Water, water everywhere

Woke up to a chilly 37° F temperature this morning. Not freezing, but definitely colder than tomatoes like. I hope they're not damaged. It's too muddy to walk in the garden anyway.

There are times during the summer when you can walk across
the river on the large rocks that line the riverbed. Not now!

The rain Thursday and yesterday ended up being not as much as predicted, but still pretty impressive: two inches in the rain gauge. My husband and I spent a couple hours yesterday morning at the garden center moving plants, as the Greenbrier River kept creeping closer and closer to the retail area. So that was a good workout to start the day.

We then walked along the Greenbrier on a road I used to use all the time when I was training for half-marathons. It's a two-mile flat stretch, so four miles total, and it used to be very pleasant. Apparently more people have moved into the area or have discovered that it's a nice little shortcut road to take. Lots of traffic, more than we're comfortable with.

So a biting dog that runs free on our favorite road and too many cars on yesterday's road leaves us walking the hills of home, I guess. Hills are good, though, right?

My neighbor's funeral is this afternoon. It's still so, so hard to look out at his hayfields and know he won't be cutting and baling it this year. Or to see his old dog, Toby, waiting on the porch for a pat from Billy.

I'm not sure whether I'll walk before or after the service, but walk I will. Taking last Thursday off might have been necessary weather-wise, but it didn't help me get to that 1500-mile goal at all.

My weight is holding steady. Perhaps this is where I'm supposed to be. My BMI is still in the overweight range, though, and I'd really like to – once and for all – see it below 25. I'd hoped to see it last year, and that – obviously – didn't happen. This year is speeding by and I've stayed the same since Christmas. That's one long damned plateau.

BUT … I haven't been using the rowing machine as much as I'd hoped to. The yard and garden work are eating into my time significantly. But I made walking a priority, and I'm only rowing 30 minutes every other day – I should be able to manage it.

Thanks for reading. I do appreciate it, and I especially thank you for your comments about Billy's death. It isn't only the good who die young, but when the good do die young, it's somehow more of a loss.