I'm sure you can tell from my other entries, and frequencies of these entries, that this summer's evenings have been a lot about running for me. I have really, really enjoyed running in this National Park. It has been a source of tranquility, strength, meditation, reflection, and relaxation for me. One of my many reasons for wanting to do TRT in another state was to just have a break from DC. As much as I love where I live, I needed a little break from it. Sulphur definitely has provided this break and everything about it has been fantastic. My runs have helped me to reflect on this great opportunity.
And then, of course, there are the animals. Again, as if you couldn't tell, I just love seeing the wildlife. I've always loved animals and the cool thing about the animals in the park is that I never know what I'm going to see.
Tonight tops the list I think, for the most animals, of different varieties, seen in one night. On my five mile run tonight, I saw, in this order: the bison (which I was absolutely thrilled about! I haven't seen them in weeks), a HUGE armadillo (seriously, much bigger than any I've seen before--the tail was a bit creepy, but he was soooo cool), two does who stopped to watch me as I stopped to watch them, and then Mr. Box Turtle who had just finished crossing the road.
As I rounded the corner of the road to the Nature Center, I realized that I don't have many nights of running in the park left and a wave of sadness washed over me. While I thought the heat was going to kill me at first, I've adapted (and the temperatures have dropped some), and my evening runs are something I really look forward to. I know I'll get to return to running in my National Parks in DC (the National Mall, Rock Creek, and the GW Parkway) but I will definitely miss this park and its animals.
