In the summertime the air is still a little cool in the mornings, the sun is already out at 6:00 am, and that blessed Utah smell that reminds me of my grandparents' homes when I came to visit as a child permeates the air. In the fall the air is even more crisp (which I love- the crispier the better), but the sky is PITCH BLACK at 6:00 am. And that is why I found myself BEAR HUGGING some stranger lady in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD the other morning.
I like to exercise for the solitude; I'm not a social runner. I love to be out in God's country and meditate and pray while I run. And I like to run at MY pace and MY route, wherever that will take me, and for however long I want to go. So that is why I was alone. Very very alone.
I was running up the street in the extreme darkness (a little freaked out by the stories I've heard about cougars roaming the mountain roads) when I came upon what I thought was a bush right next to a fence. Well, I realized it wasn't a bush when it started BARKING at me! I swear it was holding so still, just waiting for me to come closer, so that it could scare me. I SCREAMED and ran out into the middle of the road, murmuring a few Oh My GOSHes when a group of speed-walking ladies came to my rescue:
"Oh, are you okay, honey?"
"We didn't even see you."
"That'll sure get your heart rate going!"
And that is how I found myself BEAR HUGGING (and holding on tight) to some random stranger lady in the middle of the street.
P.S.- Don't worry. I'll get a running partner.
hahahaha I know you told me this story the other day but I am laughing just as hard now as I was then!! You're crazy! And by the way, the smell of Utah mornings is seriously the best. It reminds me of Nana and Grandpa's house and running barefoot in the grass at their house, and the creek, and the smell of their cement carport and the screen door creaking to a close. And of Grams' house and the smell of her house and the garden and the shed in the back and the little wooden swing out back. Mmmmm I love the smell of Utah.
ReplyDeleteI love your stories. I would have been scared to death!!!
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