New Trail

I found a new trail. Actually, it is not that new, just new to me. It is located in a wooded parcel that was donated to the city some years ago, and is now administered by the Kansas Land Trust. To get to it, you take 6th Street in Lawrence until you come to Folks Road. Head north on Folks about 1 mile and you'll find a gravel parking lot. The trail starts there and heads into a wooded area for between 1/2 and 3/4 mile. It is actually two trails; a white one that goes the full distance, and a blue one that interconnects and is about 1/3 the distance of the white.

I had run by this park so many times on one of my normal 3-4 mile loops that I almost blew it off the other day. But I had had a discussion about the trail with a neighbor the preceding week. We had commented on how no one ever seemed to have taken the trail. So, on Saturday as I was in the last mile of a short run I thought why not, and headed in. What I encountered was a really beautiful, well-maintained, hilly trail that offered thick brush, alternating with good views, lots of turns, and even a stream to cross. The whole experience added 12-14 minutes to my run, and was well worth the effort. And it is so close to my house that I can be there within 5 minutes. I plan to make the trail a regular addition to my shorter runs in the future.

_______

Season 6 of WEEDS is now out. If you're a fan, it has been worth the wait. If you're not, try watching the first episode of the show from season 1. You'll know pretty quickly if it is your cup of tea.

Finally, I watched the documentary, Which Way Home yesterday. I think it should be mandatory viewing for our kids, so they can see how lucky they are to be born here. The children in the documentary (some as young as 9) set off alone to travel over a thousand miles to get to the US. It almost defies comprehension. We should count ourselves lucky and, at the same time, show a lot of compassion to those not born here who struggle mightily to join us.