Isle Bound - It's CITO Week!

CRAWL... WALK...RUN!

That is a simplified description of software development. We're in the midst of a major program and associated training release at work, which has really tapped into our adventure time (and sanity). As a result, I crawl through the week in development affecting a thousand coworkers globally, walk around on Thursdays and Fridays taking care of adult responsibilities so that we can run away to some type of adventure on the weekend.

Knowing that it will be a few months before we can escape to a serious adventure and having our first Spring-like weather to date, these weekend jaunts are so precious. So off to Belle Isle with friends!

You could feel the difference as TaGeez and I pulled onto Belle Isle yesterday. Since the state has taken over Belle Isle as a state park, the Isle is abuzz with new energy. Driving to the Nature Center for the annual Spring CITO, we passed crowds of volunteers raking leaves and piling branches and picking up litter. They were lining every road and even inside the abandoned Belle Isle Zoo! Decked out in color t-shirts, we heard later there were over 2,000 volunteers on hand for Spring cleanup day!

Side note: If I knew there was a chance to explore the old Zoo, 

I would've abandoned our CITO for theirs!

TaGeez and I teamed up with Missy and Dave to work our adopted road.  Amazing to see the improvement on this stretch over the last 6 years - the first time we cleaned here we were dealing with bucketloads of whiskey bottles and condoms (AKA "Belle Isle flowers"), discarded car parts and porcelain accouterments. 

Yesterday we collected 10,000 steps on the Fitbits, two bagfuls of trash and TaGeez scored several empty plastic barrels (probably deposited from picnic areas after the recent high winds).

TaGeez and GSIX

We rewarded ourselves with a hot dog pot luck and a group photo before that other itch took over... geocaching! 

Photo borrowed from Root2tee

Alas, we had lo head out. We were supposed to head towards TaGeez's work to check on his crew, but, typical to us, we were distracted by something bright and colorful! 

Recycle Here! Holden Street in Detroit

Mexicantown

It was a good start, but we need a little more dust on our boots to satisfy that travel itch.