Walks: Week of July 27 to Aug. 1

You see, it isn't always pool parties with the Shore Things. Sometimes we actually work up a sweat. Hope the weather gives us a good reason to perspire this week.

This is a one-week reminder post for our walks next week (please use the previous post to sign in for July 24th).

Monday's distance is 8K from Loblaws at 7 pm.

Wednesday's distance is 6K from Shoppers at 7 pm.

Saturday it's 10K from Tim's at 7:30 am.

The first weekend in August is also a long weekend, when many Monday walkers prefer to walk in the morning rather than evening. Let us know if you're one of them. The usual holiday Monday meeting time for mornings is 9 am. It will be 6K.

Have a great week, everyone, sweaty or not.

Walks: Week of July 20th

All those rain dances must have worked, and a great time was had by all. Thanks again to Lou-Ann and Paul for the great hospitality!

This is an experiment with a holiday schedule of posting just one message a week. Let's see how that works:

Monday's walk at Loblaws is 8K.

Wednesday is supposed to be hot. If it is, Lou-Ann has invited us to meet again at her place. Bring your bathing suits, and after 8K you can enjoy a swim. Let me know if you need a) and address or b) a ride.

Saturday it's 11K, starting at 7:30 am from Tim's.

A few races are coming up besides the Toronto Island Women's Half (which I think welcomes males as well). One of them is the KW Walking Classic 10K on September 27th. I'm hoping we'll have a big contingent out to support this race, as we'd like them to offer a half marathon for walkers only next year. Rainer has passed along this hotel recommendation in Waterloo -- named (astonishingly) the Waterloo Hotel. You might want to check it out.

Walk: Sat. July 18 @ Tim's

Another quickie reminder: our walk is 10K this Saturday, starting at our summer time of 7:30 am.

With luck, there will be no wet stuff to rain on our parade, or on Lou-Ann's pool party that afternoon. Polish up the Rolls and start dancing!

Walk: Wed. July 15 @ Shoppers

This is a quick post to remind you of the Wednesday walk. It's 6K at 7.

Bob, Betsy and I have a date that evening with a wizard, so we (at least, two out of three) will be walking on Thursday morning at 9 am from Tim's. Please let us know if you'd like to join us.

Excuse my lateness with this, but I'm catching up on a lot of things after a week away. Unsure if Rainer sent out his notice to everyone, so I'll say here how sorry we were to hear of the loss of his mother on July 4th. The funeral service was on July 11th, but it isn't too late to make a memorial donation if you wish. The family has suggested: either Senior Link or the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation. We look forward to seeing Rainer and Margy when they're ready to rejoin us.

Also, we were shocked to learn that Dawn B.'s husband Bob has suffered a stroke, the result of a childhood heart condition. Anyone who did the Shore Things 10+10 will remember Bob's heroic efforts as our bike race runner, keeping tabs on us all. We send him our healing thoughts.

Walk: Mon. July 13 @ Loblaws

Seen on Parliament Hill on our rainy way through Ottawa: Women Are Persons!

How did I miss seeing this fascinating sculpture before? It celebrates the date when women were finally declared to be persons in Canada; only ninety years ago, this October 18th. That's Nellie McClung, one of the five women who championed the change, holding up the newspaper.

Having made our rainy way back home, we're now back in Toronto and ready to join up with our own champions, of both genders, for a celebratory 6K tonight. Hope to see you at 7 pm.

Walk: Sat. July 11 @ Tim's (7:30 start)

A reminder about the 7:30 am summer start time -- again the distance is 8K. I'll leave you to choose your route (to the end of the Boardwalk or to the rocks on the Spit are both 8K). Next week, the distances will start to elongate.

Have a great walk, everyone.

Walk: Wed. July 8 @ Shoppers

You might've noticed a theme to this week's pictures: a week of flowers to fill in for me while on vacation.

Come out on Wednesday for 6K -- especially if you haven't been walking for a while. An easy distance in good company.

This set of birthday wishes is for Michelle and Leverne. Hope your big days are full of sunshine, real and metaphorical.

Walk: Mon. July 6 @ Loblaws

It's still an easy maintenance-mode 6K on Monday, till the longer distances in the Women's Toronto Island Half kick in. Come out for the company and conversation.

This little peony is in memory of Mary, whose birthday would have been on Tuesday. If there are marathons up there, I'm sure she's training for them.

Walk: Sat. July 4 @ Tim's (Note new time)

As warm weather is finally here, we shift to summer hours this week. However, it'll only be half an hour earlier: 7:30 am. The distance is 8K. Come on out for our first walk of July.

Happy birthday to the first of our many July birthday Things, Arlene and Cheryl. And Happy Independence Day to our American friends. A few floral fireworks for you.