I woke up on Wednesday morning to a steady drizzle of rain, and I have to admit that it put a smile on my face.
This past summer and early fall were very dry, and I had very few, if any, lumbers in the rainy woods. Well, at least extended ones of any note.
With that, I was eager to get to the trails this morning and enjoy the wet woods. If you’ve never gone for a walk in the woods while it’s raining, I urge you to do so at the first available moment. The level of mindful peace is off the charts
As has been the usual the last month or so, the first couple of miles were done in complete darkness and pre-dawn light using my headlamp before ditching it for the rest. And it was just after my first mile on Nature’s Way Loop, still in complete darkness, that I startled some turkeys roosting in the trees above. Sweet Baby-J, did it scare the hell out of me! The small group of deer that I had just passed with their eyes illuminated by my light, like blue diamonds in the woods, surely got a kick out of seeing the human almost shit himself.
That would not be my last run-in with some turkeys, as I would see more scampering down the trail ahead of me a couple of miles later. Watching turkeys run never fails to make me laugh. It also freaks me out that as soon as they go into the woods, I can’t find them!! They must be the camo-fucking-masters. Gobble, gobble.
Just before my fourth mile, I was looking upriver and saw a Great Blue Heron take off; it saw me before I saw it. Shit.
Then, just a half mile later, past the campground, I walked along scanning the trees, but the dark grey morning and multi-colored leaves were screwing with my eyes, and it wasn’t until it was too late that I saw an Osprey take off and fly downriver. Have I said “SHIT!” already?
The rain never stopped the entire time, but my Bontrager cycling jacket, which gets worn for everything but cycling these days, kept me dry, as did my favorite pair of Smartwool socks.
I got 6.05 miles in and saw a bunch of critters1. Sadly, I didn’t get shots of a bunch of critters, but for 6+ miles, I had a smile on my face as cold raindrops pelted it.
Up to 18.26 miles on the week, with 11.74 to go to hit my 30-mile weekly goal.
Spurs take on Monaco later in the Champions League. Given their recent form, I am not expecting much. Regardless, C.O.Y.S!!
Later.
Cat 5 Cooking
The Frank’s Red Hot Chicken Sandwich is back in the Cat 5 Cooking Kitchen! To be fair, it really never went away; I just wasn’t into it over the summer.
It’s your basic boneless chicken breast, dipped in mayo (instead of egg mix), covered in plain Panko breadcrumbs, mixed with Frank’s seasoning spice, a dash of Italian spice, and black pepper. Air-fried at 390˚ for 13 minutes (flipping halfway and cooked to a 165˚ internal temp), and then put atop a Brioche bun, topped with mayo, a dash of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, and Provolone cheese.
NOTE: If you have extra time, letting the chicken marinate in mayo with some pickle juice for a couple of hours is legit awesome.