WEEK 4: JAN 22 – JAN 28, 13.9 miles

1/28/07, Sun: NO RUN.

1/27/07, Sat: 4.1 miles, 45 minutes. I have wanted to take my camera running for a while now, and today seemed like a good day to do it. Marge has shared with everyone fascinating and beautiful photos from Korea, so I thought I’d return the favor by sharing, um, BROWN pictures from the Caldwell, Idaho countryside from a runner’s perspective. Every time I run, I see lots of this:

a lot of this:

even more of this:

and a zillion of these:
.
It’s a friendly place. Yep. Actually, I thought this horse looked rather friendly as he peered over the rail at me.

Running through town brings another whole fascinating set of visions.

An interesting looking house,

the obligatory small-town water tower,
and friendly graffiti, of course.

John says these pictures make it seem as if I’m running on a Native American reservation. Here are some other fascinating sights I encountered out on the road:

A morose cow (I’d be morose too, if I had to live there).

Classic country mailbox art.

Fast-declining farmland.

1/26/07, Fri: 3.3 miles, 38 minutes. I was amused today by the smiling ram who peered at me through the window of a cinder block shed. When I went back Saturday to take pictures, I was disappointed that the ram had been moved.

1/25/07, Thur: NO RUN. I allowed myself a lazy day today. The pear-shaped runner:

1/24/07, Wed: 2.5 miles, 27 minutes.

1/23/07, Tue: NO RUN.

1/22/07, Mon: 4 miles, 41 minutes. What a gorgeous day! At 38 degrees, the air felt so warm that I had to shed my gloves and scarf and roll up my sleeves. The windiness of previous days has subsided – there was a very slight, almost spring-like breeze today. Spectacular running weather. Having learned a couple days ago that the Doberman’s name is Sadie, I called the dog by name today, thinking that she would be impressed enough at me knowing her name to stop barking. She wasn’t.

Baby Margie has been sick for the last couple days, so she has been sleeping less than usual. This means, of course, that I have also been sleeping less than usual. Margie, since about the age of six weeks old, has completely spoiled me by sleeping 10 to 12 hours a night. There’s no way that I get that much sleep, but if I can get seven hours, I feel pretty good. However, last night’s four and a half hours of sleep left me with a truckload of gravel in my eyes and a crabby attitude. Running helped immensely, and I was able to come back to the house and be moderately productive.