iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 1h

Side by side posters in my parents’ retirement residence which leads me to wonder how serious they are about fall prevention. #CognitiveDissonance #SeniorLiving

Two posters advertising events in a seniors residence. The one on the left promotes a fall prevention class. The one on the right promotes cocktail hour.

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 17h

Must remember to trim my old man eyebrows before my next run. They pose a hazard, obscuring my vision, wicking salty sweat into my eyes, and, when they grow long enough, tripping me up. Or maybe I could just tie them behind my head with a hair clip. #Run #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #MarathonTraining

A red line traces a running route in Toronto’s Don Valley down the Lower Don Trail and up the Bayview Extension. Because this map comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Cool weather loves me.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Went out for a #run this morning, intending to take things at an easy conversational pace. As is typical, I have no self-discipline and went out like a little kid. Whee! Look at me! I’m #running like an idiot! So much for training plans. #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #MarathonTraining

A swing hangs from ropes on a forest trail. In the background are the roots of a tree. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “All Your Base Are Belong To Us!”

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Reposted by David Barker

Granta @grantamag.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

We congratulate Anne Carson, winner of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature. Carson is a contributing editor at Granta and a regular writer for the magazine. In celebration, we have lifted the paywall on all her contributions to our pages. granta.com/contributor/...

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Reposted by David Barker

Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 07/10/2026

Why wouldn’t I support a Dada center near me??

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I’d like to construct an experiment to determine if runners wearing supershoes run slower if they believe they’re wearing ordinary trainers. #running #Run #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #MarathonTraining #Shoes

Luggage and sundry garbage scattered across the dirt ground. At the top of the image is graffiti decorating the concrete posts supporting Toronto’s Bloor/Danforth subway flyover across Rosedale Valley Road. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Shoe Placebo Effect.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I know it sounds corny, but when I find myself #running on a forest trail and meet a deer, and when the deer doesn’t even notice me, it’s a magical moment. #TrailRun #RunSky #ThunderBay #Ontario #RunnersOfBlueSky #MarathonTraining

A white-tailed deer in the forest grazes on underbrush. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Recovery Run in Centennial Park.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Up to #ThunderBay yesterday. Frost advisory overnight. Woke this morning to much cooler #running conditions than I’ve grown used to thru the summer months. Once I got moving tho, things felt toasty. #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #MarathonTraining #Ontario #LakeSuperior

The poster poses for a selfie in early morning light on Current River in Thunder Bay. He’s wearing a red cap, sunglasses, and a pale blue shirt. On his chest is the shadow of his hand holding a cellphone. In the background are rapids flowing over rocks and pine trees on either bank of the river. Because the image has been pulled from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Thunder Bay is reacquainting me with cool weather r…”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

A honking long motorcade just went past my place, presumably part of Mark Carney’s investment circus. To my knowledge, no cyclists were struck and no investment bankers were inconvenienced by the bicycle lanes. #cycleTO #Toronto

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Today was supposed to be a recovery #run but ended up being more of a flirt-with-disaster run. Inexplicably, I feel fine although I know I’m about to get a scolding from my PT. #Running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #MarathonTraining

This is a map pulled from Strava that shows an orange line to mark a running route through Toronto’s Don Valley. It’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Quick Ten.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Today I DNFd the #HaliburtonForest 50 miler. I got to the 30km mark & realized I’d reinjure my knee if I did the whole thing, so bowed out after a single 40km loop. Still a lot of fun & beautiful scenery. #Haliburton #TrailRunning #Ontario #Running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

Two dead trees rise from the water of a swampy lake. In the background are tree covered hills. The sky is blue with wispy clouds. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “DNFd the Haliburton Forest 50 miler.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Enjoying an afternoon #Run thru the back roads of the #HaliburtonHighlands as I prep for an #UltraMarathon on Saturday. Test run with all my gear went well although the bear bell is really annoying (which means it’s working). #Running #TrailRunning #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #Haliburton #Ontario

