Red-winged blackbirds and new shoes

(004:  Red-winged blackbird.  Photo © by Robin)

It’s another beautiful day here in the Bogs.  I went out for a short walk a little while ago.  Walking through what used to be the hayfield, I was chased by a couple of red-winged blackbirds.  They must have a nest nearby.

(004a:  Red-winged blackbird in black & white.  Photo © 2009 by Robin)

I like the way these shots of the red-winged blackbirds came out.  They remind me of a tapestry.

The largemouth bass are spawning.  I could see them circling around their nests in the shallows several feet out from the edges of the pond.  The females lay about 30,000 eggs in one go.  The eggs hatch within a few days, and the males guard the little ones during their early days.  I also saw some bluegills, notorious nest raiders.  The bass have their work cut out for them, protecting the small fry from the bluegills.

The UPS guy dropped by today.  He brought with him my new off-trail running shoes:

(New shoes.  Photo © 2009 by Robin)

The weather has been too nice to keep to the treadmill.  It’s time to get outdoors and explore the countryside or run around the pond or drive over to one of the hiking trails around here and do my walk/runs there.

I’m pleased with my new shoes.  They fit wonderfully well and have great traction.  I wore them when I went out on my walk around the pond today, just to try them out.  They’re designed so I can go splashing through creeks or streams in them if I want.  They should also be good for climbing around in the mountains when we take our trip out to Colorado to visit M the Younger.  I expect I’ll get a lot of mileage out of my new shoes.

For those inquiring minds that want to know, the shoes I bought are the New Balance 875.  I’m a fan of New Balance shoes because they come in sizes that actually fit my feet.  Other brands usually aren’t wide enough for me.  New Balance shoes are snug where they need to be snug on my feet without cutting off my circulation and roomy where I need room (the toe box, for instance).

The cold I caught is getting worse.  I suppose it has to peak like that before things start getting better.  I’m feeling pretty miserable although getting outside did lift my mood a bit as did the arrival of my new shoes, even if I’m not up to run just yet.