, the fair is coming up and so I'm trying to make as many weird things as I can so I can stand out among the competition.  First, I made some spring conserve with some rhubarb a good friend gave me, and it didn't set up.  I was irked, but read back through the recipe and saw where I had screwed up so it wasn't worth a remaking effort.

Then I made a batch of garlic jelly.  Didn't set up.  Again.  I followed those directions to a T, but sometimes these things happen.  I got some advice from the MFP faculty, and tried remaking it per their instructions.  Still didn't set up.  Now I'm irritated, so I made an entire new batch.  No joy.  I'm currently drowning in what I'm calling a garlic glaze, but it should be delish on chicken, shrimp and veggies.....

So while I was waiting for the second batch of garlic jelly to fail, I had already prepared the ingredients for habanero gold jelly.  Feeling like a complete failure, I went ahead anyway and it set up like a champ.  Go figure.

And boy, is it good with cream cheese on a cracker.  I was so inspired by this success (why I don't know, since I was only 1 for 4) I made watermelon jelly at ten o'clock last night.  It set up too, so I guess I'm on a roll!