My Feathered Fiends

There was no way I could resist posting on 10/10/10.  Not that I am into crypto-ephemera or anything, just that I savor the numerology.  A couple years back Mom's birthday had a similar conjunction, and two years before it was my turn.

Possibly in unconscious celebration, I went for a run for the first time perhaps this year, certainly in months.  I set out with low expectations, 20 minutes or so being my goal, especially given our setting, where hills almost immediately dictate ascents or descents, followed by the reverse.  Aside from one weekend with a pack this Summer, pretty much all of my exercise these days revolves around walking or yardwork.  So I was inclined towards the cautious, especially after the pain I experienced for days after that backpacking trip.  But, with a little interspersed walking, I was intrigued to find I had more in me than I expected.  I was out a full 40 minutes, hills and all.  Pleasing.  Now, we will just see what the muscle fallout might entail.

Still in shorts (oh, and thanks wx-gods, for not raining on my run!), I got back to my rare project of a Fall vegetable planting.  I started three types of pole peas, mixed lettuce, and mesclun a month ago, and they are vigorous now.  I got some of the peas in the ground with pole-tripods yesterday and part of the lettuce set in deck planters.  After run, I planted the remainder of the peas in two more locations.

Prior to run I had been enjoying birds on deck, but eventually realized the primary feeder there was empty.  Given rare repeat nuthatch visits, and juncos actually up on the deck picking at dropped thistle seeds.  Actually, I believe I even spotted a junco on the bird-feeder, quite a rarity.  In any case, I was inspired  to make sure we were properly stocked.  But in the process of restocking the feeder, I had to stifle myself as I discovered the little #%^&* blokes (or some of their chums) had finished off almost all of my just-planted lettuce starts.

Oh bother.