Today is Monday, June 22, 2026
Issue #317 ~ By Rachel Brandes
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
-Charles Darwin, English naturalist and biologist
Exploration England
featuring: Blake & Damon
With time off last week, Blake and Damon took a day trip to the White Cliffs of Dover. While visiting, Blake being Blake attempted a sexy pose for the camera. How did he do? Sexy, ehh, but his mother sure thinks he’s cute.
White Cliffs of Dover – Wikipedia Link
Enjoy the below photos shared by Blake and Damon.
Beautiful, right? Where is Damon? We may not have any photos of Damon on this adventure, but we get to hear his voice when the pair suddenly encounter two rather large black cows along the trail. Volume up (bottom left corner of video).
For those newbies out there, Blake is Rachel’s eldest son and Damon is a friend of Blake’s. They are both stationed (USAF) in England and enjoy a bit of exploring together.
Feline Tomfoolery
By Brady Wilfork Snugglebum & Belichick McDaniels Runtzilla
Dear Humans,
Aren’t we adorable in this view from above? We do plenty of wrestling but also love to cuddle with each other.
Have a magnificent Monday.
Much love, Brady (bottom) & Belichick (top)
P.S. Our human was excited to get to see her friend, Winston, last week and we agreed to share a photo in our section. We are so sweet.
Moments by Mira
www.everafterphotograpypnw.com
Located in Gig Harbor, Washington, Ever After Photography PNW is owned and operated by Mira Nachtigall, a long-time friend of Rachel.
Celebration Time
Rachel was excited to celebrate 500 classes at Orangetheory Fitness last week. How cute is that sign? Kate was the fabulous artist behind this Brag Board. If you are asking yourself why everyone has their hands in the air, there is a good reason. Rachel made a request for spirit fingers for the photo. What good sports to indulge her.
Mental Health Minute
Image shared from Instagram account myselflovesupply.
2026 Herriman Yeti 5k
Wind & Smoke
When Rachel left her home on Saturday, June 20, 2026, and headed to Herriman, Utah, she noted a faint smell of smoke in the air. Hmm, maybe it wouldn’t be as bad in Herriman. Herriman is 29 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. She checked the air quality and while it wasn’t great, she continued on her way.
As she drove south on the I-15, she could see the haze along the mountains. She thought, oh boy, breathing this in on a run won’t be great. (Side note: She spent the remainder of her relaxing day coughing; good thing it passed by evening.)
Pictured above is sunrise in Herriman with the haze evident. This photo has no filters and no editing. Not only this but the wind gusts were strong. In the 7 AM hour, the gusts were 22 miles per hour.
Wind gusts of 22 miles per hour? No, thank you. Rachel prefers to run in rain, sleet or snow. Wind is no good for running. One more added tidbit, she forgot her ponytail holder. No, no, no. Her hair was whipping around like crazy.
Well, it is what it is and would certainly be a new experience for her. On with it she went.
Fort Herriman Towne Days
The 2026 Herriman Yeti 5k Run was part of the Fort Herriman Towne Days, which will run from June 19 – 27th. There are fun events for residents of Herriman each day.
The 5k
When Rachel arrived, the event coordinators and volunteers were having a rough time trying to get set up with the winds. The nice thing was that everyone was in good spirits in spite of the wind. Rachel set out to warm up and make the rounds talking to strangers while runners prepared themselves.
If you didn’t notice the guy in the far right of the photo, take note. It looks as though he is thanking the Universe for allowing him to be there. That or he saw a photo being taken and wanted to shine.
Herriman Heroes
As someone that has attended many a run event over the decades, Rachel is always pleased to see a first aid station with ample help available.
Yeti 5k Dogs
Dogs, dogs and more dogs. It is always fun saying hello to dog owners and asking if taking a photo is okay. Rachel has never met a dog owner that isn’t ready to show off their furry friend.
The Coolest Award
The top three finishers in both the male and female categories received a very cool prize. Literally. Each of the six winners received a $100 bill in a large block of ice. What a fun idea. The blocks of ice had carrying containers, of course.
The Cutest Ass Award
During the run, the course took participants through a neighborhood. Amongst all of the normal neighborhood houses was a horse, donkey and little donkey. Rachel was too busy fighting the wind to stop for a photo but after the event she drove the course to find them and snap a shot.
The Results
Rachel felt great for the first two-ish miles of the run. That last mile, well, that one was at an incline with the wind pushing against her. Not fun. She had hoped to set a 2026 PR (personal record) during this 5k but knew the wind wouldn’t allow it, so she set out to focus on her form and enjoy the fact that her body allows her to run. By the way, her fasted 5k so far this year was a 10 minute 29 second mile average.
Wait. What? Yep. Check that out. PR, baby. She ran this one with a 10 minute 28 second mile average. Ah, sweet victory. She was very proud of herself for pushing through the wind with her hair in her face.
Look at all of the swag she got. You may notice the Goody Kids hair bands in the below photo. She purchased those on the way home. These will now be kept in her car because never will she ever again run without her hair pulled back. Never. Ever.
As she drove away from this event, she was craving coffee and donuts. Those donut holes she enjoyed at the zoo last week have been on her mind. She knew she would be treating herself to pizza when she got home and controlled the urge for donuts.
When she arrived home, one of the staff from the apartment complex was bringing in donuts and coffee to set out for the residents. WHYYYYYYYY, Universe. Why do you continue to temp her with free donuts.
Yep, she sure did. Why not. The Universe is wise and these were Banbury Cross Donuts; Rachel’s favorite Salt Lake City treat. Pizza was still up next. After Rachel enjoyed her plethora of carbs, she was ready for a restful day. Don’t worry, her tank was full enough and ready for day three of Chalk the Zoo (stay tuned next week) and the Good Intention Club Sunday. Until next time, eat a donut, and be well.
