Running With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Training To Jog Washington Park In Anacortes

In the picture you are looking at one of the dam bridges that cross Village Creek in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington, Texas, in the noon time frame, this first Sunday of October.

The air was chilled to a chilly 49 when I took off to visit my favorite Indian Ghosts. The air is now one degree warmer, several hours later.

The water in the pool was cooler than yesterday morning, but still warmer than the air, thus I had myself a long swim this morning.

Yesterday I was in long pants for the first time in many months. Today I was in sweat pants for the first time in many months.

To work up a sweat, in my sweat pants, I jogged. This was my second jog since my return to jogging, which started two days ago with a one mile jog around Fosdick Lake, which, at the time, I thought was two miles.

Today, after jogging for awhile, I switched to running. Running feels way more natural than jogging. Running also is far more exertion than jogging, causing my sweat pants to live up to their name.

When I jogged around Fosdick Lake two days ago I was thinking I'd given up jogging in 1985.

Today I remembered that that is not the case.

After giving up jogging in 1985, due to a medical malady, apparently I started up jogging again, because I now remember that in 1993 I jogged around Washington Park in Anacortes with my little sister and a girl who said "rad" way too much.

That jogging around Washington Park coincided with a birthday milestone.

My little sister is 17 years younger than me. I remember at the time of jogging around Washington Park my little sister and I made a pact that when she reached that particular birthday milestone, we'd return to Washington Park and jog it again.

At the time, my little sister and her "rad" friend were impressed that a much older geezer, like me, was able to out-jog such young kids.

Well, my little sister passed that birthday milestone a couple years ago, with me in Texas and my little sister in Tacoma, with my little sister in no mood to jog several miles up and down steep hills in Washington Park. And with me, at my advanced age, likely unable to do so, either.

But, as God is my witness, on my next return to Washington I am jogging the trails of Washington Park, complete with photo documentation.

Walking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Calling My Mom & Thinking About Washington Park In Anacortes

I had myself a fine walk with the Native American Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today, along with a lot of other people, many of whom seemed to be in celebrate Happy Mother's Day mode.

Including a family group of all females, with one pushing, what must have been mom and grandma, in a wheelchair.

I called my mom whilst sitting at a picnic table overlooking the Village Creek Blue Bayou. I got the answering machine and left a Happy Mother's Day message.

That phone call took place a few feet to the south of where you are looking at in the picture. That vertical log rising from the ground was the remains of what appeared to be a tree, possibly struck by lightning. I am no forensic lightning strike investigator, but that is what it looked like to me.

Speaking of wheelchairs, I heard from a mother, Betty Jo Bouvier, this morning. For Mother's Day Betty Jo's kids were taking her to Washington Park in Anacortes to walk the loop. Betty Jo agreed to this if she got wheeled around the loop in a wheelchair.

For non-Washingtonians reading this, Washington Park is on a peninsula on Fidalgo Island, at the west end of the town of Anacortes. It is a very hilly park, with steep cliffs, tall evergreen trees and a lot of saltwater views. Miles of hiking trails take you all over this park. There is a big campground and a lot of picnic locations. And a paved road, the loop, that takes you to a high point where you get a panoramic view of north Puget Sound. And on a clear day you might see Mount Rainier, way to the south.

Where I lived in Washington, in Mount Vernon, it was about 20 miles to the east of Washington Park. I frequently drove there to hike and jog, back when gas was well under $1 a gallon. Ferry boats, and other boats, coming and going, pass by you as you sit on the Washington Park beaches.

One time I was enjoying the view and suddenly the surface of the water started acting odd. A submarine came to the surface. That was unsettling. The Trident Submarine Bangor Base is further south on Puget Sound, on another peninsula, named Kitsap. Trident Submarines are disturbingly large.

At my current location there is nothing like Washington Park within 100s of miles. No matter which direction I look I will see no mountains, or saltwater, or tall evergreen trees. And there is no chance a submarine will startle me coming to the surface at any body of water at my current location. An alligator or water moccasin, yes, submarine, no.

Below is a YouTube video that gives you an idea of what Washington Park is like. And why I get homesick, when I see images of my old home zone, at my current beautiful scenery challenged location......