Countryside running

I love to run.  I really do, don't get me wrong.  But the reason I run isn't just that it makes me feel strong, it's gotten me in shape and made losing extra weight easier.  I run because it gets me outside.  It makes me feel wild and natural.  It's given me a reason to get more time in the woods or on the country roads that I wouldn't maybe make an excuse for, or wouldn't get as much ground covered if I were just hiking or walking.

Miller Station road - It was sprinkling when Jason dropped me off.

 I am a country girl.   Don't get me wrong, I enjoy cities.  I know they give us culture.  I like the theatre, and concerts, and museums and art galleries.  I like zoos, and science centers, I like eating a variety of different ethnic food, and seeing how people come together in places like cities to live and learn and grow.  I'll visit cities, big cities, but I'll always be a country girl.  Living in town right now is hard for me.  And I'm happy that I can run a mile and be back out in the country, running along corn fields and cow pastures.

I'm never going to know which fashion designer makes what clothes.  I'm never going to refer to shoes by who designed them unless they're a running shoe or a hiking shoe.  I'm never going to wear heels, and I'm never going to own a cocktail anything.

Gamelands access.

I do know what it's like to immerse myself in the outdoors.  I know the happiness of the buzz of insects and the songs of birds and the crunch of road gravel or dirt under my feet while I run or walk down a trail.  I know the smell of ragweed or hay or cows or horses.  I know the names of a lot of plants and trees.  I'm not afraid of bugs or spiders or snakes, though I give bees a healthy distance out of respect.

I always loved exploring the woods and fields around my house when I was a little girl.  My friends went to the mall or to each other's houses and hung out.  I did that too, but sometimes I just wanted to go into the woods and catch frogs or climb trees or just find things that were exciting to me.

Gamelands

 

 I don't live on a farm or really out in the country.  I miss it.  But I get out there.  Maybe someday we'll have a cabin or I'll be able to work on someone else's farm.  Because, nothing, really nothing makes me as happy as being out in the fresh air, doing hard work, and seeing myself accomplish something.  I think that's why I like running so much.  I do it for me, not really for anyone else.  I run to be IN the nature that I love.

Today's run was great.  I went slower than I'd like, but I saw heron and duck, an opossum.  I ran along cornfields and swamps and winding streams.

cornfields

 

 I got 17.5 miles in, and mapped some of those country roads. I saw neatly trimmed lawns, and overgrown abandoned barns and houses.  I was chased by a couple of dogs, and waved at by a number of people.  And you know what?  It was a good run.  So get out there, run where you love, do what you want, and find your happy, even just for a little while...

fields

 

queen anne's lace with bugs

country church

misty Jerusalem artichoke (I think)

French Creek

swamp with ducks

Weather and Running

It's been a very odd summer.  For a while there in the spring, we had late frosts and late snows, and it seemed like warm weather would never arrive.  Then the past few weeks have been brutal, both heat and humidity wise.

I actually don't mind it.  We don't have air conditioning here, so it's been a dance of my husband's secret "Lock in the cool" skills as he opens the windows at night, and then I close them around mid-morning, before the sun comes up and heats everything.  The nights with a fan blowing on us have been comfortable.  I haven't lost much sleep.  At least not to heat.

Running has been ok.  I have gotten into a routine to run early in the mornings, or run in the woods on the weekends to hide from the heat.  The last full loop of Oil Creek State Park was brutal, but I think it has made me stronger.  I'm enjoying the adventure and challenge brought by the heat, because I'm nothing if not stubborn.

Today was lovely though.  I think mid 60s, breezy, overcast is my perfect running weather.  I wouldn't even mind cooler, but today... I got up, ran out the door, up the hill and away from town.  Along fields and past little country houses, smelling the scent of hay and sky and fields.  Oh and squished snails, but I didn't smell those, thankfully. Small barky dogs warned me away from their yards, and I ran and ran.

It was only 5 miles, but I made it back in time for my husband to get to work, and I was sweaty but not as hot or sweaty as I have been the last few times I've run.  I've been ok this summer, but this kind of day just makes me long for fall...

Hiking Oil Creeks trails

I really love Oil Creek state park.  There's nothing like walking through beautiful forests, on a myriad number of trails, and realizing that this place was once clear cut and stunk of oil and was covered in muck. 

This is my favorite part of some of the over 32 miles of trail in the park. It's a long straight stretch through hemlocks running beside a gully.  My entire purpose for going hiking today was getting here and just seeing it.  It gives me this great sense of calm...

Even with dog and child in tow.

and hubby.

Overall, a great day to hike.  I love the return of cool weather.  The kiddo didn't seem to mind it either.

He loved identifying the trail markers, or "Mark-its" as he refers to them.

I hope to get out and hike and enjoy the thick of nature more as the season progresses.

Spring, almost over?!

So it's well into spring, and I've done a lot with the landscape, planting seeds, transplanting and moving some plants, and throwing in some annuals. We've had some frost warnings the last few nights, so i brought out old towels and blankets and tucked everything in that I was worried about.

I have too many tomato plants. I ordered some heirloom seeds, determined to start my own plants this year, and so I did. I planted waayyy too many. I must have at least 40 plants, only 11 which i've put into containers on the front walk to hopefully get large enough to bear fruit. I think I'm going to make the husband take them to work and try to give them away. It has made me realize that next year i'm going to do some larger raised beds in the backyard to plant more tomatoes, beans, peas, lettuce, peppers, and whatever else i can convince myself to plant.

I'm happy how the yard is looking though. I have my retaining wall built, I've re-done the back porch so it's cleaner and more homey feeling, I've weeded, soil ammended and cleaned up all the beds, and I've planted perennials and annuals where i've wanted them.

My next goal is to plant more ferns in my shadowy back yard corner, and more hosta in some of the places where my ground cover is thinning badly.

The only thing i'm really sad about, is that spring feels almost over. I love all the new, tiny flowers, I love my yard filled with violets and hiking and seeing the tiny purple veined wood anemonies carpeting the ground. It seems like it only lasts a few days before it's over... I think i'll go see if those wood anemones are still blooming tomorrow... then take some more photos of my gardens, so i can remember what is planted where next year.

Grrr.

Dear Inconsiderate Littering Asshole,

I was hoping to enjoy a relaxing walk with my dog at the wildlife refuge today. Instead I find your garbage all over the path, shoved in places, and stuffed into and onto things. You are not an accidental litterer. I did not find your leavings accidentally fallen on the ground, which, though I can't condone, could be tolerated as carelessness. Beer bottles do not tend to blow upwards and invert themselves onto fallen branches 3 feet off the ground, nor do used tissues fly with the force of will to cram themselves into the hollow knots of pine trees, or stuff themselves in the crevasses in between interpretive signs to help hikers find their way. These acts are unforgivable, and if I ever find you, I will personally shove a beer bottle so far up your ass, that you will be making that beer bottle blowing noise when you try to talk.

Lets have a little respect for nature, more than a little respect for the people that are going to follow you on this trail, and a whole hell of a lot of respect for our children, and the children of the future, that are going to have to cope with the future, and who we should try to leave things at least as nice as we found them, if not better.

So, I hope you burn in a special circle of hell reserved for your littering, selfish, douchebag kind.

Sincerely,
me