Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to fellow Canadians and anyone else celebrating today. Before I head to the airport to drop off SHU and Kae (*sob* — their visit was waaaaaaay too short), it’s time to talk walking!
It’s hard to believe I have almost two weeks of walking under my proverbial belt! Today’s recap covers our collective adventures from Wednesday, October 1 to Tuesday, October 7.
First up, my walks:
DAY ONE | 5.0 km
I started the month with a cool, windy stroll along a local waterway. John and I walked together and we didn’t pass a single person coming or going which was lovely!
We actually started the walk at our local library, where I picked up my latest holds. Woot, woot! I’m excited for Patti Callahan Henry’s newest novel after loving The Secret Life of Flora Lea. [Update: I found it underwhelming…full review to follow in my October book reviews.]
In one direction there was nothing but blue sky and fluffy clouds.
In the other direction, there were hints of blue with a side order of ominous! Thankfully the rain held off until after our walk.
I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the sky. (This is straight from my camera — zero edits or adjustments…the sky was SO blue!)
And we also made a new friend along the way. Meet Charlie (we christen each and every caterpillar we meet Charlie and have for almost two decades). He’s a very Cool Walker (slitherer?).
DAY TWO | 3.7 km + 4.0 km
I started the day with an early morning walk-and-talk with Lisa! The weather was crisp and beautiful; before I knew it, we’d walked almost 4 km “”together”.
Before Indy’s cross country, John and I ran a few errands and went for a trail walk.
You’ll never guess who we bumped into…CHARLIE! What are the odds. He was on a busy bike trail, so I helped him get to the other side safely.
DAY THREE | 5.0 km + 5.53 km
I started the day with a morning walk with Joy. My knee has been causing all sorts of grief (I think I might have a small meniscus tear) and earlier in the day I banged into a door with that same knee. She was happy to keep things fairly flat and level to accommodate my injuries.
What a privilege and blessing to have a friend in whom I can confide. We talk about all the things — hard and heavy, easy and light.
And then later in the day I walked a similar route with John.
We happened upon a maple leaf! It’s practically screaming Canadian fall!
DAY FOUR | 3.67 km
I had plans for a long, leisurely woods hike. But…
We have one child that is very wary of dogs and within a few minutes, we encountered a VERY large dog off-leash who was jumping up onto a child (thankfully the non-wary one). We kept walking and then heard loud barking in the distance and that was the end of that hike! It was beautiful while it lasted.
En route home, we stopped for a quick loop around another small trail (which specifies dogs must be on leash).
For a short set of walks, I took a lot of pictures!!
DAY FIVE | 5.30 km
An evening walk along the waterfront with John, capped off with a stop at the grocery store. I feel like we practically live at grocery stores lately.
DAY SIX | 2.13 km
I fit in a quick walk before picking Indy up from an after-school activity.
I wore a dress because it was 30C!!! Wowzers. Everything was dry and crispy after weeks (months) with little rain. But I spotted a beautiful rose still in bloom.
I made sure to plan my route to maximize time in the shade.
DAY SEVEN | 6.52 km
Joy and I walked a local route together in the beautiful sunshine. The weather was perfect — warm and sunny, but not oppressively hot. And the fall foliage continues to wow me.
WALKING ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD!
I’ve tried my best to get all the photos and details correct, but apologies if I’ve missed including something sent my way or have muddled up locations and other information.
- ccr is walking in Florida! There are palm trees! I definitely don’t come across any of those in my daily walks.
- SHU is also walking in Florida. Three cheers for more palm trees!
- Kae and Charlie have a lovely neighbourhood where they can walk in Wisconsin.
- Caroline is walking in Albuquerque! She writes: Here’s a view of the Sandia Mountains this morning…and what I like to call the “reverse sunrise” over the city. (The mountain casts a shadow over Albuquerque, and for a while there is more sun in the west than the east.)
- Joyce got out for a walk with a cold drink and her beloved pup, Freya!
- Sandra went for a seaside walk with her dog, Charlie, in Long Beach, California. The second photo is from an after-work walk. Different coast, more palm trees!
Jacquie has been walking in British Columbia…and JAPAN!
My daughter and I picked apples at Taves Farm. It was a beautiful, sunny day and I was so happy that gala apples were in season as they are my favorites.
I am currently in Tokyo and have walked way more here than at home! It has been unusually warm for this time of year and very humid, so I’ve enjoyed early morning and later evening walks.
