[Yesterday’s run: 6.75 miles]
I had a big exercise day yesterday.
In the morning I went to Starkville and ran with the group like I usually do. Bill let me know before the run that he was going to bale his hay that day. I had previously asked if he would let me know when that happened.
We did our run and it rained on us a little bit, which was not a happy thing because Bill’s hay was mowed and in the field and he didn’t need any rain on it in that condition. There was lightning and thunder too. It was kind of dramatic. I skipped some of the usual lengthening options and did the shortest out-and-back to the first water stop, which got me back to the Starkville Cafe before anyone else. So I rested and drank cold water and waited for the others to come back. Eventually Bill came back too, and reported that he had been hailed on a little bit. Not Bill’s day in the weather department!
So I went home after the run and did some puttering around at the house. Later I texted with Bill and they were going to go ahead with the hay baling work. He said I could come on over at 5 PM if I wanted to help get it in the barn.
And I did that. I drove the old truck over, taking the back road through Tibbee, MS (which isn’t much of a place). Bill’s house is on that same road as it approaches Starkville. I pulled up and right away there was a pickup truck pulling a trailer stacked with hay and they told me to jump on, so I did. We got it unloaded in the barn, then went back out. We did that 3 times. I worked until 8 PM when everything was in the barn and done.
I got a good workout! I’m not able to keep up with the strong young guys. But I was able to lend a hand. And I enjoyed the chance to participate. I did much better than last year. I’m a bit more in shape this year, and it seems I have better arm strength or something, maybe the bales were lighter.
Of the other people there, a man and his son had just moved to Starkville from Ft. Collins where he had been a church planter. It was nice to talk to him about Colorado. They had lived up in the Stove Prairie area until the fire a few years ago drove them out. After that they were in Ft. Collins. And now they are in Starkville where they minister at the Crosspoint church at the Sportsplex.