My weekend (in photos)

This weekend I worked a lot, ran a little, and took some photos.

Rather than rant about working a full day on a Saturday or rave about how good my elliptical-to-treadmill 7-miler was (recovery run!), I figured I'd share a few of the photos.

The photos are a lot more fun.

Rainbow over the bayou on Saturday morning

Spotted an adorable little tree frog (I think it's a squirrel tree frog).
Any critter that eats bugs is a good critter in my book!

Signs of fall? Southern Tier Pumking (Imperial pumpkin ale) and a hard cider
make for-class reading feel less like work and more like a relaxing afternoon

I'd include photos of my Sunday afternoon football-watching, too, but I don't want a cease-and-desist from the NFL...

Duck, duck, goose!

13.13 inches of rain in one day, severe flash flooding, and a county-wide State of Emergency declared...

Clearly, some critters fared better during this storm than others. Two local ducks decided to use their wet-weather advantage to take over the world!

These two chased me through a parking lot while I was out running this morning!

I've been chased by dogs before.

But ducks?

This is definitely a first.

Of course, I thought these fowl beasts were such a threat that I went home, grabbed some stale bread, and went back with my camera.

Which, I suppose, means they did win after all. They chased me and stole my lunch. Regular high school bullies, those ducks!

What's your best wild animal story?

Real-life (non-running) drama

Right now, in my backyard, a life and death struggle is going on (and it has nothing to do with running).

The night before we left for our trip, Hubby and I heard a commotion outside. There was screeching and squawking.

We looked out to see a baby blue jay on the ground beside our door. A feral cat was closing in for a kill. In an attempt to save their baby, Mama and Papa Jay were dive-bombing the feline. (Jays can be aggressive!)

I do not normally interfere with the forces of nature.
I believe in the circle of life.
But outdoor cats pose a serious threat to wild birds (killing as many as a million a day, nationwide), and cats are not a natural part of the ecosystem. So...

...I filled a bucket with water, and doused the cat to chase him away.

The next morning, there was no sign of the baby bird.
I figured the cat came back once he dried off.

I was mistaken.
When we returned from our trip, I found this little guy sitting under the window in our backyard.

Baby Blue Jay

Truth be told, he looks horrible. He definitely suffered cat scratches and lost some feathers.
Last night I was sure birdie was a goner.

But throughout the day today, Mama Jay and Papa Jay have taken turns flying down to feed him.

Maybe he'll make it after all?
If he doesn't make it, Mama Jay and Papa Jay certainly tried their hardest.
You can't ask for more than that.

PS - I am a cat lover. But that means I keep Peanut indoors. It's safer for her. Safer for the birds. Everyone is happy.

What's your take on wildlife: Leave well enough alone? Save the cute animals? Protect every creature?

Hello Pensacola

Hello Pensacola,

It is nice to see you again.

Thank you for welcoming me home with a weekend of summery, 80-degree days. I know you thought that I got soft after a week of San Diego's sunny, 60-degree, perfect weather, but it did hail on me there. That hail kept me on my toes weather-wise.

I also suspect that you thought 80-degree temperatures would keep me indoors. You know I don't like running in the heat. But on that count, you were mistaken. I took to the trails this morning and enjoyed every minute of my 10-mile run through Fort Pickens, even though there was no shade at all. (Yes, I am now showing signs of the first sunburn of the season... I never claimed to be a skin care role mode...)

Running over your soft sand trails will make my ankles and calves stronger. Powering through a shadeless run, with the sun beating down on me, is good mental preparation for next month's half marathon. The conditions then will be no cooler (or shadier) than they were today, so really, the weather was perfect for training.

And - dear Pensacola - you must, on some level, be glad to see me, too. Otherwise why would you have graced my run with blue skies and even bluer seas? You even had the hospitality to send some winged ambassadors my way. Great herons and ospreys greeted me at every turn. (The ospreys seemed to ignore me. They were intent on building their nests... and... ahem... filling those nests. But I enjoyed their company nonetheless.)

And the snapping turtle at the turn-around? She swam quietly under the bridge as I passed, and gave me a good excuse to pause and catch my breath.

I might not have wanted to move to Florida a year ago, but this morning's run felt pretty darned good. Thank you for welcoming me home.

Sincerely,
Beth (i run like a girl)

What running tales do you have to share this weekend?
And... sunblock or no sunblock? Am I the only (crazy) person who prefers to run early morning or late evening rather than slather on the spf?