Rainbow Dragon's Dares

Nice pics. Taking a picture of a map is the best idea ever, there is rarely a map that I visit that we don't take a picture of.

Good luck on the plan, it looks solid. On the other hand, i own over 300 board games, I am probably the wrong person to talk to on such matters.

That is an impressive collection CaptainCanuck ! (Though I know there are some people out there who own ridiculously more than that.) My own collection currently consists of 12 games. I need to keep it small since I lack the space to store much more.

When I photographed that map I was only thinking it looked interesting and would be nice to document where we had been, since the maps I'd been able to find of that park online were not very detailed. Didn't think we'd be needing to use it that day to find our way back to our cars! (In fairness, we could have found our way back to the cars without a map or GPS simply by following the sounds of traffic out to a road and then walking around the outside of the park. But neither of us wanted to do that.)

Wednesday, July 14 - Rainbow's Consecutive Days of Fitness Day 448


running: 6K in 36:35 - in town

push/pull/press/plank: nothin'

yoga: nada


Workout with my mother: Day 482

Arms of Steel - Day 11
Knee Saver
Better Balance
Talk to the Hand
Hand Tendons

Total time for w/o w. mother: 28:15

Total workout time: 65 minutes


Other stuff:

6.2 km hiking

Only Homemade Food - ​​ - Total Days: 561/561
Daily French Study - - Total Consecutive Days: 247
GOBOT (6:30) - - 2/4
GBOT (11:00) - - 0/4


Year 51 Goals Tracking:

1. 358.5/1000 km running
2. 1321.9/3000 km total distance
3. 8 hrs. 13 min. / 100 hours yoga/dance
4. fastest 5K year-to-date: 25:57 (goal is < 22)
5. most push-ups in one set: 23/50
6. press-to-handstand progress: scissor press from 10" footstool, with head against wall (goal = 1 unassisted)
7. 4/15 chapters Bird Bio course
8. 0/100 nature journal entries with sketches
9. 61/100 complete bird counts
10. bird species IDed by ear: 21/100
11. Fluenz French: 56/150 sessions
12. French tests: TBD
13. pull-up progress: 14 second unassisted negative (goal = 1 unassisted)

Thursday, July 15 - Rainbow's Consecutive Days of Fitness Day 449


running: 6K in 39:17 - in town (dragging my feet because it was hot)

push/pull/press/plank: 17 minutes - Crow Taps (Had to get this done because I was running out of things to eat that do not have cheese in them!)

yoga: 30:30 - Yoga with Tim - 2019 30-Day Yoga Challenge - Day 1 - I really like this guy. He gives great physical cues without trying to be cutesy or including any woo-woo nonsense. Thank you to Trbrat75 - I found this challenge through your thread.


Workout with my mother: Day 483

Arms & Shoulders Stretch
60 Days of Cardio - Day 22
Ankle Recovery
Wrist Pain
Hand Tendons

Total time for w/o w. mother: 31:10

Total workout time: 118 minutes


Other stuff:

6.2 km hiking
3 minutes meditation (shavasana)

Only Homemade Food - ​​ - Total Days: 562/562
Daily French Study - - Total Consecutive Days: 248
GOBOT (6:30) - - 3/5
GBOT (11:00) - - 1/5


Year 51 Goals Tracking:

1. 364.5/1000 km running
2. 1334.1/3000 km total distance
3. 8 hrs. 43 min. / 100 hours yoga/dance
4. fastest 5K year-to-date: 25:57 (goal is < 22)
5. most push-ups in one set: 23/50
6. press-to-handstand progress: scissor press from 10" footstool, with head against wall (goal = 1 unassisted)
7. 4/15 chapters Bird Bio course
8. 0/100 nature journal entries with sketches
9. 61/100 complete bird counts
10. bird species IDed by ear: 21/100
11. Fluenz French: 56/150 sessions
12. French tests: TBD
13. pull-up progress: 14 second unassisted negative (goal = 1 unassisted)

Friday, July 16 - Rainbow's Consecutive Days of Fitness Day 450


running: 10K in 1:02:33 - in town - taking advantage of a dip in temperature and some summer rain to boost my mileage

push/pull/press/plank: some push-ups done as part of my yoga practice

yoga: 33 minutes - Yoga with Tim - 2019 30-Day Yoga Challenge - Day 2

dancing: 3 minutes - Manic Monday, courtesy of sleep_twitch 's thread


Workout with my mother: Day 484

1-Minute HIIT - Day 11
Back & Core Workout
Better Balance
Talk to the Hand
Hand Tendons

