Last Sunday when Amy and I were running the drives, we laughed when we saw that someone had spray painted "Why are you running?" on the path. Good question, we agreed, and on that thick and sticky-hot morning we were wondering the same thing.
Given the change in my life and running schedules for this week, today seemed the best opportunity to get in my long run. So I set my sights on Tinicum. Knowing that it's better for me to add in the beginning than on the end, I added a quick jaunt through the neighborhoods to add a little over a half mile before heading to the tried and true figure 8 Tinicum loop.
A little while back, Seebo and I were discussing the mileage of this loop and through our disagreement as to the distance, we discovered that we were using slightly different connecting routes between the two loops. I had forgotten about the trail Seebo uses - one where we shared a walk many, many moons ago and where he got into a pissing contest with a senior citizen about birds. I told him it wasn't nice to beat up on old ladies, but he said she had it coming.
The wildlife was plentiful this morning. Heading into Tinicum, where the trail is quite wide and parallels 95, just as it turns left to hook into the first loop, I saw two does and a fawn. I guess I wasn't sufficiently intimidating because they didn't do much more than twitch an ear and allow their gaze to slowly follow me as I passed. Of course there were bunnies aplenty. I have to thank Seebo for reminding me of the other connecting path because it was on this section that I encountered my old friend, Red Fox. Seems we were both out for our morning jaunts, me heading north, he heading south... we encountered one another as we each rounded the bend and both slowed to a near stop about ten feet apart. It was a long second or two as I regarded him regarding me. He seemed nonplussed by my presence, but equally indifferent. Without haste, he then tucked into the brush just leaving me to smile at my luck.
Rounding Darby Lake (first on the make-out tower side), I could see the now expected large gathering of egrets and herons in the distance on the other side of the lake. I had hoped they'd still be there when I came around and was not disappointed. A subgroup of about a dozen egrets were hanging out to the left of the trail in a smaller circle of water. Like my last trip through these parts, I startled them enough so they took flight, lifting themselves out of the water... a few tried to perch on the upper branches of some nearby trees, but were too heavy to be supported. Flapping a bit ungracefully as they realized this would not be their perch, they again took off towards the larger body of water where they then settled in with the primary group.
Heading back towards the initial loop and nearing the end of my run, I encountered one last piece of ... wildlife. This one did not flee from me. No, in fact, he strode towards me, letting me absorb the sight of him in his fully glory (well, except for some running shoes and shorts... and a hat, I think). Within a minute of this sighting, a song came on my iPod... a song by Chris Knight that brings to mind images of dusty country roads, cowboy hats and boots, and well worn jeans. The sentiment fit nicely.
All of this.... is why I'm running.
A little over 10 in 93 minutes.
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