- Tokyo Tower
- Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa district. We are right across the street from this place and are fortunate to see it without the huge crowds.
- 2D Cafe in Shinjuku. This was such a fun place to visit and the cake was delicious. I had to include a dessert photo for you!
The tree is in my neighbour’s yard and it’s the first thing I see whenever I leave the house. I call it the tree of life because I see the changing of the seasons through this tree. In less than 2 months it will be bare and a few more months after that new green leaves will appear announcing spring is in the air. I love this tree!
- Bijoux spotted all sorts of Halloween and otherwise fall-themed decorations on her walks in Ohio.
- Diane is walking in Maryland! She wrote all about her first week of walks (and dancing, skating, and yoga).
- Melissa has been walking (hiking and running!) in Australia; all the details of her first week of CBWC are here…
- Allison is walking a lot for work (she’s a school librarian) in Ontario, and melting along with me in an unseasonably hot Canadian October.
- Of course Engie is walking in Wisconsin and people (and pets) are along for the ride. She walked with a colleague. Her husband. Her sister-in-law. And, OF COURSE, Hannah.
- Gigi snapped a picture while the sun was rising in North Carolina: “I’ll try to remember to take more; but I usually get so immersed in whatever book I’m listening to, I just barely remember to put one foot in front of the other!”
Catrina has been out and about hiking (and running) in Switzerland!
- Nicole is walking in…MOROCCO!!! Sadly, Rex wasn’t able to join her for this particular adventure, but she’s still getting her daily steps in. Pictured is Nicole in Rabat and walking to the mosque in Casablanca.
- Will Walk For Books walks 10 km daily! She writes: “The sky changed moment by moment.”
- Julie is walking in California, and blogged about her first week of walks here.
- Jana is also walking in California. The first photo is the “lid of a supposedly bear-proof garbage can, the latest effort to thwart bears in town.” And the second is the water treatment plant in her neighbourhood: “I painted it several years ago without asking for permission. . . just marched down there with my paints (okay, they are heavy so I drove) and acted as if it was a real paying commission. I’ve refreshed it a couple of times since, and although it hasn’t brought me any more jobs, it is a visible reminder of my skills and people are pleased about it.”
Susanne is walking in Ireland as the weather allows (there was a big storm early on in the month). Her photos are always beautiful.
- Suzanne is walking with friends and family!
- Sarah is RUNNING in Wisconsin. Since she’s up before dawn, safety is priority number 1!
- Lisa lives close to a beautiful lake in Minnesota which provides a perfect backdrop for fall walks.
Jenny sent me an awesome rundown of her first week of walks in West Virginia!
- Wednesday 10/1 – I took a short 1 mile walk in my neighborhood. A couple streets over I found someone had had been playing hopscotch, so I took a picture (Photo1) but decided against trying it out. Thought I might look pretty silly.
- Thursday 10/2 – Didn’t get a walk in. I was going out of town for the weekend and drove two hours after work. I thought maybe I could get in a quick walk up and down the (rather long) driveway a few times, but it was dark when I arrived at my destination.
- Friday 10/3 – Not a walk, but a march! I played in the high school alumni band (hence the trip out of town back to where I grew up). The alumni marched with the band from the school down to the field and a little bit during the pre-game show on the field. The sunsets from the field are always beautiful. (Photo 2)
- Saturday 10/4 – Spent 10 minutes walking around the house /yard. I had evening plans so I didn’t want to get too sweaty. Hoped to see some interesting wildlife or livestock to photograph, but no luck.
- Sunday 10/5 – Drove home. Started right in on the household chores and forgot about taking a walk until after I had started the dishwasher – I don’t like to leave the house with appliances running, so I didn’t.
- Monday 10/6 – Spent 45 minutes walking in circles in my yard, a.k.a. I push mowed the lawn. I took a selfie in my big floppy keeps-the-sun-off-my-face hat. (Photo 3).
- Tuesday 10/7 – It poured rain all day. I decided long ago that outdoor workouts only happen if it is daylight, dry, and a minimum of 50 degrees.
- Laura is walking in New York. The first two pictures are from the college campus where she teaches, the next is a beautiful view from a hike in the Adirondacks, and then there’s a glimpse of the supermoon she and her dog, Koda, witnessed on their early morning walk.
- Maria is walking in New Brunswick. She writes: I’ve managed at least one walk of at least ten minutes every day so far in October, usually with the kids in tow. We had two gorgeous hikes at Fundy NP this weekend as well. The foliage is fantastic!
