~18.3 mi @ ~14.6 min/mi

"STEAM WEEK!" says the sign in front of Spring Hill Elementary School. True today — though it's humidity and heat rather than Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics that STEAM represents. Dawn Patrol rambles long on a pre-summery "National Donut Day". K-Rex and Roadkill reminisce about their youthful work in the retail food sector; Slow Twitch snags a toroidal bagel while K2 enjoys iced coffee.

"Is that a missile?" asks K-Rex. Indeed it is, painted red-white-blue at American Legion Post 180. We loop around the 'hood while waiting for Whole Foods to open. A few steps farther down the W&OD Trail a bronze girl takes flight from the pages of a book in front of the newly-remodeled Vienna Community Center.

"Private Driveway!" warns the sign, although the map shows an open pedestrian pathway through Ash Grove Historic Park. "I'll just 'Ask Directions'," says Roadkill, venturing ahead. And in fact it is a public right-of-way, leading over a flooded stream where a big turtle perches on a sandbar, then plunges into the water. We meander through the gated townhouse community. "When I get old I'd like to live somewhere like this," says Slow Twitch. The Ash Grove 18th century plantation house stands nearby.

"I wanna glide down over Mulholland / I wanna write her name in the sky / I'm gonna free fall out into nothin' / Gonna leave this world for a while." Slow Twitch and Roadkill sing along with Tom Petty during the drive home. Cool-down time — we earned it!

(trackfile) - ^z - 2018-06-16