Great outdoor walking weather!

It's been much too nice outside to walk the mall. Yesterday I hiked with a friend through the Nature Convservancy at Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve. We walked about 5 miles in 4 hours through the beautiful wooded forest. The part of the trail leading down to the creek water was the most strenuous but it was worth the effort to see the water rushing over the rocks. It was great to be able to walk without suffering from the heat and humidity. Today's walk through Smith and Wasena parks on the Greenway was also very pleasant. An area of the path near the Ramada Inn parking lot has been prepared for planting of trees and shrubs and it will be an improvement over the many weeds that were growing there previously.

Since the forecast for tomorrow is about the same, I'm looking forward to another fine morning constitution.

Thank Goodness for Air Conditioning!

On super hot days like today, it's great to have a cool place to walk. I would have thought that since I have been away for a few weeks, I would have noticed more changes. Things I did notice are that the new escalator in front of Penney's is in place, there's a great sale underway at Stein Mart as they prepare for their move to new quarters, and there's a large red curtain covering a wall display at Jaclyn's Hallmark. Could the cover be hiding Christmas ornaments? I'm afraid that it's just too soon for me to be thinking about anything Christmas. Since I walked the mall yesterday too, I visited Belk. It was like an obstacle course because workers were repairing floor tiles and had several areas of yellow tape strung around their work areas. I wonder what store will be taking over the Stein Mart space. It sure would be nice to have a Kohl's close by. Maybe even a Home Goods store like the one I have visited in Northern Virginia. If you would like to voice your opinion about what stores you would like to see here in Roanoke, visit this site to register your choices: http://roanokenet.roanokeva.gov/MyRetailRoanoke/?Open

Stay cool!

Birds of a Feather

Walks in the park along the Roanoke River continue as the weather continues to cooperate. Yesterday I noticed a pair of what I believe to be Red-Tailed Hawks. Perhaps their presence explains the reduced numbers of pigeons nesting beneath the bridge overpass. Today I noticed a pair of Great Blue Herons flying along the river's edge. It would be great to see some offspring during future visits.