Running gear laid out on the brown slats of a deck, including a white cap, RayBan sunglasses, Shokz ear buds , K tape, Apple Watch, collapsible cup, assorted energy gels and power bars, electronic device cables, battery, gaiters, TP in a plastic baggie, hydration vest and hose, SpiBelt with more energy gels. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Test Run with all my gear.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A week out from a 50 miler in the Haliburton Forest and enjoyed a great afternoon #run up and down hills. #Running #Haliburton #HaliburtonForest #HaliburtonHighlands #Ontario #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #TrailRunning

Photo of the poster wearing running shorts, a life jacket, and swimming goggles perched on his forehead. He’s carrying a paddle which implies that he’s standing on a paddle board even though it’s not visible. He’s on a body of water and behind him is a tree-lined shore and blue sky with a few white fluffy clouds. The image comes from the poster’s Strava account and so is overlaid with running stats and the words, “I found my thrill on Blueberry Trail.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

My name is Yone, a girl born in 1734 in the Japanese Archipelago, and I died of typhus at the age of one.

anyhumanever.com

Any Human Ever

One life, drawn at random from all who have ever lived.

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Early morning run thru Tay twp, so named for one of Lady Simcoe’s pet dogs. A light rain kept me cool especially climbing the hillier bits. #Run #RunSky #Running #RunnersOfBlueSky #MarathonTraining

A view from Rumney Road in Tay township looking down a long slope to Highway 12 and a long rise beyond it. The sky is overcast and the pavement of Rumney Road is damp. This image comes from the poster’s Strava account and so is overlaid with running stats and the words, “Early morning jaunt thru Tay Twp.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I’m supposed to be running a 50 miler in 2 weeks but I just don’t know. The spirit is willing but the quads are weak. Also, it would be a whole lot easier if there was a pizzeria in the middle of the #Haliburton Forest. #Run #Running #RunSky #TrailRunning #UltraMarathon #MarathonTraining #Pizza

A Japanese beetle sits in the middle of a yellow wildflower. The background is blurred greenery. The image comes from the poster’s Strava account and so is overlaid with running stats and the words, “It weren’t pretty but it were long.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Out for a long(ish) #run that took me into the bowels of East York, then to Taylor Creek & the Lower Don Trail. Found some snails and it reminded me of the pace I’m supposed to keep. #LongRun #Running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #Toronto

A snail hangs from a leaf. The image comes from the poster’s Strava account and so is overlaid with running stats and the words, “It Ain’t Easy.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Spent the morning doing hills in the heat. Used a white picket as an excuse to pause. Reminded me of a famous photo by Paul Strand. Though I doubt he sweated so much when he made his photo. #Running #HillSprints #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #MarathonTraining

Image of a white picket fence with one missing slat. The image comes from the poster’s Strava account and so is overlaid with running stats and the words, “Up Hill And Down Dale.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

I get along with humidity the way Obama gets along with Trump. Today’s #run proved I’m definitely not acclimated to warmer weather conditions. I know it’s bad when I’m #running along & all I can think of is how much I miss the snow. #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

A purple wildflower set against a backdrop of cat o’ nine tails. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Looking forward to crisp winter days.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Sometimes your runs aren’t the ones you want but the ones you need … #run #running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

A teasel in flower against a backdrop of greenery. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Lots of stops to smell the flowers.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Sometimes people kvetch about life in #Toronto, but on occasion the city gets things right. Like their refurbishment of the East Don River Trail. I went for a #LongRun up there and—holy guacamole!—they’ve done a fantastic job transforming this space. #Running #CityLiving

Photo of the East Don Trail Pedestrian Overpass. A network of struts and girders supports a looping circular walkway over railway tracks. It is situated in the greenery of an urban forest and above the trees are dark clouds. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Exploring the newly refurbished E. Don River Trail.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

If the experts are to be believed, my #run today was impossible, further bolstering my view that max HR calculators are useless for older runners. If, like me, you’re in your 60s & train consistently & frequently, consider lopping 10 yrs off the top when making max HR calculations. #running #RunSky

A park bench sits at the Chester Springs Marsh in Toronto’s Don Valley. To the right and extending into the distance is an asphalt path that disappears into the greenery. In the background are the black iron struts of the Prince Edward Viaduct. Overhead, the sky is a bright blue with puffy white clouds. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Running under a proper blue sky!”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

10km #run on a #treadmill while listening to a Guardian Long Reads podcast about AI & ethics. If AI gets sold to us on the basis of convenience or productivity, then I’m out. As #running teaches me, resistance is everything. What’s true for the body is doubly so for the mind. I live for the effort.

