Nature Show

Well, I may not be getting any faster during my weekly runs around the lake, but I can't say I'm not enjoying myself. It just makes me so happy to see nature at work in the wee hours before I have to log into my computer to do my own work. Things seen today include:

• The otter! Like I said before, who can be sure if it's the same one my husband and I captured in this video, but I saw this guy swimming around today in roughly the same place with every lap I made around the lake. 
• Snail murder. I saw a stork-like bird carrying a giant snail in his long slender bill and wondered exactly what he planned to do with it. The thing was way too big for him to swallow whole. I didn't have to wait long, though, as he put it down on the ground upside-down, raised his head high, then slammed his giant knife of a beak right into the fleshy part of the snail. It was quite barbaric, and I didn't stick around to see the rest of the show. 
• A lady walking her cat... that was NOT the same lady and same cat that I usually see walking around the lake! Ok, much like the other lady, this one was actually walking her dog and was being followed closely by a small black and white tuxedo cat. I'm flabbergasted that more than one person has trained her cat to obediently follow her AND the cat's mortal enemy. I think if I were to take Kirbi on a walk with Joey, I'd never see her again. I might be ok with that.
• And - of course - more baby animals. It's baby duck season around the lake and I just melt when I see tiny fluffy little ducklings. Today, I saw baby birds of a different type - it's hard to tell from the photo below, but Mom is on the right and has a red bill. Her chicks are fluffy and are pretty much all legs.  

Alright, I know I need to start giving more substantial posts besides "Things Seen While Running," but I can't help it. I just want to let everyone know how much fun I'm actually having while running these days, which is a far cry from where I was last year while training for the Star Wars and Avenger Half Marathons. I say this now because I'm not feeling a ton of pressure, although I'm not sure why as I only have five months until the St. Pete Run Fest. I think I'm just not that committed to sub 2 anymore. 

Anyway, this wasn't the post I intended to publish today. Last night was monthly massage night, and I've got another great story to share about it. No, nothing will ever be as epically awful as this particular massage I wrote about last year, but this one was definitely... out there. I'll publish that one tomorrow. 

But tonight was supposed to be Kickball night and - just like last week - I saw thunderstorms in the forecast and decided to tempt fate by going for a morning run just in case the game was canceled. And I was right yet again! Tomorrow morning, I'm heading back to the gym for arm day. Hopefully my kickball skills aren't deteriorating too rapidly with all of this bad weather we're having.