STEELROOTS

I had a rare off day on Thursday and made the most of it. The weather in Chicago was once again fabulous beyond words. Moderate temperature, low humidity, and blue skies in every direction. I set out for an urban hike before 8:00 AM.  I expected that I would probably log about ten miles. I was enjoying myself so much, that I didn't return home until I had hiked twenty miles. One of my favorite pictures that I took during the day was me standing under STEELROOTS. This massive sculpture guards the Peggy Notebaert Museum at the corner of Cannon Drive and Fullerton Avenue.

• Artwork Created : 2007
• Artwork Installed: 2009
• Artist : Steve Tobin

from the Chicago Park District website...

Steelroots is one of several tree root sculptures produced by Pennsylvania artist Steve Tobin (b. 1957). After receiving a degree in theoretical mathematics from Tulane University in 1979, Tobin decided to become an artist. He studied art at the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, and the New York Experimental Glass Workshop in Brooklyn. He went on to receive numerous fellowships and artist-in-residencies, and in 1989 he was the first-ever foreign artist invited to build his own studio in Murano, Italy, the town outside of Venice renowned for its glassmaking.

Tobin soon began exploring other materials in his artworks, including clay, bronze, and steel. In 1994, he established his own foundry. By the late 1990s, Tobin’s work began to focus on nature—specifically the fascinating and beautiful forms that are created through natural processes. In 2004, Tobin received international attention when he installed his bronze sculpture Trinity Root near Ground Zero in New York City. The work is cast from the stump and roots of a historic sycamore tree that stood in front of St. Paul’s Chapel directly across the street from the World Trade Center. The tree protected the church from destruction during the 9/11 attacks. “The function for me of roots is to show the power of the unseen,” the artist told the New York Times. “And on 9/11, we found out about the power of all our unseen connections, the things that nurture us that are hidden below the surface.”

By the time Tobin completed Trinity Root, he had begun developing a broader series of sculptures exploring the theme of tree roots. In an artistic statement, he explained, “I am interested in making pieces that function in any time period: prehistory, present, or the future, working with nature-related images. For example, I have turned a root system into bronze, so that you can see it on the surface of the earth. In a sense it allows you to travel into the shadows, into the underground.” He created a group of sculptures called Walking Roots, and a larger series known as Steelroots. These sculptures have been exhibited in many different cities including Brooklyn, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Chicago in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

The artist provided this Steelroots sculpture on long-term loan to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in 2009. At that time, he was working on a large retrospective exhibition of Steelroots at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, and he wanted to have a visible connection with that exhibition in Chicago. The exhibit, which opened in 2010, includes a total of fourteen tree root sculptures of various finishes, sizes, and configurations. Some are as large as forty feet tall. The Steelroots sculpture near the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has an earthy brown finish and is composed of recycled steel.

According to the MapMyWalk application that I use to trace my hikes, my  caloric expenditure for this twenty mile urban hike was 3500. So did I lose a pound today? I don't know. But I do know this. I definitely did not gain any weight on Thursday.  This twenty mile urban hike amuses me as I was never more than three miles from home - lots of zigging and zagging!

I am a quirky guy. When I hike, I almost always try to never cross my path where I have been before. This often becomes much more difficult when I am hiking real trails at real parks, but it is something that I have no trouble accomplishing when I am urban hiking.

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...just hanging around at North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, October 19, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Grits	300	66	5	6	930	3
	300	66	5	6	930	3
L U N C H
Oki Sushi - Tuna Roll Maki w/Avocado	350	45	8	28	0	0
Vita Coco - 100% Pure Coconut Water 330ml	120	30	0	0	74	30
Whole Foods - Cherries Milk Chocolate, 9 pcs	180	25	10	2	10	21
	650	100	18	30	84	51
D I N N E R
Weight Watcher's - Cabbage Soup	200	20	0	5	157	11
Baked Homeade Mastaccioli	400	46	10	0	873	33
	600	66	10	5	1,030	44
S N A C K S
Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites	200	21	13	2	25	18
	200	21	13	2	25	18
Totals	1,750	253	46	43	2,069	116
Your Daily Goal	5,155	644	172	258	2,300	193
Remaining	3,405	391	126	215	231	77
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 3,225 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 193.4 lbs in 5 weeks 

SAUGANASH TRAIL

It was exactly two weeks ago when I had the 'privilege' and responsibility of driving my daughter to her 'tumbling' class which she takes in conjunction with her cheerleading.  During that initial visit, I set out on an urban hike with the idea of finding the Sauganash Trail. I succeeded in finding a Nature Preserve and hiking seven miles in the 90 minutes between drop-off and pick-up. Still, during that initial attempt, I failed to actually find the Sauganash Trail. Yesterday, I tried again. This time I was successful.

closeup of the plaque announcing that one is on the Sauganash Trail

There is the plaque atop a two foot tall concrete pedestal in the lower left  hand  side of this photo.

