grace

lately hasn't been good for me regarding running. two weeks ago, penny & i were attacked by a 100-lb dog when we nearly were home from a 4 miler. it was night time. it was terrifying!! the big dog just gummed & frightened penny, but i kept getting thrown in the air as the dogs swarmed around my feet, tangling the leash. no, i would not let the leash go, as friends suggested: no way was i gonna lose penny, or let her get chased to her death!! i'd rather be the one that was hurt!!
the attack seemed to go on forever, with the big dumb menace running away for a moment, then running back, snarling, spitting, growling, chewing, paying me absolutely no heed no matter what i did. the woman who owned the dog finally came running out, probably hearing my yells for help (i thought she was going to have a heart attack, huffing up the hill & gulping that she has asthma!) & then a man came out, herding the beast away. i scooped 45 lb penny up & carried her up the hill as far as i could, finally getting her home & washing her all off. when i saw she had no broken skin, i started blubbering. the whole thing had made me feel so helpless, flashing back to the Cat That Was Devoured By a Coyote As I Watched. but penny was ok.
then i saw that i wasn't. crap!!!! but the bites weren't deep. i've had much worse.
no, i didn't go to the doc, & no, i don't seem to have infection or rabies.
turns out the dog was one that had been taken in by one of my student's grandmas. the dog went to the pound the very next day & i received flowers at school with a card reading "we're very sorry for what happened to you."  james was irate, but i was just relieved we hadn't been hurt worse!
i was just getting over my soreness from bruises & bites, so decided to take a little jaunt with penny near our home. all was going well when, nearly home, dammit, i hit a rock & didn't fly, but jack-knifed  straight into the dirt, badly hitting my palm, my knee smacking right against a rock. crap again!!!! this fall hurt a lot worse than the one i took at the tejon ranch 5k. more bruises, more broken skin. right now, my legs are more beat-up looking than since i moved to frazier park.
today penny & i went the steep route cause i figured then i wouldn't be tempted to run & fall again. the steep route goes up west end drive a block from our house, topping at above 5800 ft, so it's an 800+ ascent in a little over a mile. near the top, my huffing & puffing were broken by the lovely sight of purple lupines & delicate yellow purse-like flowers, small & delicate, & blooming pink thistle & a flowering yucca, i think it was. (this site is cool, but gave me very little help in finding the yellow flowers: u.s. wildflower database )
we got to the tree which tops the path, my heart hammering, then turned for the quick descent. it was pretty steep, so i dropped the leash & penny went sailing off, but unlike when we take our traditional route, she was a good girl & kept stopping to look back at me, waiting for me, & she didn't go running off so that i would have to chase her down.
we made it all the way home without me getting injured.
life is good. :)