Gully washer

This makes the second weekend I've gone out to run and gotten soaked through in the rain. Last week was brutally cold; this week was manageable through most.

Because of a shindig at Shelby Farms, I made my way out to the Greenway. It was still very nice out with sun shining through the trees. The clouds were a ways off and I hoped they'd dissipate or skirt the area.

As I went along, I had to slog through several semi-ponds that left my shoes soaked and squelching. It wasn't too bad, though. It's better than getting all muddy I guess. And the place was decked out in flowers and green. I wasn't about to let a few puddles ruin my day.

After warming up a bit, I got down to business plodding along at a slow pace. Then I somehow managed to be somewhere else entirely where wisteria lazily hung from outstretched tree branches and dogwood blossoms filled the air with their gentle scent. I've never breathed so deeply while running.

It reminded me of a scene out of "A Wrinkle in Time" where the travelers are taken up into the thin atmosphere of another planet. They stayed alive by breathing in the delicate scent of strange flowers given to them.

But I digress ...

I started scouting for areas with lots of flowers so I could inhale the smell, forget I was running and coast as long as possible.

Then the clouds gathered.

On my way back, it started to rain. There was no lightning and no wind at that point. I thought the storm must be pushing its way northwest instead of my direction. But as I kept going, I saw I was wrong.

At one point, the wind blew so hard it nearly knocked me down. I had to remind myself it'd be a quicker trip back to the car if I kept running. Get small and outlast the gusts. Wow, this is hard. Come on, legs, let's keep pushing. Rain stings when it's blown into you this hard.

It must have been the area. Back under the trees, it was much calmer and I could keep going. I had planned on going for a run, not a swim. In a moment of commiseration, I said as much to a runner headed the other direction.

He laughed. Then he recognized my shirt.

"Is that for Texas A&M?" he asked. I met an old Ag on the trail. He went there back when it was all military and no women attended. He lived in the same dorm as I. Crazy world.

Gig 'Em.