- Birchie and Doggo are walking in Ohio; this picture is from their neighbourhood park.
- Sabine is enjoying fall weather while walking (and biking) in the Netherlands.
- mbmom11 spotted roses on one of her walks “defiant in the autumn sun, not ready to yield.”
- Joy is enjoying the fall foliage in Nova Scotia.
- Lisa has managed to walk all but one day so far in the CBWC!
- Kyria keeps things fun with the fauna and flora photos!
- Elinoora had a lovely collection of photos to send my way from the Netherlands including dramatically different cycling conditions for going to work (“clear sky” and “pea soup”). She also got to enjoy “hanging out and dancing with sewing friends at Frocktails NL. Clocked in at over 20000 steps!”
- Hooray! It’s bonus pictures of Nicole in Morocco!!
Jenny sent me a picture of her habit tracker. First, I cannot get over her creativity. Second, you know how I feel about fall, so I had only heart eyes for the decor. Here’s what she said:
I’ve tried to find a local, in person walking group to join with no luck. But I press on…I try to walk first thing, when I first get out of bed & I walk down a country gravel road….hopefully to watch the sunrise.
Jenny doesn’t have a blog but does have Instagram: @jennylovescharlie. Feel free to connect with her! And I’m sure I join others in wishing her many beautiful sunrises this month.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to all the four-legged friends joining the walking club. Going each line, left to right:
- Doggo (Birchie)
- Charlie (California; Sandra)
- Hannah (Engie)
- Charlie (Wisconsin; Kae)
- Freya (Joyce)
- Koda (Laura)
- Leo (Suzanne)
And that’s a wrap on Week #1 of the Cool Bloggers Walking Club. Thanks to everyone for joining. It is so fun to open my e-mail and see pictures from various people and places. Keep them coming and happy walking.
Your turn.
- What was your favourite walk this week?
- What’s the most unusual thing you spotted while exercising?
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Nice recap! Your autumn foliage is fantastic!! During the week 1-7th of October, my Monday walk was probably my favourite, it was after the storm and we had nice, calm enough and mild weather. I took out my old camera with the macro lens to play with but it was still too windy for closeups. Still a nice walk! Now when I know your posting schedule I’ll send photos on Tuesday from the full week.
I can’t wait to see the next round of pictures <3
What a brilliant roundup, Elisabeth! Thanks for pulling all those photos together. They’re stunning, and I love that even Nicole managed to send some all the way from Morocco. I love the many Charlies we have here, caterpillars and dogs!
Speaking of dogs, I totally get the wary child. I’ve had my own “uh-oh” moments with dogs while running, so I’m right there with them. No shame in cutting the hike short!
Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving (and managed a nap somewhere between walks)! 🍁
I think it was my husband that started calling every caterpillar Charlie and the name stuck 🙂
What a cool variety of walks! I envy the fall colors others have.
I’ll have to up my walking game to match the beautiful sites seen here. It’s been hard to get out, but I am trying.
Sometimes it really can feel like a Herculean effort to get out the door, but I usually feel better having done so. Keep up the great work.
I am so fortunate to have such beautiful leaves this time of year. It really is a lovely site. But then comes winter…and that is not nearly as fun 🙁
Oh no! An off leash dog is terrifying for those of us who are not comfortable around dogs, like myself. 🙁 I get super anxious and cross the road if possible. There is a reason it’s a rule/law to have your dog on leash.
I’ve been loving participating and have walked more this month than I probably have ever? Or since I had babies and was on mat leave (I went on so many walks during mat leave). This week I went on 4 different walks with friends, mostly current or former coworkers, and I had a walk and talk with SHU. And for most of those walks I had a Starbucks beverage to enjoy on the walk.
You and my dog-ward child would get along FABULOUSLY.
You don’t know how happy this makes me, Lisa. Gold stars for all the walks.
Yes, thank you for this amazing post. I enjoyed it so much 🙂 I can’t even imagine how long it took to pull all this together.
Thanks, Luann.
The first week is always pretty heavy lifting, but then I get into the groove and things go more seamlessly.
It is a lot of “work” but I really enjoy bringing people together in this way and find it genuinely thrilling to see all the photos people are taking.
You have a lot of walkers!!! I’ve been walking/running ALMOST every day and I’m sorry I didn’t send a photo- but my photos are terrible, very dark and gloomy. Anyway I see you have two other Jenny’s! I love all the different locations and four legged walkers : )
I know you are joining in spirit, even if there isn’t photographic proof on my blog at this point 😉
I love everyone’s beautiful photos! All the nature shots and the scenic overlooks, wow!
