Wierd thing on the walk today

 My left and right knee have been bothering me not allot but just enough. I finally researched and did some exercises to strengthen the hamstring quad and other muscles. The idea that the knee has no muscles and you must strengthen the muscles around the knee to prevent strain on the knee. 

I walk 5 miles a day to train for the PCT. Unfortunately most of its on concrete or asphalt. I try to walk on grass (but its wet) or dirt when possible. 

I am pretty automatic about the walk, especially during the week. There is no exploring as I have to get back by a certain amount of time to start working. 

As I was coming up to this work-site I was looking at the gutter. Normally there is crap like sand bags or plastic wrap. The bags are used to prevent debris from flowing into the storm drains and the plastic crap gets blown around (its been windy lately).  As I start walking by this amalgam of crap, a head rears up. 

I take like 10 steps in the opposite direction, I didn't know what it was. 

It was a dog, one of those Yorkie type dogs, foofie, but this one gave me a wierd look its lower teeth were evident. It wasn't like it was snarling at me, the dogs lower mouth just drooped open. 

It looked sick. 

I thought, if I find someone with car to stop, maybe they will take it somewhere. I also thought on my return, I will give it some water. 

When I returned it was gone. 

7.11.21 update - Chinese running lady (I don't know her name) I had warned her about the dog and she said thanks. The next day she told me she went up to the dog and talked to it. It got up and started following her. She lead it to the dog park enclosure and shut the door around it and then called animal control. They came and picked it up. 

Farmland disappearing in Elk Grove CA

 I started talking this walk about 2 years ago. I don't really remember when it started I just do it. 

Its about a 5 mile round trip that takes me from suburbia to open fields of hay and tractors. 

On this walk I have seen coyotes, turkeys, rabbits, snakes, brand new cabinets and make a few friends along the way. 

I noticed that rabbits never look when they cross the road and routinely find them dead on the road. Some skunks stand right in the middle of the road or in the middle of  a field. 

Once when they dug a ditch across the field about ten snakes perished on the road. For some reason I felt it my duty to pick them up and move them off of the road. 

On these walks when the haze is not bad, or on a clear day (rare) you can see the snow on the Sierra's. Normally the haze is less to the west and Mount Diablo and the coastal range are usually in sight. 

 I was taking my daily walk talking to myself as I always do. It turned into an 11 mile walk and I called it the Thesis Walk 2012.  I guess its a thesis of walking and talking to myself 

The thought was about being in a situation and determining if you remain or leave. 

I will describe my situation (two neighbors and son).  

We lived between two assholes. One was a prissy HomeDepot worker who knew everything about home improvement and well you didn't. He liked to get together with the other asshole. This other asshole got mad that our dog barked. Instead of talking to us (she was barky but had a bark color) he threatened me when I was with my infant son standing at the window of my house. He just had an off vibe about him and I grew to hate everything about him, I even hated his name.  Then Prissy asshole moves out and rents his house to some white trash people who single handedly kept the camel brand alive. Add endless ghetto basket ball games trash on the ground and several calls to the police.  

We could have put the house up for sale and moved or gutted it out. Or would you call it grinding it out? At what point do you value your time here on earth more than putting up with these shitholes? Eventually the white trash had to move when the house was sold and we got some great neighbors. Finally asshole #1's wife's father died and they moved into his house and sold, again great new neighbor. 

Second story 

My son hated going to high school (of course that is my impression, I am sure there are things he liked) for me everyday was a guess on whether he would go or not. He was in demanding classes and normally got good grades, until he didn't.  I posted to Reddit and people responded. Save your health and sanity, have him take the exit exam, which he did after his sophomore year. 

Then eventually imbued with the responsibility of  self and after one or two missteps he enrolled in college and is progressing. 

As I walked and looked at Mount Diablo and the coastal range, I started to ponder, do I value my time?

Of course selling a house because the two neighbors are horrible is a slightly bigger ask than graduating/getting out of high school but I am never going to get those years back of anger and coming home from a day at work to an unenjoyable environment. 

I question why I chose to accept this at all?  I realized that I view myself, my personality as a grinder. I learn by repetition and I feel like the titanic. Very subtle changes to the rudder result in slow changes in trajectory. But then again that is just the story I tell myself about myself. 

Mount Diablo, but you can't see it. You can see the Blackberry brambles!