Running with the Wild

Just to continue what I wrote in my last blog, I'd like to give you a little insight on what to do if you encounter any wild animal while you are in the bush. I'm running constantly in the bush and wondered if I ever would be attacked, so this is very informational for me! Be on the look out for small animals like raccoons, possums, fox or skunks approaching you and acting dopey or strange. Stay back! The animal may be rabid or ill. I also checked into, "What to do if you are approached by a cougar...?" it was interesting, other animals about the same size came under the same category. While you might see wolves or coyotes wander prairies, fields or woods; it would be very rare to see a cougar. Cougars remain elusive and don't like to be seen. Therefore to be approached by a cougar would be rare. (unless of illness) If you are approached by any of these animal I have mentioned, there is a protocol to help keep you safe or even save your life: #1 Raise your arms over your head or grab a stick over your head to try and appear bigger than the animal. #2 Face the animal and do not run or play dead. #3 Retreat slowly and maintain steady eye contact with the animal. #4 If the animal is still approaching, yell and wave your arms, throw rocks or sticks. #5 If your attacked, hit the animal with you fist or stick or even a rock. (I would think that giving it a big punch in the nose should do it, it least make it a little disoriented. It is worth a try!) But...Hopefully this never happens! Their are a few things I should mention. This protocol only refers to the animals I have mentioned above. Even though you may try all of what is said above, things may not work out as planned. So first and foremost know what types of animals are in the area you are running. If it is a secluded area, DO NOT RUN ALONE! Always tell someone where you are running with a detailed map and/or have some form of immediate communication like a cell phone predialed to important numbers. Another important tidbit! If running with a dog, keep your dog leashed! Other animals may find dogs a threat and hence increase the chances of the dog being attacked! I hope you found this helpful... I was just thinking, if you were to run in the bush that inhabited bears what would you do? Hmmm...I'll give you the answer in my next post.

Paranoid of the Cougar

It was strange, this was the first time I ran in the woods and was afraid. In the news they reported sighting a cougar in the area. Hmmm, just made me think what would I do if I encountered a cougar or any wild animal of that sort? Now, I know we have coyates and sometimes wild dogs around, but they tend to be afraid of you. They hide or run away. This was a true wild animal that has a nature of attacking when it feels threatend instead of running away. This kind of spooked me. While I was running I thought about stories people talk about, when they thought it would never happen to them!-- "I never thought it would happen to me, but it did!"--- Then that got me really nervous, so I ran out of the woods and onto the runway. "Wide open spaces that 's what I needed!" No, I wasn't hyperventilating. "Was I?" It was time for deep thinking --Oh, I forgot I was still running! Sometimes I might as well be up in the clouds, because when I've got something really heavy on my mind, I tend to forget I'm running. --- OK, if a cougar came up to me and growled or did a very loud meow, I would run so fast -- I actually wouldn't run! I'd still be in the same place and the cougar would be fast approaching and ready to tear into my legs with its razor sharp claws. So I would swat the darn thing across the nose so hard the poor animal would run away like it just lost it's best friend! If this happened in the woods, I'd grab a stick and make loud noises to scare it. If it approached me, I'd start swinging the stick (Trying to bang his nose!) and then scream nasty things. If that still didn't scare the creature ---I'D HEAD FOR THE HILLS!-------------- Stay tooned for my next post when I will tell you the correct way to fend off an approaching wild animal like a cougar.

The Sound of Silence

I hop out the back door, through the gate onto the soft fluffy grass and tie my last lace on my shoe. I poke the start button on pedometer and I'm off. The wind is still, the branches are heavy and the sun shines just over the eastern sky. It's going to be one of those fabulous spring days. The temperature has been sitting at a constant 30 degrees Celsius for the last couple of days. This morning's temperature is riding on about 22 degrees. I love to run knowing that nature is all around me. I have a path that I follow very diligently, so that I don't run over anything that is alive. Even though I run in my woods, I still feel the nature around me has more rights to this beautiful place than I do. There is one big reason I don't like the sound of silence. I cringe and feel the streak of red go through my gut when I've stepped on a poor creature. What does one do? I will watch quite carefully as I run on the path to save stepping on these little guys. But sometimes my feet are faster that my eyes. I don't doubt what it is, I know it's the innocent snail. The woods can be quiet noisy if you want to call it noisy. "Crunch!"

Running after the Storm

So it was a crisper day than usual and I could actually run the mid-day run! We had a massive storm yesterday that blew that heat and mugginess away. But...along the paths of my trails it left behind a multitude of tree tops and trees! This was the run the horses would of loved. This was a blast of a run! I loved the booting and the kicking away of little branches. I also loved the leaping and jumping over fallen trees and large branches. One hour was almost gone it seemed instantly!!!! While I was running I was thinking back to what my mother used to say when branches came down in wind storms. "Those trees need a good shake, they shake off all the dead branches we can't trim. "----- But what really makes me sad is when the fallen big tree is an OK tree, with OK branches. ----Poor old tree. ----I run my hand down it's scaly trunk and look to see all of the baby trees beside her getting all that new sunlight. Nature truly takes it's course!

Running with the Hawk

Today was the day to escape the woods and run the fields. We actually have a 2000 foot runway where not only the planes get to have fun, but so do I when the woods are particularly buggy after a rainy day. I had the pleasure of having an hawk as my audience. And what a pleasure it was!!! The hawk watched me intently going back and forth the runway. The runway is quite nice surrounded with field and woods so there is an extreme amount of wild nature. From plant to animal. There have been coyotes, raccoon, possum,wild dogs, chicken hawks, wild turkeys, turkey vultures and more. Today it was the hawk. It was gorgeous with a white neck and wide tail. He sat in an old dead tree, astute looking and almost like he was guarding me. I felt a huge comfort with him there as though he was protecting me. From what? I don't know---I think from the ravages(stresses) of this world. My run was 50 minutes of peace of a different sort that you get in the woods. I was more exposed to the sun, wind and surroundings. It was maybe a bit like I was flying in the wind, not running. I almost forgot I was running until there hawk uttered his fleeing screech as though to say, "It's time Gigi to get on with you life now, I'll see you around...

Running in the Jungle

The rain came pouring down! The leaves and branches of the trees were low and had to be nudged away. I had to get through on the path! The world was a wet and green one. There were mosquitos hissing in my ears and rain pattering on my face. So refreshing because, it was nice to get cooled off. What amazed me were the sounds of the birds. What bird is it that squawks like a monkey in the jungle? Is it a crow? Oh no. The branches blow in the black walnut trees I think their palm trees. Was that a snake slithering around the giant tree? No, it's just a vine thick and aged! It was so hot and sticky, the smell of the air gave an aroma of jungle phobia. --------Oh there is a crocodile creeping in the river! Thank goodness, it's just a floating log that detached from the old willow. I'm sure that was parrot in the tree. Too bad, its just a vulture looking at me... By the time my run was up I felt I was soaking up the a real jungle in my own back yard... It is nice to pretend!

Running on Empty