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Borrego Springs, CA

Saturday, September 24, 2011

A walk, a harvest festival, and model trains.

Number one on my itinerary today was to get out of the house and parking lot.  My friend, Jack, who’s now in Deming,NM, emailed me today with a couple of suggestions of where I could take Emma (the gog) for an outing.  He even provided exact driving instructions.  So off we went this morning to find the very close by county park.  Turned out that the fee for non-residents was $8.  When I asked the gate attendant what the park had to offer, she was a little vague, so I opted not to pay that kind of a fee just to take Emma for a walk. 

Instead, I went a little further down the road to a parking lot for the Erie Lackawanna Rails to Trails path.

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What a pleasant biking/running/walking path this is!

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There were still a few things blooming along the way, and some of the leaves have begun to turn.

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One of the nice things about this walk was that it was absolutely free.  Smile  One of the not so nice things about it is that it was obvious that many large dogs are also walked along this paved path, and their owners were negligent in cleaning up after them.  Free plastic bags are even provided on the trail for such purposes.  I just don’t understand that.

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The trail winds along for a total of twenty miles.  We only did a couple of those miles this morning.  Even so, it took us a couple of hours for two reasons.  The first is that I brought my camera along, and that means lots of stops.  Secondly, a choice to do this on a Saturday morning was probably not the best decision.  I think half the people in northern Indiana were on that path this morning…jogging, walking, biking, and rollerblading.  Now throw the wild child into their midst, along with the squirrels and even a raccoon crossing our path, and the pleasant walk turned out to be a real workout for me trying to keep Emma in line.  It’s no wonder my right arm is stronger than my left.  Smile

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My favorite pic today was finding this shy sunflower peeking out from behind a tree.  Anyway, when we got back to the car, I noticed a sign for the Griffith Harvest Festival that was happening today.  So, I dropped Emma off at the rig, and headed to that.  Now when I think of a harvest festival, I think of pumpkins, apples, maybe some tomatoes and corn.  Stuff like that.  Well, this turned out to be a craft fair.  I would normally have to be dragged to something like that.  I was very disappointed to say the least.  I did the whole thing in about a half hour, and headed back down the road.

63 On the way to Anahuac, 20117There was also a sign out for a model train show at the elementary school so I stopped to see what that was all about.  I found that much more enjoyable than the Harvest Festival.  SAM, that top left pic in the collage is for you.  Smile  Overall, it was a very good day today.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

28 comments:

  1. It definitely beats hanging out in the boring parking lot on a beautiful Saturday! I would like to ride my bike on that paved rail-trail.

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  2. What a nice place for a walk. And isn't free wonderful! So sorry you are still being held captive. Some days I really wonder why we own these expensive beasts that keep breaking (no pun intended) down. And, what would be do without our computers and cameras during these 'down' times!

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  3. Glad you got out and smelled the roses, er I mean the sunflowers. Nothing better than a great walk to clear the blahs away!

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  4. Hey, at least you two got out of the parking lot for a few hours...Monday is coming, then Tues., then Wed....and maybe you can get back on the road.

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  5. Craft fairs are not my cup of tea either. But the model trains - you could have lost me for a few hours in there. But a day out of the rig helps pass the time.

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  6. Glad you got out of the parking lot for a bit. Much as we love our rigs, it sure does get old being stuck in them! Hope your repairs are completed soon and you are back on the road.

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  7. I agree with you about the favorite picture today. That struck me the moment I saw it. Good to see you taking some photos and having a bit of a walkabout.

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  8. Leave it to you to find beauty no matter where you go. Your pictures made me smile today :)
    There's nothing more refreshing than getting outside and enjoying nature, even if others left items behind other than footprints...Unfortunately some people just plain 'ol don't care.

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  9. I would think mid day on Monday or Tuesday will be less crowded for the walk. People not picking up after their dogs is the reason they have been ban from so many places.

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  10. Glad you were able to get out and enjoy the day. Hopefully, this will be a great week and you can get back on the road.

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  11. You are so good at turning lemons into lemonade...good for you! Good for you for getting out & making the most out of your Saturday!

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  12. Glad you got out of the house and parking lot too! The trail looks really inviting and peaceful...maybe not on the weekend though. Take care and still best of wishes on the brake situation.

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  13. You need to make your way up here to Dogpound North and we can let that "wild child" run till she drops.

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  14. The trail can be accessed in several spots in Griffith, Highland and points south. Drive south and take Rt 330 east. GREAT pics ! ! ! !

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  15. I love rail trails. We have been biking one here in Lanesboro MN this week. Your right about dog owners who don't pick up after their dogs especially when bags are provided.

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  16. Thanks for thinking of me, By the way the Erie Lackawanna RR was the railroad my Granddad retired from ,I am a member of the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society hard to believe such a thriving railroad is now gone forever. I will be sure and see if I can pick myself out in the picture of the High Life Trailer. Looks like they are all a good time. Be afe out there. Sam & Donna...

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  17. Glad you are getting out and about. The model trains look cool. We will be in Deming in another week.

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  18. We have some great walking trails here in Greenwood,In. But we also have the same issue. Dog owners not cleaning up after their doggies.....So much so, that we now call the trace is called: Dog Log Trail.............

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  19. Your harvest festival sounds a lot like the one we went to ... very disappointing, I agree.

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  20. Thank you for summer's last wildflower hold outs!
    Free Hiking trail AND a model train show, great finds!
    Keeping my fingers crossed the part comes in FAST!

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  21. Looked like a great trail to go for a good walk on. Glad you got out of that parking lot for a while anyway.

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  22. All right, not a single word about those devices that stop motorhomes. Looks like a fun day out!

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  23. That shy sunflower peeking out from behind a tree picture is amazing!! I think I could write a thousand words about this picture :>)

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  24. I'm glad you got a day to visit nature and take come pics. Hope you'll be released soon!

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  25. Glad you got out and about!!! Guess that county was maybe feeling the budget crunch of so many others... but don't think it was necessary for you!!

    Beautiful flower photo's ~ and I love the shy flower too!

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