Day Six

Instructions for today said "walking, easy, 3 miles". Hottest day of the year. I decided to walk from my house to Patriot's Park where my church is holding our Bible School Kickoff. Hubby measured it on his way to take Little Miss Priss to breakfast and it is 1.9 miles. So round trip will be 3.8 miles. Do I dare? I dare.

After dressing appropriately, I head out and boy is it ever hot. How I want to turn and go back in to my couch and airconditioning. After conquering the hills on my street, the trip to the high school is not so bad but there is a lot of traffic today. Something big going on at the high school. Anyway, I cross Phifer Road to the sidewalk side and head toward town. I am now facing the big hill on Phifer and decide that if I look down, it want be so intimidating. This works but I begin to notice that the sidewalks in this town are any terrible shape. It's a good thing I was looking down or I would have possibly tripped several times. Also, while looking down you can notice other things that are closer to you. Like wild flowers beside the sidewalk, various messages so and so loves so and so, and baggies of marijuana. What???? I stop in my tracks and back up 3 paces and sure enough, that 's what I found. I bend over for a closer look to make sure that's what it really is. And I'm positive that's what it is. Oh well, I keep going, forgetting about the contraband, and I have to say that the sidewalks on Gold Street are in extreme need of repair. If you live on Gold Street, you need to contact your city council person. It is ridiculous. Now I know that some of those big trees have pushed up the sidewalk but that is not the problem everywhere.

I arrive at the festivities at the park and hang out for a while. Passing up the hotdogs and sugary drinks, by the way. I think that park is one of the greatest things this town has ever done. The kids were having a blast. Fortunately, I thought to send Miss Priss' bathing suit and she was having a blast in the fountains. Our church rented these blow up things for children and some willing adults, I, not being one, to crawl through and jump on. It was great.

After a while, I decided to take the return trip home. Heading back the way I had come, with my eyes to the path in front of me, the baggie with is contents was still in its original spot. I couldn't believe someone else hadn't come by and picked it up or it's rightful owner hadn't realized it had been dropped and come to retrieve it. But no, there it was. Now I have a choice, pick up baggie and contents or let it be. If I let it be, maybe the rightful owner will find it, or a stranger, such as myself, will get it and dispose of it, a child could find it and ingest it somehow, a dog or other animal might get hold of it. On the other hand, if I pick it up, what am i going to do with it? If I put it in my pocket and die, (it is hot and my knees are wobbly) MT up at the funeral home will have to tell my loved ones about the contents of my pockets. "Rest her soul, and here are the contents of her pockets, one 5$ bill, a wet paper towel, and a baggie of marijuana. Have a nice day." Or, better yet, what if I get arrested. I can just see it in the paper now, "Local church member arrested for possession of marijuana after attending church bible school kick off", or "Local teacher arrested for wobbling in public and possession of an illegal substance". Life would not be good.

Hills, hills, hills. The hill coming up Maner Road is horrible. I thought once about cutting through my neighbor's back yard at the end of the cul-de-sac. It backs up to the new building at the high school but he has a big dog PLUS I don't want to get my new shoes dirty. So I keep going and going and going (like the energizer bunny) up Maner road to the entrance of my hood. It's down hill the rest of the way. 3.8 miles.

Until tomorrow....