trail notes, mmxx-i-xv

from an 11-1/2 mile bike ride along the brushy creek trail this afternoon

sandi's first 5k. and a deer. and thistles.

Woot!

purple and orange

Why, yes, I have been known on occasion to hop on the bike with my camera to go back and follow up after spotting something interesting while hiking. Even for tiny things.

field notes, xi-xx-xi

Three south-bound mallards passed over the tiny pond late in the day. The two lead ducks dove but were going too fast, so they pulled up to circle around and try again. The third duck, though, lifted his wings above his head and tucked his tail beneath him, plummeting down to the pond with a mighty butt-first splash. Then he quacked, "Haw, haw haw haw haw."

xi-xx-xi

cactus gathering

brush

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ix-x-xi

bee weed

(I don't know what this plant is called but bees like it a lot.)

a trusty steed

prickly pear

tyrannosaurus tree

ix-v-xi

adrift adrought

Just under 100 degrees today, with gusty northeast winds. Unsettled, unsettling winds, wildfire weather. The wind is sucking away whatever moisture was left in the leaves. It's outback dry around here.

august's last weekend

I was up early so I took O to Cat Hollow Park around 6:00 a.m., before the heat. She seems to like her new lead a lot. It's much longer than I realized, probably closer to ten feet than the seven or so I had in mind. It gives her more freedom of movement. She does a little better with passing cars if she has room to run a few steps, rather than being tightly confined on a short lead, which gives me more control but frustrates her. Also, if I start running whenever a car passes, she has to follow me quicker, which helps dissipate some of her energy. It's probably good for me, too, to throw a few minutes of running into our daily walks. Doggy fartlek.

When we were at the park we ran (er, shuffled) across the field a few times. She loves that - she prances and skips and smiles when we go fast. (Fast for me. Normal for her.)

A little later in the morning I rode my bike to Brushy Creek Lake Park. It was 89 when I left at 9:30 and 99 when I got home an hour later. The forecast says 108 today and 109 tomorrow. Hottest weekend of the year. Bluh.

Oh, I had some bloodwork done recently. Triglycerides = 498. My doc says I have to walk more, eat cooked veggies with every meal, and never eat sugar EVER. I have a good doctor. He was alarmed enough by the numbers to recommend more labs in six weeks, but we settled on three months - which means my next blood test will be right after Thanksgiving. No pie!?!

you know the drought is bad when

trail lantana

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v-iii-xi

Went for a bike ride. It's been a while. Nice day for it - right around 70 degrees. That won't last.