Today's Run

I did not run Saturday.  Saturday we "put the garden to bed" meaning we (I) yanked up all the weeds, all the posts, and then roto tilled the beds.  My lower back was very sore after all this stooping and pulling, and my hamstrings were a bit tight.

We went grocery shopping in the morning, and it was SUCH a specatucular day out, I decided to go out for my 11 mile "around the block".  The right hamstring was twinging, and I could feel it, but I thought excercise would be good for it.

Fall is really here, the leaves are starting to change.  I believe it will be a quick fall foliage season here due to the drought conditions.

I had an almond butter and honey-bought from the local Amish, very good, not overly sweet-bagel as my 1130am lunch.  I thought I had taken care of business, but within a half mile or so, down the big hill, I jumped into "Nature's portopotty":

My run was almost cut short about mile 3, when the Great Dane that lives here bounded up.  We were much closer on the original encounter, and I gave him my best friendly dog chatter.  Then I backed away, across the road, and he mellowed a bit.

The funny thing was, a cat came out with the dog, and the cat started following me as I walked down the road!!  I don't run when I have a dog encounter, cuz you are just encouraging them to chase you, so the darned cat was keeping up!

I thought the hamstrings would warm right up with a few miles, and NOPE, they did not.

 But this is what I see when  I run roads in my area. Not bad, eh?

This is our now defunct Grange Hall.  

Established in the late nineteenth century, the Grange, formally known as the Patrons of Husbandry, was an organization created to assist farmers with the various problems that they faced. 

Most rural communities across the United States eventually had a Grange chapter. Ohio had more than nine hundred chapters. Many chapters built their own meeting halls. These halls provided a place for the farmers to meet, but they also served as places for dances, quilting bees, and other social activities, helping alleviate the isolation of farm life.

 

Not the best pic.  The alpaca (or llama, I don't know which) with its herd of sheep.  Alpacas (or llamas) are used as "guard dogs" for sheep and goat, from predators like coyotes.

I stopped to tie my shoe lace on a downhill and could not believe how I could not squat down to do this!  Apparently this was not the best activity for a stressed hamstring.

But it was still 10.6 miles, on a beautiful early fall day in Ohio.  I will take it, sore hamstring and all.