Politics in Everything

I never wanted to write a political blog, but it seems today, everything is political.  Try to talk about the weather without touching for a moment on climate change. Talk about family health without talking about the costs of prescription drugs. Talk about the scenery without mentioning that all of the regulations have changed and that the EPA has been gutted and that climate change will make the whole world look different in the next 50 years.

I keep trying to write blog posts that cover a topic and aren't political and I can't seem to do that anymore.

So, I'm going to write about how my exercise plans for the fall were completely destroyed on my first day of my new exercise program, let's see if I can avoid politics. 

I had planned to start walking three times a week and swimming once a week.  Mixing it up a bit here and there with other activities, hitting the weight room at the public pool from time to time, etc.

Violet, my hound dog (hound melange-50% Treeing Walker Coonhound, 25% Bluetick Coonhound and 25% mystery-mutt according to her DNA results) (the politics-did I invade my dog's privacy by taking her DNA sample without her permission? She was not keen on the procedure.), was/is completely on-board with my exercise plans. When I walk, she walks, which makes us both mellower and healthier beings. She waited patiently while I moved objects out of her way and then hopped up into the back of the station wagon, scooted toward the back of the seat and gave me the signal that she was ready with her big brown eyes and waited, so that the hatch didn't whack her in the head. I drove to the local nature preserve that, unlike every other nature preserve I know of, allows dogs on lead. (the politics-what is natural? What is a natural state in a world completely changed by man?)

We arrived, all is perfectly normal, I choose a route that would give us just shy of two miles. Enough exercise to keep her from chewing random objects for a couple of days. The path starts with an overgrown, patch full of invasive species, multiflora roses make it beautiful in the spring, but this is early fall and it looks like a pile of brambles.  (the politics- Multiflora rose was once part of a beautification program, until they realized that it took over everywhere, oops) Violet charges from one spot to another, and then pauses excessively long for any exercise program, to take in the scents of every dog in the area and any small furry or feathered critter that might have passed by. (the politics- the population of birds in the Americas has plummeted possibly due to various factors including urbanization, climate change and pesticides) We amble down the path to the one hill down to the stream (the politics-eroded hill and the sediment that it adds to the body of  water below it) and the one hill away from the stream, the  rest is flat and mostly level packed sandy soil. 

We leave the invasives on the edges of the woods and head deeper in. We follow the path of the stream, which due to the moderate drought, was much smaller that it had been a month earlier. (the politics-the drought is part of the more extreme weather that is occurring due to global warming) I like this part of the trail, the path is narrow and covered in beech and oak leaves, Water trickles over the rocks. None of the trees are very old, so I figure that the area once had tobacco growing on it, like most of the land in the area a hundred years ago. (The politics-anything having to do with tobacco and small farm abandonment)

There are few other walkers.  (the politics-Americans' unhealthy habits, and a lack of engagement with the environment/outdoors) I breathe  trying to keep my brain from wandering through the crazy busy week scheduled ahead, county fair week and with my job, that makes it one of the two busiest weeks of the year. (the politics-anything having to do with the county fair) I look for patterns in bark, newly fallen trees, and anything different from the last time I had walked the path diverting my brain from my schedule. I see no one.  The path with the stream next to it turns and overlooks the small bay from atop a cliff, if you can peer through the leaves of all of the trees.  I'm sure a few years back there was a sweeping view, but it has all grown in.

We veer away from the cliff side and  head deeper into the woods again. There are more pines in this area.  There are some logs piled up near the trail, Violet gives them a thorough sniff, halting my progress, but any critters who might live there are apparently not home. We come to an unmarked intersection of paths (the politics-the under funding of parks and recreational areas), but since I carry the map of the area in my head, it isn't a problem. We turn right, in the direction of the car, we are at our half-way point. The path is an old road, wide, flat, and sandy Violet continues at a more consistent pace, the zoomies, as one of my friends calls them, have subsided. My mind keeps veering back to the million things I need to do in the next few days, I keep trying to focus on the present.  The sun was out, a few cumulus clouds puffing about, the temperature was veering on a bit too warm. 

Remember to bring the display, bring a snack the first few days because there's no food that I can eat there. Did I print enough brochures? Which shoes should I wear to make sure my back doesn't hurt? Where did I put the stuff for the geocaches that will be put out on Youth Day? What time should I get up? Did I buy the right stuff for the rest of the family to eat while I am crazy busy? Which volunteer said they could do the bake sale? Stop. Focus. Breathe. Walk. Enjoy the woods. You have been looking forward to this. I will walk on the days when I go in a little later. Violet needs this as much as me, gee, she looks much more relaxed.

I wonder how close I will be able to park. I don't have my parking pass yet. I need to remember to bring my club's entries on entry day, crud I left them at the office, I'll have to go in, another hour. Has the weather forecast changed? Is there a tablecloth in the tote? I need more pens.

Hey, wait, my foot didn't plant right. My ankle is turning, jeez that was an awful loud pop. How did I end up on the ground? I hope I didn't do what I think I just did. Oh no. I let go of the leash.  I am so glad I spent the time training her, this better work now I really need it or she will follow her very long nose and I won't be able to find her. "Violet, wait, now come! Good girl! Ooh, you don't have to sit in my lap"  Dog secured, check.  Check the area. Completely smooth, hard packed sandy soil.  A leaf here and there no sticks, holes or other trip hazards.  Why the heck did this happen? Oh, there's a bit of blood on my knee and elbow, okay, just scrapes.

Walking possible? I plant my good foot,formerly my bad foot, broken 20 years before and now great for predicting thunderstorms and pull myself up onto the one that twisted and popped. I can put weight on it, but it doesn't feel right. Deep breath. Start walking to the car, you can do this, it's a half mile to the car. Phone in back pocket still, check, just in case I need to call home for help, but then I would have to wait 30 minutes and the foot would swell in the meantime, just walk, let's see how far I can make it.  Down the hill, back to the stream, over the little bridge, up the hill through the brambles, and there's the car. I feel pressure inside my ankle, it twinges as I get into the car, it has been twinging for fifteen minutes. Ten minute drive home, I can do this.

I spent the afternoon in Urgent Care (Politics- $40 copay for urgent care, $1000 copay for the emergency room if not admitted to the hospital, guess I know my choice, oh that's really not a choice is it? All the bills haven't come yet, I wonder if there are any surprises.), x-raying, etc. convinced it was a twisted ankle, since I was able to walk out of the woods. Maybe the wincing look on the woman waiting for her granddaughter should have told me otherwise. Maybe the avocado sized swelling on my ankle could have been a clue.  Fractured. All my plans fly out the window. Taking walks and swimming in the winter, yeah, that's how I will get into shape again.