30 Comments

I did not think you were nuts at all. I was admirering how at ease the baby was just swimming. So relaxed, enjoying him/herself. Not thinking about form, pace, or anything, just doing what it does with pure ease and grace, calm, relaxed and happy.

Expand full comment

You're so right Felicia! I could write a story just about this. The baby was sure having a great morning and I was so grateful one stuck around for us. :)

Expand full comment

Home schooling with Mom

Surely is never boring?

She's "awe and wonder"

Love how you bring the Great Outdoors ( G.O.D.) to your children and all of us. Thanks for inspiring Jules. May your ripples of curiosity and kindness spread throughout the Universe.

Expand full comment

Jules, may you continue to send your blessings out into the world.

Expand full comment

It's a real privilege to do so.

Expand full comment

Clark, You made my morning!

I pray this...our world could use more and more every minute. Thank you so much. It's always a joy to read your poems.

Expand full comment

I love this Julie, esp the unexpected details of not just the wonderful sighting of beavers but also your question about potatoes. We are v fond of potatoes here, 🇮🇪 , but I don’t know anyone who takes one on a run! How wonderful for Delany to have her momma so alive to everything!

Expand full comment

Thank you so much Margaret for reading. We LOVE potatoes too. I hope to get over to Dublin in 2025 and enjoy them with you all. :) (are you close to Dublin?) Anyways...yes I'm experimenting with potatoes (baby ones are easy I noticed to stash) for the 50 miler in Nov. EEK!

Expand full comment

We’re just a couple of hours from Dublin. Wouldn’t that be cool! 😎

Expand full comment

So cool! My sister lives in England and we're heading over in July 2025...We hear Dublin isn't far and would LOVE to visit. I'll keep you posted.

Expand full comment

A great tale, and telling, Julie ! Delaney would have been overjoyed. As would have I.

How would I eat a potato on a run or brisk hike? One bite at a time ;-)

Expand full comment

HA! I love this Gary. Yes I think I prefer this as well. I hope to get both kids up early on Tuesday to show them the lodge and maybe the beavers will be out for us to see. (crossing my fingers and bringing my phone for photos)

Expand full comment

I find it hard to eat and keep walking. I don't know how you do it while running!

Expand full comment

It definitely takes practice! LOL

Enjoy this gorgeous day Claudette and it's always great to hear from you. xox

Expand full comment

Oh Julie, wow, what a gorgeous, gorgeous story! I think I remember reading your previous post about when you and Felicia had seen the beaver - and this is a fabulous sequel to the tale!

How absolutely magical!

Beavers have been reintroduced to certain areas of the UK in recent years, but they're still very scarce and I haven't yet ever seen one. One day, though, one day!

Expand full comment

Hi Rebecca, Thank you so much for reading. Oh I do hope you get to see a beaver one day. We are just wild about them. LOL We cant’ wait to head back to the trail again to see them.

Expand full comment

First and foremost, setting goal of 50 miles is in itself is inspiring and is now pushing me to don my running shoes that have covered several hundred miles of myriad landscapes, but now sadly are gathering dust. You are an inspiration and I am writing this in the most earnest way. And you were truly lucky that you came across this beautiful family occupied in their chores with no consideration of what was happening outside. Much to learn from the beavers' time and your energetic family. And you have to be nuts to explore and unearth what misses several eyeballs.

Expand full comment

HI Vineet! It's so great to get your message. I was so thrilled to see those beavers and then take my children back a few days later to show them. It was amazing they appeared and we got to watch...beautiful, hard working creatures.

Oh I do hope you get those sneakers back at it soon. :) Hope all is well on your end.

Take good care, Julie

Expand full comment

I love that you have a nearby beaver sanctuary to visit! Your fascination with them reminds me of mine with the sea dogs (seals) who surround me on my daily kayak & paddleboard adventures.

PS: I could never quite get into the potato in distance training/racing. Respect!

Expand full comment

We are so lucky! And this morning I took the kids to the canal trail to show them the lodge I saw on Saturday and they go to see them. WOOHOO! Delaney was thrilled. I took some videos and photos. Seals must be amazing to see. WOW. Have a great few days in Maine. I'll send your next letter to AZ.

I'm working on the potato and running...I hope it will be for me...still in the experimenting stage. LOL

Expand full comment

Lovely story. Only beavers are not pets. They need water and we need them there. They open sources of oxygen in the water.

Potatoes are my lovely meal. Only in a potatoe puree, you can run ,and not feel that you have a hot one in your mouth. It is consider a difficult issue in the german language , means that you have difficulty to express yourself properly. I send regards to the lovely writing group. Missing you.

Expand full comment

Hi Renate, We can dream. :) LOL

Luckily we have several options we can see beavers in the wild. It's amazing to watch them. They are so fast in the water.

Thank you for sharing and teaching me about the german language. :) We miss you too. Have a great week.

Expand full comment

thank you for inspiration.

Expand full comment

Thank you for being here with me Renate.

Expand full comment

Beavers are amazing and the kits are beyond cute! I'm going to draw beavers tomorrow for my BrewTime(c) Post-Its. I love that you and Delaney read together at night, and that she wants a pet beaver. How cool would that be? Sounds like a book waiting to happen! RE: eating a potato while running, I would put it in something that I could squeeze the potato with one hand with an easy one-handed way to open whatever the vessel would be. Maybe there's another invention in this, something for marathoners and long distance runners, and cyclists!

Expand full comment

Hi Mary B! I can't wait to see your Beaver drawings. :) Yes it would be very cool to have one as a pet but we know they need to stay in the wild. We at least have so many options near us to see them. We got up early this morning so I could show her the lodge and the beavers. To my surprise we found 2 lodges and saw a few beavers. It's been a great morning and Delaney was thrilled. I'm going to experiment with the potatoes...mashed or boiled. I'll see.

Expand full comment

Yes, to potatoes! While running, I eat them with my hands 🤪

Expand full comment

Hi Raziq! I'm thrilled to read this!! I tried this today...LOL. I got the baby potatoes and boiled them. Very easy to stash away too. Is this what you do? Tell me more! :)

Expand full comment

A little bit of salt for electrolytes, chuck them in a sandwich bag, munch away! And yep baby potatoes are best. I tried mixing it up with multicolor fingerling potatoes once, but I found that plain old white ones are best for me.

Expand full comment

Oh! forgot the salt...perfect. Thank you so much Raziq! Hope your week is off to a great start and running too! Cheers.

Expand full comment