This is all getting a bit boring, isn’t it?  I mostly write the same old, same old stuff from day to day‒even after I have had a day off, like yesterday.

Although today, at least, I have a modicum of good news to convey:  the temperature went down significantly overnight, so that when I left the house this morning to walk to the train station (which I did) it was only 69 degrees (F) out, and there was a slight, pleasant breeze.  69 degrees might not seem that cool to those up north, but compared to 83 degrees with nearly maximal humidity, it is quite pleasant.

I wore one of my “athletic” shirts, but almost had to wear a different, warmer, cotton shirt.  The athletic one loses its moisture quickly, by design, and with the breeze, I was worried it would be unpleasantly cool.  However, I walk at a pretty good pace on my not-very-long shanks, and so I was in little danger of hypothermia.

Weirdly enough, yesterday afternoon when I walked to 7-11 and back (about 3 and a half miles total) I felt cooler than I usually do in the morning, though it was in the eighties and rather sunny, and I always wear all black.  Somehow, I was still less sweaty than I usually get in the morning, perhaps partly because the sun heated and evaporated the sweat, and partly because there was a nice breeze blowing.  In any case, I did feel cooler, even by the time I got back, though perhaps I was also more dehydrated than usual.  That was easily remedied, however, since I’d bought three seltzers and an unsweetened tea at 7-11.

I am sorry to say, though, that after wearing my newer boots yesterday, I think I may need to dispense with them for longer walks (this morning I’m wearing my New Balance walking shoes).  They seemed to cause some stress on the arch of my left foot that bothered me for the rest of the day and the night, though not too severely.  Also, while I walked, the boots’ increased sturdiness relative to other footwear seemed particularly to irritate my right Achilles tendon, which has some chronic strain and irritability that the NBs don’t seem to exacerbate.  Maybe I lace the boots too tightly.

It’s frustrating.  Those boots are quite good otherwise, and I felt nicely armored walking in them, even through some fairly extensive unpaved areas between the house and the 7-11.  In fact, I had two “wild” encounters when in that region, in one of which my boots made me feel quite secure (there was no real worry, anyway).

I first literally almost stumbled upon a large iguana nestled in some tallish grass next to a fence.  It was easily five feet long from snout to tip of tail‒the latter of which it whipped a few times in my general direction, defensively.  It was more surprised than I was, I think‒it clearly had been rather oblivious to my approach.  Tall grass, it seems, is a double-edged sword.

Anyway‒as I said to it while stopping for a moment to pass pleasantries‒its tail-whipping, though an excellent display, was no threat to me, because I had on boots and long pants.  Still, I meant it no harm, of course, and I chided it for its lack of alertness; other creatures might not be as benign as I.  I doubt that it understood me even vaguely, but it was nevertheless long gone by the time I returned.

The other encounter‒not nearly as “close” as the first‒ was with a rooster that was wandering in some apparently undeveloped, wooded land behind a fence right near the road.  There are plenty of people who keep chickens around these parts‒one occasionally hears the roosters crowing in the morning‒but this one wasn’t near anyone’s front or back yard as far as I could tell.  It was quite a fine and healthy looking specimen, though, with lovely brownish plumage and a vivid comb.  It was clearly somewhat unnerved by my presence, and it quickly made its way deeper into the trees.  It didn’t move too fast; roosters don’t like to show weakness, I think.  But it seemed almost as startled as the iguana had been.

I guess I must be pretty quiet when I walk along, certainly relative to somewhat nearby traffic.  That’s nice to know, since I’m not a fan of unnecessary noise at the best of times.  Still, I’d have to change that habit if I were hiking through grizzly bear country, or else court much more dangerous surprises.

It seems unlikely, though, that I will ever be in grizzly bear country.  The most dangerous creatures I encounter, by far, are humans.  They, at least, are a comparatively known quantity.

Sorry.  As I said, this has all been rather boring, and I apologize for that.  I’m considering taking a significant hiatus from this blog for a while soon, one which may turn from a hiatus to a terminus, depending on how things work out.  I really need to do something, and I want to do it soon.  It’s going to start to get colder before long‒indeed, it already is starting to get colder up north, I’m sure.  Also, the leaves have probably already begun to turn, farther north, and it would be lovely to see them, even if only for one last time.

Still, wishes are just thoughts.  I don’t know what I’m going to do.  But I’ve been preparing things at least a little, just in case.  And depending on what I’m able to make myself decide to do, I may take a hiatus from this blog or give it up entirely.  But that doesn’t mean I won’t (necessarily) keep in communication, if I’m able.

In the meantime, though*, I’ll expect to be writing at least the rest of this week (through Friday, since I am not scheduled to work on Saturday).  Maybe I’ll have further updates about my plans, or about my boots and/or shoes.  It should be vaguely interesting, I suppose.

Watch this space for further bulletins.

*And time can be very mean, can it not?