Selfie of the poster, a middle-aged to older white man wearing a red cap, Shokz ear buds, and a grey T-shirt. He is sweating copiously and is posing with gym equipment in the background. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Treadmill on a hot tin gym.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

“Pray, Miss Price, are you such a great admirer of this Mr. Crawford as some people are? For my part, I can see nothing in him." "I do not think him at all handsome." "Handsome! Nobody can call such an undersized man handsome. He is not five foot nine.” - Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Ran indoors today as #Toronto currently enjoys the world’s worst air quality. Coming off a big nothing-burger of a knee injury (ruptured baker’s cyst) so taking it easy. #Treadmill #Recovery #Run #Running #Training #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

Toronto cityscape looking north over Rosedale Valley. The sky is tinged a hazy orange thanks to smoke from forest fires in northern Ontario. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Indoor run with a Hepa filter!”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Félix Guarttari offered an eerily prescient algae quote 37 years ago!

Just as monstrous and mutant algae invade the lagoon of Venice, so our television screens are populated, saturated, by "degenerate" images and statements. In the field of social ecology, men like Donald Trump are permitted to proliferate freely, like another species of algae, taking over entire districts of New York and Atlantic City; he "rede-velops" by raising rents, thereby driving out tens of thousands of poor families, most of whom are condemned to homelessness, becoming the equivalent of the dead fish of environmental ecology.
- Félix Guattari, The Three Ecologies, 1989

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Was reading Mansfield Park last night but, inexplicably, fell asleep watching a cheesy martial arts flick. Woke up this morning with the idea for a #JaneAusten mashup. What if Mansfield Park is a dojo and, instead of ordination, Edmund is waiting to get his black belt? #Books #BookSky

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

It’s Father’s Day where I live. I’m blessed to have a father who, at 90, continues to thrive, doubly blessed because I have a father who modelled for me a healthy masculinity unafraid to feel compassion, show kindness, & enjoy free play. Love you Dad.

A tree trunk of rough bark mottled in varying light and dark. Fixed to the tree is a wooden heart painted green and on it the word Dad.

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

On my morning #run up the Lower Don Trail and along Taylor Creek, I came upon not one, but two—yes two!—baseballs roaming free in the wild. Such rare creatures & clearly amphibious. #Running #LongRun #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #Toronto #Baseball

A green baseball sits in the waters of Toronto’s Don River. Overhead power lines are reflected in the water. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Baseballs in the Wild!”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Back in #Toronto for a few days. Went for #run in the Don Valley where I can be blissfully oblivious to all the FIFA hype. If I were a Shakespearian character, I’d say: I give not fig for thy spectacle. #Running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

A heap of concrete slabs, each painted a different colour, stacked in the middle of the Cottonwood Flats, a small wooded area in Toronto’s Don Valley. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Avoiding the FIFA hype.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

If I don’t feel like #running, I always have the option of stopping for a party. #ThunderBay is full of such surprises. #Ontario #Run #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #LongRun

A low red brick building with a metal door entrance. Hanging over the entrance is a sign that says, “Free Party Room.” Beyond the building are trees shrouded in fog. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Free Party Room.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Another #run in #ThunderBay this time sunny with brilliant blue sky (tho still patches of #fog down by the lake shore). Got the munchies & finished the run clutching a bag of Cheetos & a loaf of bread. #running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #LakeSuperior

Three parallel train tracks recede and ultimately disappear into a fog. Beside the tracks are utility poles and green grass. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Beautiful Sunny morning in TB.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Lovely foggy morning in Thunder Bay. Ran up to the Trowbridge in Centennial Park then a loop around Boulevard Lake. #ThunderBay #Ontario #Fog #Run #Running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

