Madison, WI

Started walk at 7:45 a.m.

It was a little colder than yesterday, but the last day of January was basically status quo with other January days. That is, no sun, overcast and mild.

I spotted the hawk perched in a dead tree by the boardwalk. This time it cared about our presence and flew off when it saw us approaching. It's a magnificent bird to watch in flight.

We also saw a red cardinal and it's less flamboyant female counterpart by a collection of bird feeders. In contrast, we were also passed by a gaggle of about eight female runners by the duck pond bridge. They were very talkative (to each other) and quite animated while they were running. What's more, they were much more colorful in their running apparel than the feathered females we usually encounter on our walk.

Coffee -- Costa Rican -- Excellent. Muffin today -- Cranberry -- Most Excellent.