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Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, October 8, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 6 packet	600	132	0	12	1,860	0
Post - Great Grains (Raisins, Dates & Pecans)	500	98	10	10	321	31
	1,100	230	10	22	2,181	31
L U N C H
Cracker Barrel - Asiago Cheese, 4 slice	280	0	24	16	500	0
Archer Farms - Sourdough Loaf, 3 Slice	300	72	2	12	870	0
Oscar Mayer - Deli Fresh Honey Ham	120	2	3	20	1,120	4
	700	74	29	48	2,490	4
D I N N E R
Fire Roasted Corn	100	22	1	3	0	2
Roasted Cauliflower	100	3	10	1	497	1
Pot Roast, Beef	500	0	32	50	79	0
	700	25	43	54	576	3
S N A C K S
Hersheys Dark Chocolate Bar	500	28	38	9	100	11
Banana Chips	500	57	33	3	0	33
	1,000	85	71	12	100	44
Totals	3,500	414	153	136	5,347	82
Your Daily Goal	3,553	444	118	178	2,300	133
Remaining	53	30	-35	42	-3,047	51
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,623 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 208.3 lbs in 5 weeks     

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
7 MILE URBAN HIKE	86	1,508
Daily Total / Goal	86 / 30	1,508 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	615 / 210	9,133 / 4,130

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from the Chicago Park District website...

The Sauganash Trail officially opened June 21, 2008 in the Sauganash community on Chicago’s Northwest Side. It’s one mile long, running from Bryn Mawr to Devon near Kostner. It’s a wonderful little path that is used regularly by locals.

History

In the mid-2000s, the Chicago Department of Transportation built a new multi-use recreational trail adjacent to Sauganash Park. The 2.1 million project was funded by Federal and State grants. Construction required the demolition and replacement of two unsafe railroad bridges over Peterson and Rogers Park avenues. The trail was built to Chicago Park District standards with a 12-foot wide paved surface flanked by soft-surface running/walking surfaces that are each 3-feet wide. There are two access ramps—one at Sauganash Park and one at Thome Street, and the trail is accessible at Bryn Mawr and Devon avenues. It is lined on both sides with lawn and trees. The Chicago Park District leases the linear park from the City of Chicago. Since its completion in 2008, the site has been called Sauganash Trail Park, and it is well known to the community by that name.

CHAI

Yesterday, I walked 10 miles in the morning before breakfast, and I walked another eight miles right around the time the sun set. 18 miles for the day. Chai. That's good luck! I will confess, that I will be very disappointed if I don't see some drop in my weight this week. I have learned that mountains of exercise do not necessarily translate into big weight loss - but I am hoping for something more than a pound. On Saturday morning, I will know how much progress I have made this week. 

I found this article by Ariela Pelaia about.judaism.com

Definition:Chai (חי) is a Hebrew word and symbol that means “life.” It is spelled with the Hebrew letters Het (ח) and Yud (י). Jews will often wear a Chai on a necklace, sometimes with a Star of David or Hamsa.
Chai is pronounced as if you were saying “hi” in English. 

The Symbolic Meaning of Chai
Judaism is a religion that emphasizes the importance of life. Jews are encouraged to be good, ethical people (mensches) and enjoy the time they are given on Earth. A common Jewish toast is “l’chaim!,” which means, “to life!.” It is said at celebrations in anticipation of all the good things to come. Because it means “life,” the Chai is consequently a symbol that captures an important aspect of Judaism. According to the gematria, which is a mystical tradition that assigns a numerological value to Hebrew letters, the letters Het (ח) and Yud (י) add up to the number 18. The Het has a value of 8 and the yud has a value of 10. As a result, 18 is a popular number that represents good luck. At weddings, bar mitzvahs and other events Jews often give gifts of money in multiples of 18, symbolically giving the recipient the gift of “life” or luck.

My day started with a 10 mile hike in the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve which is part of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District. My initial visit here was back in November. The first 6 miles of my hike were spent crisscrossing across various trails and the final 4 miles of my hike was spent walking along county roads. By 9:00AM, I was back in my hotel room ready to start my day, with 17,000 steps 'banked' according to my fitbit.

