I walked around Lake Mingo

I had vague, fuzzy ambitions to get going early and get to the Farmer's Market today, but despite sleeping in until the crazy decadent hour of 8:30, I had all the pep and vitality of a heap of carrot peelings waiting to be thrown on the compost pile, so I engaged in computer-aided vegetating until a bit before 1, by which time I still felt like all I really wanted to do was go back to sleep.  Still, I made myself get in the car and drive over to Kennekuk.  I started out on the Lake Mingo trail (which goes all the way around said lake, following the shore where possible), thinking that I probably wasn't up for going all the way, but I told myself when I started at about 1:15 that I would walk until 3:00 and see where I'd gotten to and how I felt.  As soon as I got into the woods and into the rhythm of walking, I woke up and felt good, and somehow I developed a growing determination not to turn back.  I felt great when I passed the 2 mile mark.  I realized that I was actually not quite sure how long the whole loop was, but I convinced myself that I was sure I remembered that it was 7.8 miles.  I got to the 4 mile mark and I still felt good, and I was more than halfway (unless I was delusional, and the trail was really 12 miles or something).  Then I started to feel a little tired, and I started walking a little slower, but I kept going.  By mile 6 I would have been pleased if it were over, but I had gotten around the lake to parts I'd explored from the other side, and I knew it couldn't be that much farther.  And just a little bit after mile 7, I found myself back at the starting mark.  I lay down on a picnic bench for a few minutes to rest, and wished that I'd thought to bring a book, because I was still enjoying being outdoors, but I didn't want to do more walking just then.

I decided to be a lazy slob and skip cooking.  So I got in the car and drove to Heron Park, where to my dismay, as far as I could tell, the heron nests were gone.  There were a couple of herons on the lake, but none roosting in the trees, and I couldn't see any sign of their nests.  I assume this year's chicks are fledged, but I thought they lived there year round.  And then I went into Danville to the KFC buffet.

Writing this now, I feel a little tired, but still more energetic than before I left the house, and my legs are a little sore but not terribly.  While I certainly need to improve, I guess I may not be in quite as bad shape as I think.  (Yay!)

Registered Exotic Feline Handler

I received my card in the mail today, so it's official.  I am a Registered Exotic Feline Handler (Basic Level) with the Feline Conservation Federation.

This new program is intended to document the amount of experience that the FCF membership has in working with exotic felines.  I'm participating in part to support the program (the more people who are registered and have their experience cataloged, the more convincing it becomes), and in part in the hope that in places where AR wins and "the public" is not allowed any contact with exotic animals (such as the crazy near-suicidal stunt depicted in my icon), I will be able to argue that I'm not just "the public".  Not because I don't want you to have the chance to get to know a tiger or other exotic feline too, but because I simply couldn't live without that contact in my life, so I'll claim special privilege if I must so I can live to keep fighting a little longer.