litch

I didn't get to the dog park in time for the tai chi class this morning (durn luxcannon and his silver tongue), but I had misremembered and today was the first workday for the Bull Creek Park Foundation. I got there early enough to give a couple hours to help build the retaining wall they're working on to preserve the topsoil on the trail down to the ford. They'd already moved the large rocks into postion and were filling in around them with rocks from the creek. I raked up small rocks in the stream bed into piles, sholved the wet rocks (and not a little amount of water) into a wheel barrow, they pushed the wheel barrow up the hill and around behind the big rocks for an hour and half maybe two.

Then it got too hot to do that kind of work so the pups and I walked the high cedar trail on the back of the creek then we played at the ford with other doggies and wandered here and there seeing dogs and generally having much doggy exhaustion making.

Back now and my house is a marvel of quiet, deeply tired dogs.

I feel so proud of myself. I put in a good bit of hard work, then took a fair walk in the warm (and a touch muggy) late morn and I feel wonderful from it. I have tired in my muscles and there will be some sore tonight (particularly in my underused shoulders) but I don't feel exhausted or in pain. I feel centered and almost as if I am humming in tune with the universe.

Took the pups out to the park this morning, I keep hoping I will actually get my shit together and get there before it gets hot but didn't actually get there until a little after 9. Sat and watched the tai chi class that happens on the south side court and ate breakfast (fruit and nut trail mix) and drank a liter of water, refilled the bottle and hiked up the trail to the falls and back, stopped to rest twice because my lower back is tweaky but did the loop in under an hour. Two weeks from now is the first trail workday since the spring and it really needs it. Gotten over grown and rutted.

The dogs are much calmer. I hope this lasts most of the day

I decided to give the doggies a hot day in the park and see myself how much I can handle. I got out to the bull creek around 2:30 and we wandered the park and played with the dogs then we set off up the trails for the first time in weeks. We wandered around in the back wood, mostly sliding through the ceder tunnels and enjoying being out of the sun. Finally decided to head off up to the creek and look for a place to swim. We walked up past 360 and almost to the falls by the third entrance when I decided to cut across the creek and back along that part that was away from the highway.

I was really hoping I'd find a place I'd feel comfortable skinny dipping, but there were just too many people there, I took the second best option and sat down dressed in a place deep enough to float me in a small grotto that was out of way enough I didn't have any immediate neighbors. Sat and relaxed a while then continued on to the second toilets (and trash cans) where I could toss my now empty sonic cherry slush cup.

Decided that was as far as I was getting myself and briefly considering calling someone to ask for a ride back to my truck decided to head back to the car. Took the higher route and got a little light headed walking up hill but the rest was pretty much down hill or level and didn't have any problems. Sucked on the waterfountain when I got back to the park for a while and the we all tiredly crawled in the truck and headed for home. I got some serious tired doggies after a good four hours in the park in the hot sun.