Goldilocks and the Mountain Lion

I saw my first mountain lion out on the trail yesterday. Oddly enough it wasn't a hair raising experience, as I always anticipated. It just leaped across my trail, as quite and gentle as a feather. It was like a blur. I tried to see where it had gone, but there was no sign of it anywhere.

The run was great. It was very hot and I could see the smoke from the Zaca fire most of the run. It saddens me that my mountains are burning. There was a bike and sweatshirt left behind at the Santa Cruz trail fork, about 7 miles up the trail. I saw this same bike and sweatshirt about a week and a half ago. I think I will report it today, in case someone is in trouble out there. Or dead....yikes.

I have been training on this great steep hill off of Figueroa mountain rd. I think people around here call it grass mountain. It is really steep. Phoebe was trying to stop herself from coming down too fast and ended up scooting down on her belly. I wish my camera wasn't in Utah! I could see the fire fighters going back and forth to the fire in the helicopters, and apparently they could see me, too. When I came back down to the car, one of the guys going up in a truck said they are calling me Goldilocks, as my hair was flying out from under my bandanna. Funny.

I'm reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle and must insist that everyone pick up a copy. It's very interesting, pertinent information and a great story as well. I'm inspired to put more effort into eating local food. I was just over at my friend Trish's house and checked out this garden she has been talking about. She has made raised beds and lined them with upside down wine bottles, a technique her and Michael learned in Italy last summer. For some reason it keep the critters out. Something about the glass and the way the wind blows through them, I don't really know. I really want my own garden again. For now I will just be grateful for my very prolific Zucchini and sunflowers in the backyard.