In a perfect world, this virtual fundraiser that I participated in on Thanksgiving Day 2020 might have been spun into a blog post long before now. But, in this COVID era, where snail mail sometimes takes weeks, even months, to arrive at its destination, my Turkey Trot swag finally landed in my mailbox the tail end of January.
And further, in a perfect world, where one sets out their New Year’s resolutions on Day #1 of the brand-new year, one might assume that by the 42nd day of 2021, at least some of those proclamations may have been broken, or at least tweaked. But all of them? Gee … how did I go so horribly wrong this year? And today, by virtue of this post, I have broken the last New Year’s resolution. You see, I told myself in 2021, I would limit my blog posts to just two per week and maybe, just maybe, I could stay caught up with everyone else’s blogs that way. Sigh.
Well a “blogiversary” is worth breaking that resolution don’t you think? (Say “yes” please.)
In the eight years since that snowy February weekend when I created WALKIN’, WRITIN’, WIT & WHIMSY and entered the blogosphere, I have amassed a total of 1,576 posts and my media file is groaning with photos. That’s pretty incredible since I started out with one-paragraph posts, one-word titles and often no photo.
‘Twas the Season …
Of course you said “Bye Bye Birdie” after dabbing your mouth from enjoying that scrumptious bird that was parked in the middle of the Thanksgiving table several months ago, so admittedly this post lacks the pizazz of any Thanksgiving Day fanfare.
But, since this is a blog about walking, I decided a post memorializing my first 10K event was perfect for my blogiversary date.
For the past 38 years, the Parade Company in Detroit has hosted a walk/run event prior to America’s Thanksgiving Parade. The walkers and runners wend their way through Downtown Detroit, directly preceding the parade. Even though there are corporate sponsors, the event participants’ entry fees help defray the purchase and maintenance of parade paraphernalia like floats, giant balloon characters and costumes.
I always thought it would be fun to participate in the walk/run event, but the race begins at the crack of dawn, in Downtown Detroit and on Thanksgiving Day – who knows what the weather would be like? Plus, the crowds are massive, as people line Woodward Avenue to watch the parade which begins at 9:00 a.m.
But then I heard the radio advertisement for the Turkey Trot. As you might have guessed, this 2020 annual footrace, just like so many other events, was virtual. The walk/run events are known as the Michigan Mashed Potato Mile, the 5K Stuffing Strut and the 10K Turkey Trot. I decided to participate in the 10K event and it was my first 10K – yay me! The walk/run could be taken anytime between November 23rd to November 30th.
While I had my choice of eight days in which to do my virtual walk, I wanted to be a purist and complete the trek on Thanksgiving morning and I wanted to do it at my favorite nature nook, Council Point Park. It was gloomy and gray that morning and it looked like it would rain any minute, so I took an umbrella, but purposely left the camera at home. As it turned out, it never did rain, but it was very overcast.
I was all alone on the walking path for the longest time, but soon I looked up to see four people on the trail. They were all running. As two teenagers zipped past me, I couldn’t help but notice they were wearing elf hats. They waved and called out “good morning – Happy Thanksgiving” and soon were out of sight. I kept at it, walking around the same loop with all the squirrels and birds, then I switched to the other walking loop as I knew I’d deplete my goodies if I stayed on that side any longer.
On the other side of the Park, I saw a guy wearing a Santa cap and white beard. Suddenly something clicked – were these folks participating in the same event as me? Well, your Roving Reporter just had to know, so I walked faster, caught up with “Santa” and asked that very question. He told me it was his wife Amy’s idea for the family to participate and he said Amy was an avid runner and had left him “in the dust” so he took a rest while we chitchatted. Of course, it was a missed moment photo-wise since the camera was at home.
I often walk six miles or more on weekend days and this late in the year, with mild weather in November, plus, since I was walking every day, I got the 6.2 miles easily walked and took a photo of the pedometer reading when I got home.
So, here is my shirt and finishing medal and I decided to make this my blogiversary post since the reason I began this blog was to write about my daily treks, which walking regimen I began Labor Day weekend 2011.
Onward and upward!
I’m adding my blogiversary logo here; it just arrived.
[Parade pics and Turkey Trot hashtag logos are from The Parade Company Facebook page.]