I usually walk in in either a local park/playground, around my neighborhood, or in a new nearby neighborhood that us still under constructions. I could go walk on a nearby rail trail, but last spring I was considering buying a bike to ride on the trail when I read on Facebook that a bear had been spotted near the trail. I decided staying home was the safe, healthy choice! lol
I don’t blame you. Bears and walks DO NOT MIX. Stay safe!!!
So fun to see all the sights of other Cool Walkers around the world! I am most envious of Sandra’s beach views. We had chilly weather last week, so I really only walked my neighborhood again. When the leaves start to change, I’ll take some photos.
I wish I had easy access to the beach, too, but I have to say Nova Scotia has some pretty incredible views (especially this time of year with all the fall foliage).
Enjoy the transition into fall colour schemes in your part of the world.
Before I jump in and gush about the joy of walking, I’m going to take a minute to vent about irresponsible dog owners. Part of dog ownership is keeping your dog on a leash in public places and steering it away from problematic situations. Period end of sentence. Grumph.
The weather has been pitch perfect here, and Doggo and I have been taking advantage. There is a short hiking trail near where I live where I like to take her, and one day a few months ago I decided to walk it in the opposite direction than I normally go. What a difference! There’s a waterfall and a stream that I had never noticed before simply because it’s hard to see from the other direction. Doggo loves water, so we always take a minute for her to splash around.
I am with your on the Grumph.
Yay for good weather and that waterfall sounds like a little bit of walking magic (for Doggo at least!)
I LOVE these CBWC wrap-ups! Every photo is so much fun to see. I love all the scenery, as well as the people, and the well-behaved dogs on leashes!
Ha! Yes, all the leashes are a wonderful sight to behold.
So cool to see everybody joining in! Knowing that we’re in the CBWC really helps me go outside or get some kind of movement in. I forgot to print the tracker… But my smartwatch is also keeping track, hah.
This makes me so happy!!!
I like having a paper tracker because I’m so visual, but just using your smartwatch is more environmentally conscious!
And here is my reminder to pull out my phone and take some pictures during my walks!!
No pressure, Gigi! I love the pictures, but it also warms my heart that you’re enjoying audio entertainment on your morning walks.
I love this so much! 😀
And yessssss. I have long said there’s just something about *October blue* that is different from all the other months of the year. It’s a blue that makes my heart sing though.
There really is no other time of year where the sky looks this perfect!
What a lovely round up! It’s great to see so many people out walking in so many different places.
Not least of all you…in JAPAN!
Thank you for this collection of photos. I so enjoyed all of them. I must admit I have fallen off the walking wagon, being out of town last weekend, and needing to catch up on all things this weekend. I vow to get myself right back up there and send you a picture. 🙂
This post is so fun! Thanks for all the work you do organizing this. It’s SO much effort. Seems like way more participants than last time too!
It’s a busy year and I love it! It’s so fun to hear about people walking in various places around the world and to get a glimpse into everyone’s typical walking routes/adventures.
Charlie – so cute and fuzzy. I’m blown away at the blue of the sky in the photo you took. Gorgeous. I’m walking and running most days, but on days when I have 5 tots I’m stuck because my stroller only holds 4. If I get out of bed early enough I can run before they arrive, but I’ve been sleeping until drop off lately and I think I need the sleep. The walks and the walkers and the photos are stunning. So cool to see where everyone is and what they see when they are out walking. Thanks for organizing.
I love all the diversity of scenes!
I’m very impressed you fit so much exercise into your busy schedule. Some days I can barely muster a short walk! You put me to shame.
I looooove the foliage around you. It is so colorful and beautiful.
Also so many people walking around the globe. How fun to see all the photos and places.
I didn’t manage to send any your way and no time for blogposts but I have been walking all but one day when I felt too sick. I am loving being outside.
I’m so glad to hear you’re walking along with us! No pressure to send pictures, I’m just so happy you’re getting outside each day <3
[…] (Here is the CBWC Week 1 Recap.) […]
I see a theme here! Animals, and specifically ones named Charlie! I love it! I will name my tiny frog charlie too!
And guess what…on a walk at my parents’ place yesterday…guess who I spotted on the walk! Charlie, my favourite caterpillar 😉
[…] more photos and fun, check out recaps from Week 1, and Week […]