AOJ has asked us to take the readers on our favorite walk. This FM was supposed to be easy. I was, in some weird way, the first to sign up. However, when it came to doing the deed....not so easy. First of all: I don't really walk, I jog. Also, I jog at dark-thirty (read before the sun comes up). For your Fun Monday pleasure, I present a daylight version of what we do because the night version is boring (except when one notices the phase of the moon). When I jog, I take along the hounds, so my view is something like this (except, of course, it's DARK). My friend Patience has some advice about walking/running with whippets attached to one's body at the waist her book, but I LIKE living life on the edge:
First, we run down the driveway. Not too exciting, especially since the city garbage truck messed up the end of it (I'm the last on the route and they were turning in; they aren't supposed to be on private property with those heavy trucks, but they were. Sigh. Anyway....it's just kind of depressing). The red arrows point out the trees that I planted 18 months ago. They are small -- about 18 inches, now, but I am so proud of them. The tree-lets are really beginning to grow this year. I live in a pasture, but someday, it will be my forest! My contribution to green. My survival rate was low (I started with saplings). I hope to plant again next fall).
The turn to run west down my road. Everything is very green right now . Can you feel those allergies kicking in?
Further down the road is the city golf course. Remember, I live in SmallTown America so the golf course is fenced on the one side with barb wire. Skunks and bunnies like to cross the road at about this location....
Turning south.....
The club house for the golf course.
The Big Cities have more amenities but this has always seemed to fit.....The red truck belongs to the maintenance person for the golf course. I see him every morning at dark-thirty. I am not confident he sees me, or perhaps he does and it's game on how close he can come....
The Elks Lodge.
I was driving and someone was behind me when I took these pictures so it isn't the greatest picture. I don't know what they do in an Elk's Lodge, or what you have to do to join. However, there is a LOT of activity at the lodge at dark-thirty in the morning. I used to think "oh, they are going to have some fund-raising breakfast at the lodge. " Now, my inquiring mind (that can think LOTS at dark-thirty when I can't see anything) has come up with all sorts of other activities for the lodge....
Chow dog.
He sleeps in the corner of his fenced in yard. Gabi always wants to go greet him in the morning. I don't think he notices us though, and dark-thirty in the morning is NOT the time to meet and greet.
We turn around to head back home about here. You can see the "Loop." You can't really see it in this picture, but I am not that far from Home Depot. The LaQuinta Inn just opened. The sprawling building is the Toyota dealership. There is a pile of dirt in the foreground of the picture. That belongs to a new construction house. They finished if several months ago (and someone has moved in), but they never landscaped (odd). Odder is the fact that the configuration of the driveway makes it impossible to pull a car into the garage. One would think they would design those things better. But who am I to judge?
Running back down the road. A very nice house (I was driving and shooting so missed the best shot). It's a huge house on about 25 acres. Apparently, it only has two bedrooms. I'm willing to made the sacrifice to move in :D.
A field.
Nothing very exciting. Recently, it was cleared, and I fear that they are going to extend subdivision land closer to my home :( I love the big old tree.
The corner of my road.
The land I live on used to be the Smallwood ranch. Better than a subdivision entry way any old time.
This lot is for sale. When I first moved here, there was a very cute cottage (probably 900 square feet or so). An elderly couple lived there, and frequently, I would see him out on his scooter watering the flowers. Tragically, the couple was murdered by their drug crazed grandson 3 years ago. The home was put up for sale (and didn't sell). Finally, they moved the house off the lot (that was an interesting scene), but still the lot hasn't sold. SmallTown America has a long memory for this sort of tragedy. The red shed sat behind the house.
I purchased my home about this time....I remember the first time I drove down the road with the realtor. I was floored by the vegetation.
The cat house.
When I first moved in, a lady with a gazillion cats lived here. Running by this house, even with sight hounds partially compromised by the lack of early morning light was always a little exciting. Kitties like to live life on the edge, too. About a year after I moved in, the cat lady was cleared out. The home had been obscured by brush and that was cut down. Then, a very odd gentleman moved into the house. He would frequently be out at dark-thirty. He would complement the hounds and then call out ways that we could all be saved. Apparently transport to heaven or hell can be a group event. All of a sudden, he was gone. This house is for sale. It hasn't sold, either :D
Further down the road.
I wish the idiot that owns the lot with that dead tree would have it cut down. Oh, yeah! I'm the idiot! The tree died last summer with the drought. I have GOT to get that thing cut down, but there is a bees nest in the base of the tree. Sigh.
I guess you all are probably tired, now. We have gone about 4 miles (either tired, or bored to tears).
The front view of the house. Notice the little trees again. The double arrow points to my azaleas peeking around the house. I haven't planted my summer flowers, yet. When I moved in, the shrubs were over-grown. Last year, I pulled out the majority of them (I felt like such a Rambo Gardener after that experience), and and I planted a beautiful border of flowers around the house. Some of them are coming back, but they aren't in the blooming mode, yet.
Sometimes, the best part of the "walk" is looking out the south-east from my house....yeah, I like it (the field beyond the fence line to the east isn't mine, and I hope the person that owns it never builds on it).
Waiting for the flowers to bloom.
Feel free to join us again, OK? Sorry it's kind of boring, but we like it that way!
Respectfully submitted by Celeste and the hounds.
Now, go check out where the rest of the FM participants are walking!
