a possible double?

I can't remember if my husband mentioned running after work today, and I haven't decided if I'd join him.

I've been somewhat mired by a lack of routine; I generally need some sort of indisputable impetus when I first wake up in the morning, especially since I usually end up either between jobs or working 2nd shift and we get moved so darn often.  I didn't get into a solid routine in Kansas, but that was just 10 months.  The first-thing-in-the-morning easy jog on the beach worked really well, but that was already two places ago.  Now my task is to convince myself that I have to go to the forest right away or else I will miss the good stuff.  This is easier to do when involving a beach and its continually dredged up from the deep glories, but a forest still has some neat things worth rushing for sometimes.  I wonder if there are edible mushrooms in there....

I'm still filling a sleep bank deficit too...I am still recovering from gluten exposure/colitis/and other itis, and last week I'd started the vicious circle of increasing inflammation preventing sleep spurring increasing inflammation.   So, last night, I took two Tylenol PM and though it seemed that I had to wake up every time I needed to shift my body, I felt I got a sound night's sleep for the first time in several days at least.

So I put my running clothes first thing in the morning, drank some water, got the dog into his vest (OMG, deep freeze in the South, y'all, -4 C!!! lol, but the dog has eyelashes for fur and needs his fleece) and we jogged to the annex.  We took the first side path, and then it split into two!  I chose the path on the right and we jogged down it, and it became more and more abandoned, and it wasn't very distinct in places, but it's a small forest and all I would've had to do is walk back into the sun.  The long-leaf pine straw smothers most undergrowth; the footing is soft but easy to walk on.  We ran downhill until we eventually came to a small dirt lot, a street, and a few houses.  Next time we go down that way, I'll run on the street until I find a name.

We jogged back and then I took the last side path to the larger trail, the way we'd gone before, but I turned right instead of left, and ran until that trail split as well.  So many choices!  On our way back, I saw what might be a path going down into a small valley of sorts.  That is worth checking out too.

And, yes, it looks like I have a few months between the end of deer/bear season (Jan 1) and wild turkey season.  As far as I know, the annex is state land and hunting is prohibited, and there are signs up in a few places, as well as private property signs for the farm nearby (we respect that kind of thing)...I'm hoping that signage will continue to be clear so that we don't suddenly pop out onto someone's turf.  And I unpacked my orange running shirts today!