Running. With a Black-Winged Bird.

~ Live & Learn

crow

Sunday morning, early, 5:40 am.  Out the door.

Temperature: 78° F.  Humidity? 1 zillion, and climbing. Visibility? Fair. Mist rises from the earth, still absorbing the 3 am deluge – one very large compost pile.  It’s August in the Connecticut rainforest, and I run.  This should be corrected, I used to run. Now I lean forward and move my feet hoping not to take a header.  I’m 1/2 mile in, all exposed body parts glisten with a high sheen…and the rest are feelin’ Heavy.  I flip my music player to Counting Crows and The Rain King.  Yes, if you’ve followed along with me on this blog, this song and its reference would be a repeat. You get old, you repeat sh*t. That’s how it goes.

….When I think of heaven, (Deliver me in a black-winged bird) I think of flying…

I triple click the up volume arrow, Rain King is boomin’ into the earbuds.  The tech gremlin pipes in a warning: “Sir, you can sustain ear damage at high volumes.” Honey, no worries, there’s ain’t nothing up there will be damaged.

I round the corner and approach a steep incline. You’re Usain Bolt. You’re a Kenyan. You’re in Rio. You’re amazing!

I take off.

Legs are burning.  Thighs tighten up.  I shorten the steps. Get to the top. Get to the top.

….When I think of heaven, (Deliver me in a black-winged bird) I think of flying…

I’m 25 yards from the top, and here it comes – over the top of The Rain King, drowning out the lyrics.

yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp

and then again. (I turn off the music.)

yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp

and then again,

yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp, yawp

I stop 10 yards short of top.

I look over a fence and there he is, stutter stepping and strutting in full regalia.

Pursued by a Wild Turkey. Wow.

Time Check: 4 miles. 38.3 minutes.

Nap Time.

Notes:

 

 

28 thoughts on “Running. With a Black-Winged Bird.”

  5. I love Counting Crows – Rain King, Mr. Jones and Round Here being favorites. Now I have to go listen to them.;) With your running time you are Usain Bolt compared to my 11:30 min. miles. Keep up the fulfilling writing and running David. 🙂

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  6. Seeing the photo I did think of the woman from the early morning train platform, like a crow…/// I smiled when you mentioned the wild turkey. It took me back a few day, to the time when I watched three darling young neighbor boys, hop out of the pickup and with joy they all in unisum started to run, their long, shining black hair in ponytails in flight, as they were yelling gobble gobble, in delight… they had the flock of turkeys on the run…running free in the summer sunshine the boys and the turkeys…so glad I happened to be outside at that moment 🙂 /// The deer and the turkeys love the dropped apples from the gift of the wild trees. // /In my minds eye, I can see you, stopped, breathless, your eyes full of wonder, smiling, half shaking your head, back and forth amazed at the wonder of the Big Tom “strutting in full regalia.”

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