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Yesterday: walked with the dog.

Today: jogged the long annex route in almost 35 minutes, including a few pitstops for the dog.  I jogged the secondary loop in reverse, changing the steep downhill to a steep uphill, which I suppose turned other parts into downhills...it was altogether easier.  It probably also helps that I started retaking iron and protein pills a few days ago. 

The secondary loop goes by the Proctors.  I don't know how many exactly, but there are two headstones with names, as well as a wooden cross and a few other markers, including a concrete cat, surrounded by a black painted chain and posts.  A family plot.  I suppose that they once owned the land, or it's still in the family--there are no "Private signs" along the way to indicate that I'm straying off state land, but that might be the case.  The paths appear basically abandoned upon second look, even though they remain very clear: regrowth is stunted by the sandy soils.  So I'm keeping my eyes and ears out, and will mind hunting season, and get some sort of bright orange collar for the dog (and maybe a belt for myself that will be more comfortable than the one I don't wear).  Some of the land might be a part of the farm behind my house.  It is a hobby/hunting establishment as far as I can tell.  The soundscape is complicated by the army training areas behind the base.  When it's just a few pops, I can't tell if it's hunting or not.  Fortunately, they've recently been tossing off much more voluminous volleys, as well as 50-cal and possibly heavier items (the booms in the house remind me of living on the proving ground)...still, hearing a bunch of bangs while jogging in the forest is a bit startling.

After today's jog, we walked a bit to bring the time close to an hour.  I figure that maybe I should stay out for at least an hour every day, walk or jog or both.  It makes things easier in a way. 

When we were walking down the street back to our house, I heard clicking noises.  Another dog was following us.  I had seen this one before: it appeared to belong to a woman pushing a stroller who was about 50 metres behind it.  She made no effort to call back her dog.  Today, she was nowhere in sight.  The dog maybe wasn't hers after all.

He was male, and I wasn't quite sure how it would go off, even though he seemed polite last time, just loose.  He followed us, my dog peed on a small bush on the edge of our front yard, and then my dog whined to be allowed to check out the other dog.  Sure.  They smelled each other and my dog play-bowed, which the other one wasn't quite receptive to, and so I said that we were going.  Fortunately, the other dog did not follow us into the house, but he sniffed where my dog had peed, largely respecting the boundary of our yard, and then he trotted down the road. 

I would like to know what the deal is!