Day 255

Tim photographing the new moon.

I hadn't run for four or five days, and yesterday, walking in the meadow I felt so tired when I thought of running, so patently unable to do it, that I could hardly believe that I can now run 5 km, can run without stopping for 40 minutes! 

I remember for years seeing runners on the road and wondering why on earth they would want to be doing something so stupid, just run along the road, so what?  And now I am one of those people!  Well, not hard-core, no, but I do love it, and when I ran today it was like meeting an old friend.  A bit difficult for the introduction, the first hill, but then settling down to a cup of tea, breathing easily, legs going at a good pace.  I ran my comfort distance, around 3 km, at a pace of 7 minutes 39 seconds per km. 

The only good thing about it becoming cooler as Autumn approaches is that running is easier in the chilly weather.  Otherwise my soul cries out against it!  Tim says that Labor Day is like a switch, as soon as it is over, the temperature drops and leaves begin turning.  And today it only got into the 60's! (16C).

Yesterday while I was sitting on the steps watching Lily on her daily constitutional into the sunny morning, a little hummingbird came blurring past and investigated my orange hair, before checking out the numerous Rose of Sharon blooms.  Not finding much nectar there either, it went to the feeder and drank long and greedily.

Usually you lose them once they leave, but I watched where it zipped off to a branch a little distance away.  The little bird then proceeded to have a good long clean and preen, going into contortions with its long bill stretching across its back, scratching behind its ear with its delicate little claws, checking for hawks, back to its belly, preen, preen, scratch behind the other ear, oh yes, that's good, that's very good, check for hawks, stretch out right wing, as far as you can, yes, good, stretch out other wing, further further, very good.  Quiver tail, check for hawks, Mmmh, that feels much better.   And me, watching all along through binoculars, laughing at the dear little thing.

Apparently this one may be a juvenile, as most of the adults are busy leaving, but the young ones linger sometimes.  And it is difficult to tell whether they are males or females as the baby males' ruby throats haven't grown in yet. 

So I attempted to draw one of these little creatures, and have decided that it is impossible really, they are like the ocean, impossible to convey something which never really keeps still.