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Congratultions on completing the 10K Turkey Trot, Linda! And Happy Blogging Anniversary! It was great that you found other participants running/walking the same “track” as yours in the park. Looking forward to your next 8 years of blogging about walking. 🙂 🎉 🎈
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Thanks Barbara! I intended this post to be published around the holiday season and to use a few of my own vintage photos interspersed with the Turkey Trot 2020 images. I used to go with my father to downtown Toronto for the Santa Claus parade and to see Santa and the animated window displays. We went several times when we lived in Canada. But … that idea fizzled out when I never got the swag. I wanted to kick myself for not having the camera on hand to take their pictures. I hope to enjoy blogging another 8 years (and hopefully beyond) and reading about your similar types of excursions as well! 🙂
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I really reading this and hearing your voice Linda. Happy anniversary!!!!!
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Thanks for your comment Ellie – yes, 8 years already! I hope you are doing well.
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To answer your question, yes.
I enjoyed reading about the Turkey Trot. That’s amusing that others were out that day participating in the same event.
Happy anniversary of your blog!
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Glad you agree Anne – I thought it was okay to stray too. 🙂 It was amusing to see others with the same idea, especially since I’d never seen them at this venue before and the picture of the group would have been great, though they were running at different parts of the pathway. “Santa” told me he was not running as much as the others since he had been showing his kids how to do a maneuver on the skateboard and messed up and broke a bone in his leg earlier in the year, so he had to walk part of the time to avoid any complications. Eight years already – where did the time go … I did not mention this year that I only had a handful of e-mail subscribers until November 2017.
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I had only a few followers for several years, then there were enough that I always had someone to comment on.
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It was nice when I got WordPress followers and my very first follower commented and I was incredulous asking “how did you find me on here?” Previously I only had Marge and Ann Marie commenting, essentially “on the outside” … I did not get the whole blogosphere concept. A few others followed by e-mail, but rarely if ever commented.
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Happy Anniversary to your blog, Linda! The 10K is my favorite distance for a run/race. It sits comfortably between the party-on-legs 5K’s and the too-serious-too-long marathons and half-marathons. Many years ago I ran a half-marathon. I enjoyed the challenge but decided it was a one-time kind of thing. On the other hand the 10K is comfortable and repeatable, whether a run or a walk, and you don’t have to train for months to complete one. Nice to know you’re already used to the distance with all of your walks.
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Thank you Dave. Around here, the majority of walk/run events are held from Memorial Day through Labor Day and depending on the Winter weather and if Spring still had snow/ice, I may not be able to walk six miles by early Summer. I’ve not walked in one week today due to the ice/snow and brutal cold. I don’t mind the brutal cold, but am concerned with falling as streets still have not been plowed/salted. I wish I had a treadmill to keep up with the walking on an everyday basis in bad weather. One day when the basement is not so cluttered perhaps. I know the training for full and half marathons is rigorous. The one event I would like to do is the annual Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge. It is five miles from start to finish, led by the Governor and there are thousands of walkers each year. It has taken place since 1958, only cancelled last year due to COVID.
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YES!!! And happy Blogiversary!
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Thanks for agreeing Jeanine – we all have to stray from those resolutions sometimes! Eight years has zipped by quickly, though I had just a handful of “outside” followers, just by e-mail the first four years.
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Happy blogiversary! And woot woot! for your walk.
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Thanks Kate – I wish we had that weather now that I had the day of the walk. At least there was no slipping and sliding and brutal cold. This cold is hanging on, along with a little snow every day. It’s getting old very quickly.
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It does get old quickly. We still have all the snow from last weekend and it has snowed twice since with more in the forecast. This is unusual for us.
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Yes, it is all coming at once everywhere it seems; for us they are saying we will have blizzard-like conditions next Tuesday and now even colder air will settle in overnight until next Saturday. I’m no fan of Winter to begin with.
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Keep the bad weather for Tuesday. That’s the day to basement gets moved and the movers have to get around the back of the house. If we get past that, I’ll feel better.