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After a one hour drive back to my hotel in Champaign from Mt Zion, I quickly changed and set out for an evening walk. I had more or less mapped out a course and when I arrived back at my hotel, I had logged an additional eight miles.

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I took this photo of myself overlooking Interstate Highway 57, I was within a half mile of my hotel during my second hike of the day..

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Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, June 9, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 5 packet	500	110	0	10	1,550	0
	500	110	0	10	1,550	0
L U N C H
Skippy - Creamy Peanut Butter	463	15	39	17	366	7
Clover Valley - Whole Wheat Bread	480	88	4	32	880	8
Smucker's - Concord Grape - Jelly	150	39	0	0	15	36
	1,093	142	43	49	1,261	51
D I N N E R
Big Daddy Charbroil and Cheese	780	65	43	32	1,460	11
Jack Links - Teriyaki Jerky, 3.5 oz	280	21	4	42	1,680	18
	1,060	86	47	74	3,140	29
S N A C K S
Oats 'n Honey Crunchy Granola	190	29	6	4	160	12
Banana - Banana, 2 medium banana (126 g)	248	60	0	2	2	38
Chunk Light Tuna In Water, 3 oz in can	60	0	1	13	250	0
	498	89	7	19	412	50
Totals	3,151	427	96	152	6,363	130
Your Daily Goal	5,950	744	198	298	2,300	223
Remaining	2,799	317	101	145	-4,062	93
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 4,020 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
WALKING	135	1,903
WALKING	107	1,544
Daily Total / Goal	242 / 30	3,447 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	856 / 210	10,965 / 4,130

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and finally... a discussion about my lunch... My 'lunch' yesterday was really my second breakfast. The first breakfast was at 6AM. After I walked 10 miles, I was feeling a bit hungry. So my second breakfast, was consumed around 10AM. I chose to consider it lunch. I know that I did not have to have four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. I had intended to have two and perhaps save the other two for a snack later in the day. But before you judge me...Ask yourself: DID YOU WALK 18 MILES YESTERDAY? Still, I know that I should not have had four sandwiches.  But you know what?  I was hungry.

TRIBUTE TO OLYMPIC ATHLETES

Yesterday morning, my first appointment was in a small town called Virden. I decided to spend Tuesday night in Jacksonville, Illinois. Jacksonville is an unremarkable small city in Illinois. Unlike two days ago when I began a morning walk in the pre-dawn hours, yesterday I began my walk at sunrise. By 8:15AM I was back in my room, having already taken a 2.5 hour hike of 11.36 miles. I passed lots of farmland, a Nestlés processing plant, a couple of parks and schools - but not much else.  Still it was a great feeling to have 'banked' 20,000 fitbit steps before most people have their first cup of coffee in the morning.

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It wasn't until I arrived in Champaign to settle into yet another hotel, that I finally found something interesting. I arrived at my hotel around 7:00PM and there was still enough sunlight to take an evening walk. So I did. During my urban hike, I 'discovered' the Champaign Park District Tribute to Olympic Athletes.

from wikipedia...

The "Tribute to Olympic Athletes" was created to honor those residents of Champaign County who have competed in the Olympics. To date 41 athletes are commemorated on the monument since the tribute's dedication on July 4, 1991. The monument consists of several rising plateaus forming a walkway leading to a large granite gateway. Beyond the gateway a pedestal overlooking the playing fields in Dodds Park is inscribed with the names of those who have represented Champaign County in the Olympics.

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This is my long shadow as it was very late in the day.

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker Oats - Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon	320	66	4	8	400	24
Kelloggs - Raisin Bran Cereal	380	92	2	10	420	36
Generic - Biscuit and Gravy	400	61	44	17	1,380	12
Super 8 Cinnamon Roll - Cinnamon Roll, 1 roll (92g)	310	48	15	4	550	25
	1,410	267	65	39	2,750	97
L U N C H
Banana - Banana, 3 medium banana	372	90	0	3	3	57
	372	90	0	3	3	57
D I N N E R
Roast Beef & Turkey W/Pepper Jack Cheese on Honey Berry Bread, 2 sandwich	620	66	20	44	2,600	12
Essential Everyday - Raisins	260	64	0	2	0	48
	880	130	20	46	2,600	60
S N A C K S
Fiber One - Chocolate Chip Chewy Bar, 2 bar (36g)	280	58	8	4	180	14
	280	58	8	4	180	14
Totals	2,942	545	93	92	5,533	228
Your Daily Goal	4,811	601	160	241	2,300	180
Remaining	1,869	56	67	148	-3,232	-48
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,881 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	150	2,205
Walking	73	1,061
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-385
Daily Total / Goal	224 / 30	2,881 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	614 / 210	7,518 / 4,130

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MACLURA POMIFERA

OK, I know what you are thinking.... Maclura Pomifera?  What the heck is Macular Porifera?  That's why I am here today.   To tell you all about Maclura Pomifera.

