Finding Nemo...er...Nathan, I mean

   Well....over a month later and I'm blogging again...
   In my last post, I spent some time glorying in the recent running success I'd been having and how I finally had the feeling that the whole running thing was back on track.
   This was obviously the kiss of death as I have not run since.
   Kinda hard to put a finger on just exactly why this has happened---I just simply have not felt like running.
   Part of it, I think, was that I spent four days in Sault Ste. Marie, essentially eating at one kind of restaurant or another, all of which served huge portions. That, and just generally being thrown way off my routine made it especially hard to recover when I finally made it back to London. And nothing has really changed since!
   I have forced myself to get out and go for long walks, however, so, for better or worse, I am now a walking blogger!
   A couple of days ago I headed out into nearby Warbler Woods, as part of a 5K route I've had mapped out for quite some time now. My idea was to walk as briskly as possible and maybe even to run up a couple of the hills I knew I would encounter.
   One or two of my long, purposeful strides, however, nearly had me flat on my substantial ass. This time of year, of course, forest pathways are covered with leaves and there has been enough moisture in these parts to lay down a slick layer of mud underneath. This layer of mud was then camouflaged by the layer of leaves covering it and several times I took a step only to find myself sliding an extra six to seven inches, unexpectedly. Suddenly, I was actually happy I wasn't trying to run through it!
   This time of year, the woods are entirely different and quite spectacular in their own way. Without a leafy canopy, you can see much deeper into them and get a much better sense of the topography involved. If only the footing were better...
   So I walked until I normally make a  hard left and start on the trail which ultimately leads me away from the woods. When I got there, though, this was the sign and the fence which blocked my path:

A bent sign, to boot! Hiker rage??

   This was annoying and I briefly contemplated totally ignoring the sign, thinking to myself "what possible ecological damage could I do?" It then occurred to me that if everyone thought that same way we'd be in big trouble, so I relented. I also knew that if I just followed my original path I would soon encounter a series of very steep hills. Normally this is not a problem for me (I run them all the time) but in those slippery conditions I just didn't want to risk anything. So I turned to go out the same way I came in.
   And am I ever glad I did because I found Nemo!
   Well, no, not Nemo exactly but possibly a cousin named Nathan.
   I was walking past a tree and noticed a small blue box resting at its base. The box had an inscription on it so I bent down to read it. Here is the box:

   When I realized what I was holding, I very reverentially placed the box back at the base of the tree. No "Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" for me! Actually, I thought this was pretty sweet and kinda cool to find so I was glad in a way that the blocked trail had sent me back this way.
   The rest of my walk in the woods was pretty uneventful and I was happy that I had at least worked up a sweat. Hopefully, walking is only a pre-cursor to actually running again. I'm pretty sure that it is. Fingers crossed.