Friday Frolic

Friday morning I went out to have some fun. I had been looking at Google Maps, one of my favorite pastimes, and realized there was an area nearby that I had not explored. The area you ask? Between Highway 7 and Viking Road (formerly known as Medart Road) is a place of which I have little knowledge. Why not take a run out there? After all, Viking is building a new road through that area. I'll go see it.

I left our driveway at 8:55 a.m. and shuffled over the bridge, onto Market Street, and out Grenada Blvd. I had run that before. Then I crossed the highway and ran out Grenada Blvd Extended. I had done that before. But when I came to the end of GBE and crossed Highway 7, I entered the new Viking Road. I had not done that before.

One of two breaks that crosses the new road.

Immediately I was struck by the sense of adventure, of seeing something, someplace I had never been, seen. The road is wide and although paved, has a wild feel to it seeing there is nothing but nature out there.

The new road going off into the wild

I shuffled along in the heat. The dew point was 73. I didn't check the heat index, but it must have been 104 or more. Not seeing a single automobile, person, or house out there was nice. For one thing, it meant I could take a pee with ease anytime I wanted.

Basically, there are a few tupelo gum breaks out there, some cutover timber, a little farm land (soybeans), woods, a sea of lilly pads, and two gravel roads that look like they are rarely travelled. Can you spell A N O T H E R R U N? 

After five miles, I decided to walk one. I am going to start mixing some walking in to lengthen my long runs and build time on the feet. I have some goals that involve some really long stuff. I walked a mile which brought me on top of the new overpass. Overpass? Yeah, the road goes over the City of New Orleans railroad track and then dumps onto Viking Road.

On Viking Road, I learned something valuable if you ever run out there. The road has rocks glued to the tarmac with tar. Huh? Yeah. Usually if you kick a rock in the road while running, the rock goes scooting up ahead of you. On this road, if you kick a rock, you have to have some good hip flexors to keep from face planting on the pavement.

After making my way back over the bidge, I hit the Yazoo River Trail to get a chance to pee and experience some shade.

The Yazoo River Trail Note how the river 
coming out of its banks has silted up
around the bench and the base of
the tree.

I walked a half mile on the trail before resuming a soft shuffle. The run was interrupted, however, when I almost stepped on a snake. The snake peed at me. I am not making that up. He shot pee in my direction that went about thirty inches into the air.

Sorry for the not so good picture, but your
phone is always ready to take a
photograph until it's something
you really want to get.

After the trail, I went out Hades Road where I walked another half mile and went home on another half mile of shuffling. The whole time I was running, however, my mind was on the new-to-me area. I kept thinking of scenes like this.

Another Tupelo Gum break. You can't really
see it, but there is a small lake back there.

And this.

Belive me, this photo does not do justice to
the amazing beauty of these lily
pad blooms.

I am going back out there soon, maybe next Friday. A couple of gravel roads out there have been singing to me like the sirens of old. Thank you, Jesus, for a nice experience and the idea that there are a couple of more experiences out there. Life is good.