A pine tree leans precariously over the water, almost parallel to the surface, almost kissing its own reflection. It’s impossible to see the far shore for all the fog. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Foggy Run in Thunder Bay.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

A morning #run thru mid-town #Toronto. When I was a child, I felt ambivalent about the stretch of subway south from Davisville. They call it a subway, but it isn’t really sub, is it? #running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

A view from Toronto’s Kay Gardner Beltline Trail where it crosses Yonge Street and the TTC’s Davisville marshalling yard. In the foreground are subway tracks and trains. In the distance is a tall condominium building still under construction at the intersection of Yonge & Delisle. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Kay Gardner to the Allen & Back.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Passed this poster on my run this morning & had a momentary fantasy about teaching English pronunciation my way. I’d start with the phrase “Doug Ford” which is correctly pronounced as “Corrupt Asshole.” Yes, the English language can be challenging. #run #running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #OnPoli

A poster taped to a utility pole says: improve your pronunciation with the English Circle! Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “I want to learn to speak like a runner!”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Did the Mansfield 25km #TrailRace - seems a runner bumped a sign & a bunch of us missed a 5km loop. At the finish line they sent us back to make it up but our chips already recorded us as done. What a fustercluck. At least 20km of it went well. #TrailRunning #Running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

View from a trail lookout at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre which sits on a stretch of the Niagara Escarpment. It looks over a wooden fence and nearby trees to rolling farmland in the distance. The sky is a beautiful blue. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it is overlaid with running stats and the words, “Mansfield 25 km.”

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Reposted by David Barker

Mayor Bert Xanadu @moviemayor.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Sad day, as Toronto's last flame-resistant toupée shop, Lord Insulate, closes its doors for good, a victim of under-the-table lobbying by the comb-over cabal, and marital discord in the asbestos industry. I've ordered all barbershop poles to be rotated counter-clockwise in protest.

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Ran up to the Elevated Wetlands Sculptures and red winged blackbirds pecked my head only once. #Run #Running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #Toronto #PublicArt

A large concrete form roughly the size and shape of an elephant has small trees growing from it and water pouring from a spout. In the background are green trees and a blue sky. Because this image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Elevated Wetlands Sculptures.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

I recently had a friend ask if I could recommend a local #running route that didn’t have any hills. I’m afraid I gave her one of those looks. No hills? But hills are a runner’s best friend. You need resistance to develop. Struggle. Effort. Sturm und Drang. #run #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky #HillRuns

A crumpled yellow sign, with a stylized walking figure in black and the words “slow pedestrian,” lays on a forest floor among last fall’s dead leaves and this spring’s green shoots. This image comes from the poster’s Strava account and is overlaid with running stats and the words, “A Few Good Hills.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

It rained here thru the night so, for this morning’s #run, I stayed out of the ravines & kept to the high ground. Sounds like a metaphor for life, no? #running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

Mauve lilac flowers hang amid their green leaves over a damp sidewalk that recedes into the distance. The image has been pulled from the poster’s Strava account and so is overlaid with running stats and the words, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” which is the title of a Whitman elegy for Abraham Lincoln.

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Reposted by David Barker

Samuel Pepys @samuelpepys.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Having taken one of Mr. Holliard’s pills last night it brought a stool or two this morning, and so forebore going to church.

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

While out for my morning #Run my wandering mind wondered if you can apply the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle to #Running i.e. The stats for any given run are inherently unreliable because that very run produces adaptations that ultimately change the stats. #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

A vaguely green pressure treated utility pole with spray painted Japanes(ish) characters on it. Behind it is an asphalt road and greenery beyond the road. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Running Mechanics: The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.”

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David Barker @nouspique.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Morning urban #TrailRun & while the air around the North #Toronto Waste Water Treatment Plant was um gag worthy, a pause at the main pond of the Evergreen Brickworks more than made up for it. #Run #Running #RunSky #RunnersOfBlueSky

A tree with mauve flowers leans over a pond. Because the image comes from the poster’s Strava account, it’s overlaid with running stats and the words, “Morning Trail Run With A Pause In The Evergreen Brickworks.”

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