Estrada Real Virtual Challenge COMPLETED December 26, 2023

For that mailbox to turn red and the door to drop open so I can receive my final postcard, I need to cover 14 kms to arrive at Glaura and then the last .1kms will bring me to the finish line.  To fill a bit of time on Christmas morning, I went to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary where I covered half that distance.  The cotton candy sky was a sweat treat to.....

.....welcome in Christmas Day!

Today was the first time I brought bear spray with me to the Sanctuary!  This came as a recommendation from others who had been there recently and experienced unfavourable coyote encounters.   When I think back to that sighting I had on December 10th, no doubt that was the beginnings of close encounters. This morning I did see a coyote eating a bird, when it saw me it dropped the bird and ran off.  I learned that January is the start of mating season for coyotes, so it's best to be more aware.

It was a lovely cold morning, cold with enough humidity that lots of hoar frost was on display.  

My intentions were not to stay long yet when I arrived at this location, I thought oh to just sit awhile and while away the time, but that will have to wait for another time when I have more time. 

Virtually, this was where I was for Christmas!

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Today, it was time to lace up the skates again and etch my way to the finish line of the Estrada Real Challenge.  After a Christmas Day visit to the Sanctuary yesterday where I walked roughly 7 kms, today I was in need of 7.1 kms yet I covered 10.27 kms, just because it was such a gorgeous morning to be in ice.  I headed for the Ice Trail again and the groomer was just finishing up with his last round of flooding.  The moon was setting between the trees while the sun was casting that pink hue over the river and onto the Ice Trail.

first etches of the day on the freshly flooded ice

a short snippet of skating sights and sounds

When I got home from skating, I entered the distance I covered into the Virtual Challenge App then the mailbox turned red and the door dropped down revealing my final postcard.

final postcard

I am a FINISHER!

I will have my medal in a couple of weeks.

The route from start to finish.

four other postcards I received along the way

There is no need for time to rest after completing this virtual challenge.  I plan to be "out & about" tomorrow and will start a brand new virtual challenge to finish off this year and bring me well into the new year.