The Florida CraftArt gallery is hosting eight Tibetan Buddhist monks this week as they create (and then destroy) a mandala made from brightly colored sand. 

I stopped in yesterday to see their progress, and it's impressive! This has nothing to do with running, but it's an fascinating display of consistency, patience and teamwork. (Maybe that's kinda like running, right?)

​It was mesmerizing to watch the monks precisely place sand granules to create the complicated design shown above. Their metal tools made the only noise in the studio as they tap, tap, tapped tiny grains onto their canvas.

The monks will dissolve their creation in a special ceremony on Sunday. They will carry the used mandala sand in a half mile procession to Tampa Bay. The sand will be deposited in the bay. The week long meditation on peace with end a final blessing at the water's edge.

#SandMandala #TibetanMonks #StPetersburg #FloridaCraftArt #WorldPeace #ThisOldRunner

I've seen plenty of plants, snakes, foxes, birds, bugs, gators and cats while running local trails and parks. But none like these. These art installations are in Riviera Bay Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. They are a fun surprise.

A plaque at the park's entrance invites visitors to enjoy a native flora and fauna hunt by finding all the sculptures in the park. Artist Tom Pitzen, of PitzenStudios.com, created the eight beautiful creatures you can find. I'll post an indepth review of Riviera Bay Park soon.

Happy #SerpentDay, everyone. That's a holiday I never planned to celebrate, but I'm glad to find such a beautiful snake on the right day.

#RivieraBayPark #TomPitzen #StPetersburg #FloraAndFaunaHunt #ThisOldRunner #SerpentDay #SeenOnARun #SceneOnARun #RunStPete

The only snow during the Boley Jingle Bell Run was from a snow machine blowing fake flurries as runners crossed the finish line. Runners, walkers, dogs, bands and spectators came dressed in neon, holiday lights and jingle bells. The full moon added a special glow to the festivities.

#Snow #JingleBellRun #SeenOnARun #SceneOnARun #StPetersburg #ThisOldRunner

There are people tracking Pokemon around Crescent Lake lately. I've seen teenagers, parents with kids, and groups of pre-teen boys wandering aimlessly around the park with phones in front of their faces.

I heard that the idea behind Pokemon Go was to get kids to go outside and walk around. While the Pokemon hunters may be outside, I haven't seen any moving fast enough to burn calories.

This past Saturday I noticed a couple of serious 12 year-olds at the park during my morning run. The two boys held their phones at arms length as they meandered onto the path. They were pale indoor types, so I was happy to see Pokemon Go encouraged them to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine. But just a few minutes later, they were sitting under a tree where they remained for about 20 minutes.

The real exercise generated by Pokemon Go may be the extra steps runners and walkers take moving around the preoccupied people playing the game.

If you're a Pokemon fan and a runner, then Salty Running has advice for getting in a good run while playing Pokemon Go. Have fun!

#PokemonGo #SeenOnARun #StPetersburg #Florida #ThisOldRunner

It's summer here in Florida and that means you have to be ready for sudden torrential downpours.

It's been so stinking hot lately, that a pop up shower during a run is welcome relief. Plus, once it starts to rain, I usually have the trail to myself, which is fun. However, there are a few wise considerations that will help keep you safe while running in the rain.

#RunningInTheRain #SeenOnARun #StPetersburg #Florida #ThisOldRunner