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I agree with you – the basement you don’t worry so much, not that you want snow dragged into the basement either. My parents used to talk about moving into the house in Oakville, Ontario after we moved from the apartment in Toronto. I was two. It was a new sub and they had only gravel roads, to be paved later and grass had not yet been laid. There was clay everywhere outside and it rained the entire day. My mom said clay was brought in everywhere as they pulled the truck up onto what would be the lawn. I hope you have good weather – our Monday into Tuesday is not good, but we’re not close to you.
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Monday is good but maybe not so good on Tuesday.
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Will keep my fingers crossed for you … we have cold and snowy weather tonight through mid-day Tuesday. The nice Winter we HAD enjoyed seems long gone now.
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Happy Blogiversary and yes, this occasion calls an extra post!
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Thank you for agreeing Sabine – whew, I feel better already!
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😅
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I don’t think there is any harm in an extra blog post for special occasions. Congrats on the 10k and you anniversary! 🎈
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Thanks Ruth – I am glad so many people agree and now, instead of a Monday post, there will a Valentine’s Day post on Sunday, which I’ll have to get done on Saturday. So I took liberties with my resolution this week!
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My word of the week did not go up ’til Tuesday this week – I intentionally did not commit to a specific day for posting it as I did not think I could/would be that disciplined. If people were paying to read it would be different. For now the flexibility is good.
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I agree with you Ruth. I was trying for just Mondays and Wednesdays for Wordless Wednesday, but will stray from that schedule for holidays like this Sunday for Valentine’s Day. It is good to be flexible, that’s for sure.
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SUPER HAPPY Blogiversary, Linda! 👍🧡🥤🎈🎆✨🎇🍹
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Thanks for the well wishes Martha – I hope there will be many more years of blogging!
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YEAH…me too! 😁💚👍
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The turkey trot was so interesting to read about – happy blogiversary!!
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Glad you enjoyed it Coffeeandcream and thanks for the well wishes … I hope for many more years of blogging down the road.
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Happy 8th! Looking forward to seeing your world for many more anniversaries.
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Thanks Margy – From this fellow Canadian, I hope to never disappoint you about SE Michigan, where I’ve lived almost 55 years. While I enjoy your moose escapades, you will enjoy my squirrel antics for many more years to come.
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Miss Linda……………………congratulations on both your 8th blogiversary…………………….and on your Turkey Trot!…………………………I used to participate in those Turkey Trots a while back(in the 80’s) just before the parade started…………………………..it was fun………………………
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Thank you Ann Marie! I should have known you would have sneaked in a Turkey Trot walk before you started working at the Soup Kitchen every Thanksgiving Day/
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Happy Anniversary Linda! I see you have 825 followers now…..great job!
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Thanks Joni – that number surprised me as well!
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Hasn’t it doubled in the past year?
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I think it has Joni – I know I had written it down at one time. I notice though, to be quite honest, when I want to show someone an earlier post, I see people who commented on that post, and they are long gone … what happened to them? Have they stopped having their own blogs? Did they just unfollow me? They never comment anymore. One day I’m going to go thru the list of followers and see if they are still on board as that tells me they just stopped blogging altogether. Do you have that happen with your followers as well Joni?
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Yes…..some of my early followers no longer comment or blog, but some have courageously stayed with me and my long posts! I went through MY list of who I follow the other day and deleted some who haven’t blogged in six months etc. I figure after all that time they’re not likely to return. Many people have the idea they want to blog, and then don’t realize how much effort/work it takes to maintain. There were a few I kept that I know just post occasionally and that’s okay. I follow about 40 sites. I’ve been stagnant around 325 followers for awhile now, as many of my new followers aren’t legitimate followers, but marketing/business people or their sites look spammy, so I delete them. You know when you scroll down and there are posting the same garbage every few hours.
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Ha ha – I just looked and I follow 73 sites, but just scrolling down quickly and many have not posted in 3, 4 or more months, just like some of yours. I agree – people don’t realize how much efforts it takes to maintain. I have quite a few bloggers who commented every post and just dropped off the map, so wondering if they are just gone from my site or all sites. I finally got a walk in today, even though it snowed last night and was snowing while walking but I made it to the Park and added that fact to tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day post. I came home and shoveled the 1 1/2 inches of snow, but it snowed after that and you can’t see the cement. So I may try a walk again tomorrow as I can shovel when I return, which I can’t do if I walk during the week – we have some snow Sunday night into Monday and a bigger snowfall on Monday into Tuesday. The week is pretty much a write-off.
