And now, for something completely different

You might be wondering what I've been doing lately, since blog posts have been sparse. Well, I've got some exciting business plans in the works, which I will announce super soon. Extra-curricular activities have ramped up as well. My running buddy and I have been training for a race that we just completed this past Sunday. For someone who is a self-declared loather of running, even I was surprised when I agreed to run a 10 mile race.

The Tilden Tough Ten  provides runners with an alternative to the craziness that is the Bay to Breakers, held in San Francisco on the same day. Bay to Breakers has something like 55,000 runners competing for cash prizes. Tilden Tough Ten caps out at 300, with age group winners receiving a medal and bragging rights.

"The course is an “out and back”, beginning and ending at the parking lot at Inspiration Point and is run on both road and trail, with a “killer hill” on the trail portion at miles 4.5/5.5 which descends/climbs 125 feet in just a tenth of a mile.

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...Combined with the unpredictable effects of erosion and free range cattle, it isn’t uncommon to see runners virtually crawling up and down this slope.

As it rained the night before and during the race, we had lots of muddy fun to contend with during the 2 mile off road portion.

"The weather offers its own brand of “tough” each year, with temperatures that can vary widely,

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from the blazing 80's in 2009

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to the can’t-see-your-feet-foggy 40s last year,
as well as occasional “perfect” days. What can’t be beat is the scenery, with San Francisco and the Bay on one side and the hills on the other. Runners are treated to the full array of wildflowers and the wildlife of Tilden Park. ... The Tilden cows provide a unique cheering squad. For those not concerned about finishing times, it is a 10-mile photo op." (source)

We're stoked to have done it. Now, a brief interlude while I collapse.

Wood color palette

How can you create a colorful palette in your interior using only natural elements?
How about stained varieties of wood?

This lovely one bedroom cabin in Great Barrington, MA, utilizes primarily wood species to incorporate a broad range of hues into the interiors.

 

Wrapped in warm Western Red Cedar for the walls with blonde wood for trim and cabinets, light and dark play off one another.

I can't tell from photos, but it's either stone slabs or poured concrete floor in a deep charcoal for a grounded feeling. It would get way too busy if there were wood on the floor, as well, don't you agree?

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I also like how the wood runs horizontally across the walls, and vertically along the cabinets.

Refreshing to see the beautiful, natural qualities of wood expanded upon by mixing and matching. Who says you can't have them all?

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