02.10.11

morning run:
Bette
Gracie
Posey
Truman
Rita
Elewah
Jack
Mo
(8)

East over the land bridge, south to the last turn east, around the southern charcos and then further south to the way-out "Y" road, back to the palapa road, north to the northern land bridge to the shire, the swimming hole, the intersection, the cut over to the middle land bridge, the dirty road and home: ~8k. It was overcast and mild, perhaps even a little cool and the monte was flooded many places from recent rains. We ran into critters twice: once at the last good north/west turn coming into the monte around the southern charcos, and once on the palapa road. The first time I didn't get a look at what they were chasing but they lost it quickly in the swampy woods that surround one of those charcos to the south that abuts the coconut plantation. On the palapa road I saw a medium-sized, shaggy, short-tailed marmot shamble into the road about 100m ahead of us and realize what a mistake that was almost immediately; it bolted into the woods to our right and our dogs shot ahead like vipers after a cylon. Of course it was mostly show. The thing almost certainly went up one of the many tall trees there and the dogs were all casting about for it for a solid 45 seconds while Rita and I waited at the base of the palapa platform. I cranked out a fairly impressive sprint for that point in the run so they weren't out of my sight for very long. This played into my decision not to go all the way to the Au Soleil Couchant road but instead head across the land bridge to the shire and hit the swimming hole. I must note an interesting phenomenon: the swimming hole was over-full and at its deepest parts the bottom was really hot - uncomfortably so. Elsewhere the bottom felt like normal sand but there were patches were the water was deepest that were really hot, and it was a cool day with very little sun. I scooped Elewah up on the trail home after she managed to draw Jack into a little misbehavior at the shrimpery corner - that has to be looked after. Posey came home the final 100m on the leash and there were no incidents. Over all a nice run if a bit chaotic at times.
GRADE: B

morning jaunt:
Floyd
(1)

Around the cow pasture the short way: ~1k. It was starting to rain as we reached the end of the dirty road so I cut it shorter than I usually would and picked up the pace.
GRADE: A