Schuylkill Banks - a New Direction

Today I learned that the riverwalk along the Schuylkill River in Philly is actually called Schuylkill Banks. A new section opened in the last year.

This section took so long to complete because it needed a bridge. They built one of those suspension bridges where the cables are all connected to one post.

Got a nicer picture of the skyline.

You might notice the older railroad bridge in the foreground. It's still in use!

Marie, Dave and I took this nice walk, but Rachel had to work. The afternoon was more relaxing with a few household tasks and some visiting. I even crocheted a bit. In the evening we watched a Miss Marple movie.

I traded the white puppy of a couple days ago for Casper the white cat. With only four of us in the house instead of six or more, Casper is much more calm. He's never disliked me, but he's been more than happy to be my friend on this visit.

Miles walked in 2026: 60.2

Schuylkill Banks riverwalk, David's house via South St to Wharton Ave and back. 4.1 miles.

See Philadelphia Riverwalk

Catnip High

At the vendor event, Marie bought catnip toys for the two kitties. Kimmy pretty much went for an LSD trip, and got a citation for operating under the influence.

Toby is very shy. He took his and hid it immediately. He wouldn't come out of the shadows for a picture. Mostly he contented himself with sniffing Kimmy's cheeks where she had rubbed hers.

Marie and I decided to do an easy and quick jigsaw puzzle after dinner. 300 pieces, 1 hour 10 minutes. Not flat out racing, but not fooling around.

The vendor event? Well, it was advertised as having 70 vendors. There were 26. Almost no one came. I broke even which is better than I expected when I realized how slow it was going to be. Some days are like that. We sampled perogis and a cookie bar.

See Calm Day

A Formal Visitor

  Someone in a tuxedo was visiting today. Since nothing else photo-worthy happened, you get this. I don't know if it's a stray. I haven't seen this cat before. We do have feral cats in the barn from time to time.

I spent the entire day editing, working on the trail data book, and puttering a little bit at cleaning up the house. Hot, tired, and brain fog. There you go.

If you follow the link to our last kitty, the original pictures are gone. I've found a few of them, but not a couple of special ones.

See V-8 Kitty 1990-2009

Truth is Stranger

  Today I was hiking a section of the North Country Trail. I was on a small piece of sidewalk that connects a couple of prettier segments. A woman came up to me and asked my name. Well! It turns out that she is Gail "Chosen" Lowe, who has hiked the entire North Country Trail. This is still a pretty small group (only 19 people). She thought she recognized me. It took me a minute to recognize her. We hadn't actually met before, and last I knew she did not live in Battle Creek, so I was very surprised. She picked me up at the end of my hike to take me back to my car, and also treated me to dessert and a cold drink. Trail magic! The temperatures today were wonderful, and most of the trail was lovely. I started where I ended on Thursday, at the Ott Biological Preserve. Next was a bit more on the Calhoun County Trailway, where a four-legged hiker was sharing the space with me. Then the short sidewalk connection, including a bridge over the rail yard of the Canadian National line. That is where Gail spotted me. Very shortly after that the trail joins the Battle Creek Linear Pathway which winds through the city along the Kalamazoo River. Except that it's a lot of miles of pavement, this is mostly a beautiful walk. One really neat sculpture commemorates the Underground Railroad. On one side of the wall are the people walking away from the south toward freedom. As they are passing through the "secret" door, they enter the north and meet those who will help them along the way. Gail is going to spot me again tomorrow, so I'll not only be able to finish Calhoun County, but I'll get a start on Kalamazoo County.

Total NCT miles hiked in 2020: 226

North Country Trail, Ott Biological Preserve to Battle Creek Bedford Road parking, 8 miles

See Four NCT End to Enders See Meet James See Luke Jordan See Dan & Ruth Dorrough