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I walked today too….in a fine snow…..but only for 20 minutes…..then spent 20 minutes talking to a neighbour I ran into. I’ve been wearing a mask lately when I walk, as it’s warmer and there’s often someone I run into. Yes, this week will be a right off.
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You’re right – the snow was fine and I did not come home with a soaking wet coat like I have in the past when a squall blows up. Today was even better – the sun was out. I waited until later to go on my walk to take advantage of the sun to take a few pictures. It’s a shame we’re getting this brutal cold and the 3-6 inches of snow. I have had to remove my mask and put it under my chin – stupid I know, but the glasses I usually wear outside are fairly sturdy, but I was applying FogAway on them about a month ago. This product you have to wash your glasses first, then take the product and work it over the entire lens on either side. The right lens fell out. Not just because the screw was loose … nope, it looks like it was just glued in as they likely didn’t cut it the right size. Not happy about it and don’t want to go in this COVID crisis. So I am in a lightweight pair of frames from two years ago, non-polarized. I don’t want to wear the ones I wear all day as they are very lightweight and I have a hat on and had the mask. I try to steer away from anyone in the neighborhood or at the Park, as I have to pull the mask up and it fogs up my glasses immediately in this very cold weather. Other than that, I have no issues with wearing a mask and intend to keep wearing one even after the vaccine. Not looking forward to this weather event.
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I have that problem too, if I’m wearing sunglasses, so usually end up pulling the mask down and then putting it back up if I run into someone. Today I forgot my sunglasses, and was trying to take pics of the kids tobogganing, but it was just point and hope for the best, as the snow was dazzling. The Optician store I use here is appointment only, but one of the other optical stores closed due to COVID as both the owner and his assistant had it! They say they are disinfecting every pair of frames someone tries on but I cancelled my optometrist appointment until later as I need new glasses. Last summer one of mom’s lens popped out, and I had to go to an outdoor tent set up behind the store, leave the glasses in a bin and tell them the problem, and then they took it inside and fixed it and brought the bin back out and set it on the table, all socially distanced so that was okay if it’s a minor fix.
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When I went to the eye doctor last year, they recommended I get these glasses I wear outside updated on the prescription as I had gotten new indoor glasses in 2019. They were older and needed updating. This eye doctor took over the practice of another long-standing opthalmologist and optometrist and they don’t do any optical work except measure you for glasses – they have it done off-site, so that is a problem for me now. I am sure they’d send it to this place, but I am sure they cut the lenses too small and that’s why they fell out as there were spots of an opaque residue on the top and bottom of the rim of the lenses.
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What!!!! 1,576 posts and 8 years that’s incredible! Congratulations and keep it up Linda!
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Thanks Diane – no wonder I get nothing much else done besides writing blog posts and taking photos for those posts! 🙂 I will go back to two posts a week for awhile. I am so behind in Reader these days. I’ll make exceptions for holidays though, like Valentine’s Day when I’ll be back with another post about my furry friends. (Luckily I did the photos two weeks ago before the weather got so bad.)
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Congratulations on so many levels, blogging, walking, writing, wit, and of course whimsy. Your title fits you perfectly. You lighten the day to so many people who read your words. Your love of nature and sharing what you see through your camera is a true blessing for all of us. I love the phrase, Snail Mail also. 🙂 Have a great weekend coming up Linda
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Thank you Sandra for your nice compliments. I’ve fallen behind in walking and Park visits due to this horrible Winter weather. I am glad I have the “whimsy” part in the title as that allows me to have the occasional fun posts, like the holiday squirrels or the seagull shenanigans … you are right that we need to have a reason to smile sometimes. I like that phrase snail mail too. The mail is horribly slow sometimes. You enjoy your weekend as well. It will be a snowy and brutally cold weekend over much of the U.S. for many of us.
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You’ve written a lot of posts and took a lot of steps. Congratulations on both accomplishments. It’s amazing what you’ve accomplished so bask in the glory!
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Thanks Ally for the congratulations. I amaze myself sometimes, while thinking “who knew I had so much to say?” The walking regimen has come to a grinding halt and will likely take a hit this week as well. I feel very badly about that for myself and my Park pals, but it has been dangerously icy and brutally cold and this no time to end up in a doctor’s office or E.R. from taking a spill on the ice.
