I love this time of year--the solstice season. It always gets a little bit warmer for a few days, the fields are cut, the birds easy to spot, and the light makes everything look like a fairy tale. The days are getting longer and the holidays create a tone of wonderment and awe.
If I were not in the city, I would go for a long walk through fields and forests, meadows and bogs and reflect on all that surrounds me. Since I'm stuck in the City, I went for a lovely run across the Williamsburg Bridge and meandering through East River Park. Let's be real--even though the gardens are nice it's not a natural environment. In fact, my reverie was disturbed by an attacking pit bull and its urban-cretin owner blamed me for it yelling, "why are you running around, anyway?" Well, countrymouse is well accustomed to negotiating aggressive dogs (almost every run in rural VA features at least one encounter). My tactic, which has always worked, is to ignore them completely (with the occasional gratuitous kick to the head) knowing they can't keep up for very long and are not fast, smart, or well-trained enough to know how to land a truly grievous bite.
The dog didn't disturb my reverie at all. Very Zen-like, actually, though the owner was less than courteous. I quickly distanced myself and had a wonderful run. The perfect weather (crystal clear and 45 deg.), combined with the Christmas-induced claustrophobia, and the sugar and caffeine rush from Cole's yummy cinnamon rolls and coffee created a perfect situation for a nice run, deep breathing, and as much peace and reflection as one can ever hope to find in an urban park.
1 comment:
Speaking of wild animal attacks, the cats ransacked our Christmas tree while we were out feasting. Didn't even make it to boxing day!
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