As Seen on my Run

Every runner sees outrageous things during runs, right? Examples include: obvious walks of shame, homeless folk doing questionable things, super ridiculous running outfits, extraordinarily bad driving…and the list goes on. 

Seattle provided excellent people watching, especially around Green Lake, but I’ve seen many things in North Carolina so far that I didn’t expect to see, especially not in a city urban-ish area.  

Aaaand today was the tipping point. I've got to start a tally. 

Warning: this blog post may resemble a children’s book. 

This morning I saw 7, yes SEVEN deer! I haven’t seen any before today…?? Yes I know, deer are mundane. Keep reading.

Hi Bambi!

I’ve seen 3 turtles. 

 Yup, stopped mid-run (thrice!) to nudge a turtle across my running path. Giggled every time. 

I’ve seen 1 Grey fox.

I totally drop-jawed and gawked at it for as long as possible before it noticed me and bounded way.

I’ve seen 4 turkey vultures.

 Turns out they were chomping down on an animal carcass. This prompted a section of mouth-breathing mid-run since the said carcass was seriously swarming with maggots. 

I’ve seen tons of cool mushrooms.

 Yeah I know they aren’t animals, but I’ve they’re such a fun surprise!! They pop up unexpectedly along my normal routes and I never know what kind of weird fungi will appear next. There are even the amanita-looking ones here! 

I’ve seen a lovely blue heron.

 It’s usually perched (in the wee hours of the morning) next to the nearby lake and is always creating the most perfect photo-op. 

So, the real question of the day is this:  to carry a phone/camera while running or not? Fairly frequently I REALLY want to snap a photo of a spotted-during-my-run moment, but I also love running 'hands free' and unencumbered by any sort of connection to the interwebs. 

Do you run with your phone?