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Happy 8-year blogiversary, Linda! You’re allowed to break a few resolutions on such a momentous occasion. Why did I think your Turkey Trot was a 5K? You did a 10K!?!? Congratulations! I love your swag. Nice race shirt and medal.
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Thanks Laurie! I thought I had to have an exception occasionally. I will do another post for Valentine’s Day, so making another exception … haven’t written it yet, but have some fun Valentine’s Day photos to use. I probably never mentioned it was a 10K – that’s why, so it’s logical you’d assume it was a 5K. When I registered I thought to myself “I can do this 10K because it won’t be sickening hot and if it snows, I’ll do it in the park two blocks from my house … no path, but I can walk on the snowy grass. So I did the 10K. The shirt is long sleeved and the medal is very heavy!
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Eight years eh………good for you Linda! When did you start your walking regime? How many klicks have you walked? Excellent that you keep yourself active! It will serve you well as you age.
I find in funny that they use metric to describe how far the run is when America is still Imperial.
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Thanks Wayne … for almost the first four years, I only had a handful of e-mail subscribers … Marge and Ann Marie who commented regularly, a few others who rarely commented. I think you know Keith (Uncle Tree) was my first follower. I started my walking regimen on Labor Day 2011. I agree with you – the walking is good for me. I miss it very much now as I’ve not walked since February 4th. We have snow almost every hour overnight … sigh. That is funny isn’t it? I wonder why they do that … maybe saying a 5K or 10K race sounds better?
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same here,I had hardly anyone but must admit that I didn’t go soliciting either!
America is the only country I know about that sticks to the old Imperial system!
Having said that all of the industry uses metric!
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After Keith in November 2017, there were some new followers … it was like a floodgate and I followed back everyone who followed me. I don’t know why Americans stick to the Imperial system only. My father bought tools for work (tool-and-diemaker) and used some he brought over from Germany and had to convert the measurements to American measurements. That was then – probably easier ways to do it nowadays.
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America will be left in the shadows.
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That’s for sure.
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happy blog anniversary and good idea to share the parade and medal as it connected to the start of your blog
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also – it reminds me of a turkey trot we did (and i actually think it was 2012) and my younger son did the half mile kids fun run before we all did the adult 5k
and he did not realize what was going on – it was super early and we got our shirts so fast and walked over and they called his age group and we sent him over and he was like “what?” it worked out fine and he liked it okay
but it was way too cold to be running yet we all did just fine and finished
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I was hoping the swag would arrive during the holidays Yvette as I was going to write about going to Toronto to see the Santa Claus Parade when I was younger, but, it was too late to go that route, so this was the next best thing I thought. I was bummed I didn’t take the camera that day, That is a funny story and in late November in Michigan and running in the dark would not appeal to me, so I figured this was the one and only time to participate in this event.
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well it sounds like you made a great choice
🙂
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Congratulations on your blog anniversary and your 10k! ☺️
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Thank you Clare – I will have to do a special blog post this September at Labor Day as it will be 10 years since I began the walking regimen.
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Congratulations, Linda – well deserved and well earned prizes!
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Thanks Shelley – my first and probably my last 10K walk as most of the 10Ks around here are in the heat of the Summer and the 10Ks are more a race for runners. I have signed up for my first 5K walk of the year and that was maybe a month ago. It is for Fish & Loaves food pantry and will be held in May and is virtual like last year.
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I think I’ve done one 10k too. We like the 5k or 5 mile walks the best. We’re waiting for the in-person walks to resume. Depending upon which news you listen to, this whole mess will be over by this April or April 2023. 😉
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Yes,there are new predictions for “the end” every day – I personally don’t think much in-person big gatherings will happen this year, unless the majority of people get the vaccine, but I could be wrong.
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Happy Blogging Anniversary Linda. I have loved reading about your many journeys ❤❤
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Thank you for saying that Zena and for the well wishes. I am glad you enjoy reading about my journeys – I have curtailed them now due to the bad Winter weather and also COVID, but when the weather improves, I hope to get out and about more. I have quite a few pictures I took last Fall to make into blog posts, so I won’t run out of blog posts just yet. 🙂
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