Commitment

I registered for a half marathon in June. It is official, I know.

But shall they cancel it or not, the goal is to get prepared no matter what. That’s the fun of it. And that’s what keeps me motivated to improve – because I am very happy with my cool running routine otherwise, although I know I can do better (and ultimately feel better).

So today, after my long morning run of 14.61 km, and 1035 calories burnt according to my super watch that will soon die because I lost the power cord, I had a small celebration: beer and chips while preparing my super-food salad. A glas of red wine with the salad while reviewing the 2017 running magazine containing my super-half-marathon guide… and listening to NPR classical radio. A zen-Sunday after all!

The last movie

I don’t remember the title anymore. But the story was pretty scary: a virus spread from a small province in China all over the world. Since there were precedents on Earth before and examples of uncontrolled disease expansion – fortunately not with too deadly viruses – , governments reacted pretty quickly and isolated cities and people exchanges.

The world was getting mad. Financial structures were completely disorganized. Governments were taking authoritarian measures, people adopted other ways to communicate, and solidarity and empathy took another meaning… The way the world was functioning had to be rethought.

Are we going there?

For today here is a nice sun rise of this morning… « May the force be with us!! »

From the sky

Magical. The flight was very long, but magical.

Snowy mountains expressing all their beauty, the rivers flowing as veins in our body, the sun not completely arisen but bright in this beginning of the day.

The ice was sparkling like delicate aluminum sheets disposed on an immense cream cake.

Even the stewards and stewardesses were surprised by the clarity of the landscape and kept on checking at the windows…

The 5-month eco-appraisal

As mentioned in previous posts (« Minimalism«  and « Consumerism« ), I’d like to reduce my waste, try not to buy new stuff and reuse and recycle a maximum (have you heard about the 3 Rs? Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle). As I moved into an empty house on the 1rst January, the challenge was high. And if I need to wait spring before setting up the compost in the garden, I needed to get some furnitures and other houseware to be able to live normally meanwhile.

But without much constraints, I was quite successful in getting simple, useful, and relatively cheap stuff, yet ecologically relevant. I avoided the plastic at all cost, the « Made in China » too, and tried to think overall about the ecological footprint before buying, including the packaging, transport, quality and durability. Here it is:

Almost all furnitures (all except for the mattresses) are second-hands, including the tools for the fireplace, dressers, table and chairs, sofa and desk.

Kitchen tools are bought for most of them new, but I have tried to buy the minimum, preferred bamboo, ceramic or aluminium instead of plastic, Tefal, or other non recyclable or toxic material, and buy only if I thought about this houseware for more than 3 times. I even found buckets made of steel, bamboo broom, and real mops. All the glassware are pre-owned… Some palets are in the garage, waiting for me to scrap and clean them a bit before assembling them to make a bedframe, same for the superb red pine benches that should become shelves, and other small wooden furniture that should be cleaned and painted to have a second life.

I found bulk food, organic and sustainable (mostly local) providers, and organic and natural cosmetic products including hand/body soap and shampoo in bars and 100% natural lipstick for the cold. In my quest I continue to be vegan, even though I became vegan – with cheese… And I clean with the super recipe made of vinegar and baking soda in hot water; bio-detergent + baking soda for the laundry, and bio detergent for the dishes.

Well, nothing is perfect: the house uses oil and is not very well insulated… I also have a 4-wheels car which is not electric, I know. And to be honest I use the dryer sometimes, for the bedsheets for example, that’s not good too.

Ah, and I also leave the light outside on the porch all the time, even if it is a LED bulb. Would otherwise come the deers for dinner?

Another world

I went to see the carriage roads today. It was a while since I went there, probably during fall…

I passed by the small town, by which I drive every day but never take the time to make a picture… today I did. The famous bridge, ducks swimming on the icy water, peaceful ambiance…

I finally reached the carriage road, it was just another world! Some cars were parked, people were ice-fishing, ice skatting, some walking, and despite this activity in the background, a very peaceful winter-Sunday!

  • October 2019
  • February 2020

Visitors

Just another extraordinary sunrise!

It was again a morning with colors. Again a morning that calls for a walk…

It was snowing a bit more yesterday. Would I meet Miss Jo today?Surprisingly I think that my dear friends the deers had the same thoughts:

Curious isn’t it? The footprints look like searching exactly where Mr. Jo was built. As if they were wondering where he disappeared!

Deers are not the only visitors exploring the garden during the night by the way…

The footprints are pretty big, but I prefer to think it was an old big cat, not a bobcat. And I just read that bobcat footprints are about 2 times those from a cat. I better change the bulb of the porch light today, I think that’s why they were coming closer…

Threshold

The week end was magnificent. It was sunny, bright, with gorgous sun rise and clear atmosphere…. but cold! -12.5°C…

I took my super long-run backpack with enough water, a bar of cereals, a head lamp and few extra cloths in case. As usual.

There was not many people on the road, only few with their dogs, and a couple running like me but in the opposite direction. I also met the Rangers, making some security checks I guess in the Natural Park.

The trail was full of diamond-like broken ice, result of a ground covered by snow and exposed to an icy rain right after. Very strange and uncommon it seems. Superb with the sunlight falling on it. My steps were noisy in this silence.

Raven were trying to recover some seeds from the fields, and you could see deer’s footprints around. When I entered a trail inside the forest I could see the pine sparkle. Water drops were frozen at the end of the pine needles, just like little tears. That was amazing!

I was at the middle of my run, observing this beauty. Unfortunately my super Pro-metallic foot gears are broken, so I couldn’t be at ease in the icy trail. Hence I stopped, listened to the silence and took a sip of water. But there was no water. I always check before I go out, to be sure that I can drink from my backpack and access paper towel and telephone. But I couldn’t drink. I thought the water bag was not put properly. So I removed my backpack, rechecked, couldn’t find the problem…. until I realized that the water was frozen inside the tube!! It was indeed very cold!!!!

I warmed a bit the tube with my hands and drunk, breathed several time, recharged completely my lungs with this pure air, and went back home. It was cold!

  • A superb tree, as there are many – one day I should post a tree-story!

Contrasted

I like this mysterious atmosphere of black and white old movie-like…. this is a bit what I feel today as I woke up in a different world than the one I went to bed with the night before. I got no warning, no wind slapping on the windows, no drop of temperature during the night that I could feel. This is so extraordinary how one day can be the opposite of another. Interestingly, both provide me excitement.

One is colorful, with a nice and agreeable mild temperature, a blue sky without borders, expressing grandnesses and warmth;

The other is bicolor – black and white – foggy and with limited visibility, very bright and refreshing, although we would rather enjoy the warmth of the fire place watching the snow falling.

Mornings delights

Another week

The weekend went fast. The weather was mild, clouds dispersed, and every day few minutes more of sunlight…

I heard for the first time the children ice-skating on the ponds and joyfully screaming, while the ice itself cracked on the ledges of the lakes with a thud.

Deers, squirrels and foxes running in front of me, escaping the few cars and wandering in the gardens. Few birds singing allegedly. Was it spring already?

I still needed double gloves and triple shirt to stay outside for an evening long run. Back home I enjoyed the fire place and a big plate of hot soup.

Few beers shared with my colleagues, failing to my vegan diet and trying to resist my very first Super Bowl mythic American football tournament. The day was over.

Monday morning, beginning of a new week, and the rising sun to wake me up….