There are some homes that back right up to the fence around it, and the neighbors tend beautiful yards with roses and other flowers. There are pools in a lot of the yards, and on a hot day like we've been having lately, they are a tempting sight!
Everyone is friendly. You begin to recognize the "regulars", and soon tentative smiles give way to grins, and the occasional thumbs-up sign. There are kids practicing for track meets. There are tots on bikes with parents jogging along beside. There are teen girls on cell phones, walking along and chattering. There are skateboards, roller blades and scooters.
Today this dog was with the Missus. Yesterday, she was jogging unencumbered by leash or doggie-doo-doo bag, because right beside her, her hubby was on a bike and he held the leash, and together the three of them zipped right around.
Above is the little Japanese couple (she is in a deep purple shirt) that I see walking every night, holding hands all the way. They move slowly, with the careful gait that age brings, and when they pass you, they look you right in the eye and their grins light up their faces and they exclaim "HIEEE!" in unison, and bow slightly, and then continue walking, never once letting go of each other's hand.
This group of gentlemen walks together each evening. I can't place the accent as they laugh and gesture and share their days' events, but they are obviously friends of long standing. They initially didn't respond much when I would say "hello" or "good evening", and I wondered if I was being too "forward" for their liking. Or maybe the sight of me sweating and panting around the trail was more frightening than I realized!
As the days passed, they began to smile and nod and eventually wave a bit as they passed. The day I took my camera to take these pictures, I met them on one of the curves of the trail and to my surprise, one of them abandoned his native tongue and elbowed the friend at his side and exclaimed, "Awwwwww Nawwwwww! She has de cam-er-ah!!!" A collective gasp and they look at me....and he states further, "and I forget today, to comb my hair!!" And we all giggle and wave and go on our way!
We laughed again the next day when I passed them, and he feigned disappointment, stating "awwww, no cam-er-ah! and today, TODAY I was reddee! I have combed my hair....the one, you see??!!" and he pointed to his balding head! They all elbowed each other and slapped shoulders and laughed and we all waved and went on....
Miss Hot Pink in this picture is Very Pregnant. She walks at a leisurely pace, occasionally rubbing her belly absentmindedly, as if to calm the baby.... And the gentleman on the left that is jogging and about to pass her? He is my inspiration!
I cannot gauge his age....he is tall, thin, grey, gnarled, bushy-browed, and the sweetest guy up there. He runs (!) the entire rim at least three times (5 miles!) and cradles a waterbottle in one arm as he goes. He never fails to say something, even just a "hi there", but sometimes when he passes he says something encouraging like "good for us!" or "to our health!"
And if I time it correctly, my final quarter mile is a cool down with a beautiful sunset to admire. I didn't have a great one the night I took the camera, but still, you get the idea! I was shooting through the fence and also out of focus.....or maybe I was still panting and wheezing and jostled the camera. Sigh.
And one last picture. I have a new quilt in mind....and it calls for reproduction prints.....look at the fat quarters I scored on Ebay recently!!
I have been patting them, and admiring them, ever since they arrived today!
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