On Tuesday morning, I returned to the Lake in the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet, Illinois.  On Monday I was there at sunset.  Yesterday, I visited the more natural part of the preserve, this time at pre-dawn.  I parked my car precisely where I had parked it the day before.  This time I spent all my time on the western side of the preserve.  It was not too long before I spotted some very odd looking softball sized freaky looking round balls on the trail.  These were something that I had never seen before.  I made a mental note where on the trail I found these so that I might go back and investigate later.  In the course of my 10 mile walk through the forest preserve, there were multiple places where these round balls were found along the trail.  I had no idea what these were.  I picked one up, I stuffed it in my backpack and a few miles later I came across a couple walking their dogs and I asked them if they knew what this was.  They did.  They told me that they were called HEDGE APPLES.

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The nice thing about walking/hiking through the woods in the year 2015 is that one travels with complete and total access to the all the information in the world in the palm of your hand.  I googled Hedge Apple and found that the scientific name for this is MACLURA POMIFERA.  These Hedge Apples, the fruit of the Osage-Orange Tree are said to be kept by folks as an insect repellant.  The female trees produce this odd looking fruit.  These hedge apples can be between 3 and 5 inches in diameter.  They ripen in September and October and then fall to the ground.  During my hike there were very few fruits still in the trees.  They were all along the trail.  The hedge apple is not an important food source for wildlife.  The theory that hedge apples can be used as a insect repellant are widely believed, although not true.

The last thing that I want to share with my readers about hedge apples are the many colorful names that these fruit are known: HEDGE BALL, HORSE APPLE, GREEN BRAINS, MONKEY BALLS, and MOCK ORANGE.

This is why I am a walker/hiker these days.  This is why I have discovered a new hobby: walking outdoors.  It is because I am seeing all kinds of things that I never knew existed.

My walk started just before sunrise and there was a distinct chill in the air. I was prepared with my ski cap and leather gloves.  It did not take long for me to warm up as I was zipping along haphazardly following the many different trails in the forest preserve.

The last four miles of my ten mile walk took me north outside of the forest preserve, then eastward and finally south along the highway until I returned to my origin point where my car was parked.

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Great Value - Cereal Crunchy Oat Squares, 1.5 cup	240	52	3	6	280	12
Quaker - Instant Original Flavor Oatmeal, 4 pack	400	76	8	16	300	0
Banana - One Piece - Banana (One Whole), 100 g	120	20	0	1	1	15
	760	148	11	23	581	27
L U N C H
KROGER 54535 - VEGGIE CHIPS, 100 g (approx 1/2 cup)	460	78	14	4	440	14
KROGER 54060 - SOY NUTS, 63.5 g (approx 1/2 cup)	305	18	17	23	140	4
Wasa - Crisp'n Light 7 Grains, 24 Crackers	560	112	4	16	720	8
	1,325	208	35	43	1,300	26
D I N N E R
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	430	86	7	11	1,604	44
S N A C K S
General Mills - Nature Valley - Oats 'n Honey Crunchy Granola Bar, 2 bars	190	29	6	4	160	12
KROGER 90078 - BANANACHIPS, 50 g (approx 3/4 cup)	270	31	15	1	0	6
Cheerios - Dry, 2 cup cereal	200	40	4	6	320	2
	660	100	25	11	480	20
Totals	3,175	542	77	88	3,964	117
Your Daily Goal	3,563	445	118	179	2,300	133
Remaining	388	-97	40	90	-1,664	16
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	140	1,834
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-201
Daily Total / Goal	141 / 30	1,633 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	281 / 210	3,328 / 4,130

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TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 3175 CALORIES
TOTAL CALORIES BURNED (10 MILE HIKE) 1834 CALORIES
TOTAL NET CALORIES 1341 CALORIES
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fitbit day 69

40016 steps

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I guess today, you could have called me "LITTLE GREEN RIDING HOOD"   Actually, there may be many days in the coming weeks when I will be wearing my snug, warm, zippered green hoodie.  Anyway, here are a few scenes from the trail yesterday.

It was a bit chilly at 6:30AM when I set out for my ten mile walk...I tried to take a photo of my breath.

The shadow on my face is from my iphone as I took this selfie looking in the direction of the sun

My shadow follows me everywhere... 

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