Total time for w/o w. mother: 35:00

Total workout time: 133 minutes


Other stuff:

6.2 km hiking
3 minutes meditation (shavasana)

Only Homemade Food - ​​ - Total Days: 563/563 including pizza with all the things!
Daily French Study - - Total Consecutive Days: 249
GOBOT (6:30) - - 4/6
GBOT (11:00) - - 1/6


Year 51 Goals Tracking:

1. 374.5/1000 km running
2. 1350.3/3000 km total distance
3. 9 hrs. 19 min. / 100 hours yoga/dance
4. fastest 5K year-to-date: 25:57 (goal is < 22)
5. most push-ups in one set: 23/50
6. press-to-handstand progress: scissor press from 10" footstool, with head against wall (goal = 1 unassisted)
7. 4/15 chapters Bird Bio course
8. 0/100 nature journal entries with sketches
9. 61/100 complete bird counts
10. bird species IDed by ear: 21/100
11. Fluenz French: 57/150 sessions
12. French tests: TBD
13. pull-up progress: 14 second unassisted negative (goal = 1 unassisted)

Things look good to me, RD!

Erm, I don't suppose you would know where one could find a recipe for black bean brownies do you? Asking for a friend.

Colin mine are based on the original DAREBEE recipe, which you can find at https://darebee.com/recipes/black-be...wnies-old.html
(The new recipe is at https://darebee.com/recipes/black-bean-brownies.html )

I don't have time or kitchen space or generally plan when I'm going to bake far enough in advance to cook my own beans (plus canned beans are cheap here anyhow, and I can reliably get them with no salt added), so I used canned beans. The recipe I use is this:

1 x 540 mL can no salt added black beans, drained and rinsed
100 g quick oats
50 g pure cocoa powder
2 bananas, mashed
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond & cashew Silk with added pea protein (Silk is the brand name. Not sure if it is branded the same in the UK as here? It is a line of plant-based "milks" owned by DANONE. The one I use has pea protein added to it, so it has a similar protein level to cows' milk.)

I mix everything together with a hand blender, pour into a baking dish lined with parchment paper, and bake for 40 minutes at 375°F.
Once baked, I cool, slice, and refrigerate. (They are best eaten at room temperature though, I think. So I try to take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes or so before I'm going to eat them.)

I like them best spread with cashew nut butter. So yummy! (Also high in protein and fibre--and plant-sourced fat if you add the nut butter--so they are filling without being high in sugar.)

Thank you so much, RD, I'm gonna try to check that out.

Saturday, July 17 - Rainbow's Consecutive Days of Fitness Day 451


running: 8K in 52:42 - in town - night run--did not get started until after 11:30 PM. I was tired, but it was gloriously cool out.

push/pull/press/plank: 1 minute - handstand kick-ups - 5 off my left leg (my weaker side for kicking up). I got a couple of decent holds, but not with great form. Also did planks and a couple of push-ups as part of my yoga practice.

yoga: 32 minutes - Yoga with Tim - 2019 30-Day Yoga Challenge - Day 3


Workout with my mother: Day 485

Posture
30 Days of Gravity - Day 12
Sore Feet
Wrist Pain
Hand Tendons

Total time for w/o w. mother: 36:00

Total workout time: 122 minutes


Other stuff:

6 km hiking
15 minutes meditation (seated + shavasana)

Only Homemade Food - ​​ - Total Days: 564/564
Daily French Study - - Total Consecutive Days: 250
GOBOT (6:30) - - 5/7
GBOT (11:00) - - 1/7


Year 51 Goals Tracking:

1. 382.5/1000 km running
2. 1364.3/3000 km total distance
3. 9 hrs. 51 min. / 100 hours yoga/dance
4. fastest 5K year-to-date: 25:57 (goal is < 22)
5. most push-ups in one set: 23/50
6. press-to-handstand progress: scissor press from 10" footstool, with head against wall (goal = 1 unassisted)
7. 4/15 chapters Bird Bio course
8. 0/100 nature journal entries with sketches
9. 61/100 complete bird counts
10. bird species IDed by ear: 21/100
11. Fluenz French: 57/150 sessions
12. French tests: TBD
13. pull-up progress: 14 second unassisted negative (goal = 1 unassisted)

Sunday, July 18 - Rainbow's Consecutive Days of Fitness Day 452


running: 6K in 37:16 - in town - early morning run less than 6 hours after completing long midnight run = not fully recovered (+ running without having had adequate sleep), but it was deliciously cool out at 6AM, and a run was not going to happen at all this day if I allowed the heat to set in before getting out there

push/pull/press/plank: 2 minutes - handstand push-ups

yoga: day off (just did restorative. see below)


