Well, I went running the day before yesterday, for the first time since moving to Huntsville. A couple of new factors to contend with...
- Heat - It was well into the 70's by 7 am, which wouldn't be so bad, except that it goes up about 10 degrees every hour in the mornings, so you've got to go early, before the sun gets up over the trees, or you're toast.
- Humidity - Kind of like the wind chill factor up north, but in reverse. When you're breathing hard and need to get a good dose of oxygen, it's more like breathing soup. And the sweat doesn't evaporate because there's nowhere for it to go, so you just stay glistening. And yet, oddly, I find myself perpetually dehydrated. Never have the crisp, juicy veggies in a Subway sandwich felt so refreshing.
- Hills - I'm trying to remember if I've ever had sore quads from running before. I don't think so. I underestimated how much effort it takes to control one's speed on the downhills. I'm still feeling it in my shins, quads and abs...huh?
But even with all that, I felt so energized after getting out there and pounding the pavement. Hooray!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Chillin' Like a Huntsvillian
Well, we've moved again. Seventy miles north to Huntsville to do some repairs and maintenance on B.'s granddad's house and yard while he's away for the summer. It's a great property, and has been in the family for over 50 years. We've been here just over a week now and have found it to be a place of peace and rest and one that fosters a lot of creative productivity.
The first thing we tackled when we got here was the birdbath and feeders. They were all moldy and the birds had long since stopped coming around them. I dumped the birdbath and scoured it out with a scrub brush, then refilled it with fresh water. Then I took the feeders apart and cleaned them out. Discovered one was broken and letting water in, so we trashed it, but the other, bigger one cleaned up nicely and B. refilled it with fresh seeds and hung it next to the bath.
Now there's rarely a minute that passes without birds right outside the window at eye level. All kinds too - we've had blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, robins, doves, chickadees, and some other ones I didn't recognize. They're eating, singing, splashing, squabbling. Need to get another hummingbird feeder going, back by the breakfast nook, so those lil' guys come back too. They're so much fun to watch!
We've noticed another visitor too - a woodchuck, nosing around underneath the birdbath. He's a big one, I'm guessing a 30-pounder. Not sure what he was looking for, but we think he lives in the monkey grass around the tool shed. We fondly refer to him as "the dog."
Right now I'm curled up on the couch (hey, it's Saturday!) with a heating pad and afghan, watching B. go around and around, up and down the acre lot on a riding mower, wearing a straw hat. I think we're going to love being old people someday. We pretty much already are.
The first thing we tackled when we got here was the birdbath and feeders. They were all moldy and the birds had long since stopped coming around them. I dumped the birdbath and scoured it out with a scrub brush, then refilled it with fresh water. Then I took the feeders apart and cleaned them out. Discovered one was broken and letting water in, so we trashed it, but the other, bigger one cleaned up nicely and B. refilled it with fresh seeds and hung it next to the bath.
Now there's rarely a minute that passes without birds right outside the window at eye level. All kinds too - we've had blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, robins, doves, chickadees, and some other ones I didn't recognize. They're eating, singing, splashing, squabbling. Need to get another hummingbird feeder going, back by the breakfast nook, so those lil' guys come back too. They're so much fun to watch!
We've noticed another visitor too - a woodchuck, nosing around underneath the birdbath. He's a big one, I'm guessing a 30-pounder. Not sure what he was looking for, but we think he lives in the monkey grass around the tool shed. We fondly refer to him as "the dog."
Right now I'm curled up on the couch (hey, it's Saturday!) with a heating pad and afghan, watching B. go around and around, up and down the acre lot on a riding mower, wearing a straw hat. I think we're going to love being old people someday. We pretty much already are.
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