I felt good when Lola and I got up at 5:20, although I will say, she was WAY more excited to stuff her face in a bowl of “lamb” and rice dog food than I was to serve it, but I was looking forward to the day’s lumber, despite the early morning assault on my senses.
The week, or at least the past two days (from the perspective of a woodsy lumberist, not real life, no one wants to hear about that bullshit), has been more of the same in a good way:
I can’t remember the exact moment in the last year that I decided to start getting up at 5:20 AM every weekday. I also don’t know the exact reason why, but I think it’s something to do with not letting my mind be lulled into a mind-funk by staying in The Bed of Torment any longer than needed.
On Sunday morning, I went back and forth, and forth and back, about whether to go for a photo creep at Meridian Park or not.
Finally, forth won out, and I ended up skulking around the river banks and trails of Meridian Park in the dense fog with my Z6 and Sigma 150-600 lens looking for birds, critters, and nature nubbins.
OK, the Mostly Normal button has been reset for the week, and today (Friday) has felt way more normal than the routine-breaking last three days.
My goal for last weekend was one of footy watching (Spurs won 2-1), slack, and beer, and I freaking nailed it again!
My pretty, OK, not bad, kinda good week of lumbering continued on Thursday morning.
After a mostly boring Monday evening, and in the midst of a 12-hour minimum fast for blood work Tuesday morning, I went to bed around 7:30 PM and read for about an hour before turning in.
Then, I was up early and at the lab at 6:58 for them to suck a vial of blood from my arm.
The difference between my first three lumbers this week and my last two was vast. During those first three lumbers, I felt like my feet were moving me forward, but that was about it. Not to mention my brain was in a depressive fog.
THINGS NOT ABOUT HIKING
The week’s lumbers thus far have not been my best, with my mind firmly in the clenched jaws of the black dog. Thankfully, on Wednesday afternoon, I had my bi-weekly appointment with the OG Mindbender.