Workout with my mother: Day 486

Journey Before Destination
Back Pain Relief
Ankle Recovery
Wrist Pain
Hand Tendons

Total time for w/o w. mother: 37:30

Total workout time: 77 minutes


Other stuff:

19 km hiking - just short walks with the pups in the evening after spending 8 hours in the field during the day, hiking Rondeau's Marsh Trail counting butterflies for my area's annual NABA Butterfly Count
10 minutes meditation (shavasana on a dock in the middle of the Rondeau Marsh)
10 minutes restorative yoga - to iron out the kinks in my back after a long day of photographing butterflies

Only Homemade Food - ​​ - Total Days: 565/565
Daily French Study - - Total Consecutive Days: 251
GOBOT (6:30) - - 1/1
GBOT (11:00) - - 1/1


Year 51 Goals Tracking:

1. 388.5/1000 km running
2. 1389.3/3000 km total distance
3. 9 hrs. 51 min. / 100 hours yoga/dance
4. fastest 5K year-to-date: 25:57 (goal is < 22)
5. most push-ups in one set: 23/50
6. press-to-handstand progress: scissor press from 10" footstool, with head against wall (goal = 1 unassisted)
7. 4/15 chapters Bird Bio course
8. 0/100 nature journal entries with sketches
9. 61/100 complete bird counts
10. bird species IDed by ear: 22/100
11. Fluenz French: 57/150 sessions
12. French tests: TBD
13. pull-up progress: 14 second unassisted negative (goal = 1 unassisted)

Some photos from Sunday's Butterfly Count:

This is a Question Mark. I don't mean it's a mystery. I know what species this butterfly is. It's a Polygonia interrogationis



This butterfly is named for the white markings on the ventral side of its hind wing, which resemble a question mark.



(There are a few similar species of butterflies in this same genus which have the curved line but not the dot. They are known as "Commas".)


This is an Eyed Brown (Lethe eurydice):





and this is an Appalachian Brown (Lethe appalachia):



I can almost never tell the difference between these two species in the field. Even with good photographs I can be stumped. I lucked out with the first butterfly and got a clear shot of the dorsal surface of one forewing, which has larger dark spots than one would expect of an Appalachian. The butterfly in the bottom picture though? The only way I know to distinguish between Appalachian and Eyed Browns from a ventral view is to consider the dark brown line which runs across the middle of the hindwing. It forms a zig-zag pattern in Eyed Browns but is straightish or wavy in Appalachians. But that part of the wing is missing in this specimen! The specialists on iNaturalist think it's an Appalachian though.

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa):






Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta):




Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus):




Monarch (Danaus plexippus):

This was the most numerous species I saw on my butterfly count and also the smallest. It's one of the Azures (genus: Celastrina), but I cannot say for certain which species.



There are two species of Azures which occur in my area: the Spring Azure (Celastrina lucia) and the Summer Azure (Celestrina neglecta), so-named because the two species were originally thought to have distinct flight seasons, with C. lucia only existing in adult form during the spring and C. neglecta only existing in adult form during the summer. But local butterfly experts inform me this is not the case and that C. lucia has a second flight season which occurs simultaneously with C. neglecta's flight season, and that the two species cannot reliably be distinguished from one another in the field. To complicate matters even further, there may or may not be a third species of azure in my area, the Cherry Gall Azure (Celestrina serotina), which nobody really knows much of anything about other than that the larva like to feed on cherry galls. Additionally, some sources label C. lucia as the Northern Azure, as there is a fourth species of azure, Celastrina ladon, which is also called a Spring Azure. Isn't taxonomy fun?

All the azure's, as their common names imply, have a pretty blue upperside--but one rarely gets to see it except in brief flashes while these butterflies are in flight. Azures pretty much always perch with their wings closed together, so only their white, ventral side is visible. This specimen's hind wings are not perfectly aligned, so you can see just a tiny bit of that blue colour peaking out on the right-side hindwing. It's the most blue I caught on camera of all the azure's I photographed this day!

Another butterfly which refused on Sunday to pose with its dorsal side visible. This is a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta):



Red Admirals often do perch with their wings spread (see here for an example). But the ones I saw on Sunday were all in pretty windy conditions and so were having none of that nonsense.

This is one of the Swallowtails we were discussing on Trbrat75 's thread here. This one is a Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus), which is common in Rondeau.