Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Running Question Challenge - What is the most interesting thing you've seen on a run?



What is the most interesting thing you've seen on a run? 


This question was spurred by my recent podcast review of What the Runner Saw.  Podcaster Carrie talks about the bizarre and interesting things she's seen and that got me thinking about what I've seen on a run.

I’ve seen a rattlesnake while on a trail run at Usary Mountain along with coyotes at South Mountain. I've seen a lot of homeless people, especially when running in Europe (somehow I manage to find the homeless areas in the big cities).  Probably  the most memorable, interesting thing I’ve seen are hot air balloons.  By my old house every weekend hot air balloons would launch and land close to my house.  They float silently through the sky and I've often stopped to watch them float through the air or skip along a field to land.  One time I left my house and before I left my neighborhood were two balloons so low I could hear the gas turning on to pull the balloon higher. I could have talked to the people in the basket they were so close.  It reminds me of the time when my brother was going to propose to his now wife, went out into a field and was spreading lye "Will you Marry Me". The cops came up on him and wondered what he was doing (like he'd be throwing cocaine on the ground).  I can't remember if the weather turned or if he wasn't able to finish the writing but he ended up proposing on another day.  I think it would be nice to go up in a hot air balloon one day and float through the skies.

11 comments:

Emily said...

I would die if I saw a rattlesnake. I saw a monstrous reptile here in DC once (I swear it was an anaconda but others claim it was probably a rat snake) and I nearly died then. I love this question! I'm going to be thinking about it all day. Don't be surprised if you end up with another comment from me!

Allie said...

I live really close to a wind farm and I often find myself running and staring at the giant windmills, it's so peaceful watching them.

Anne said...

Hot-air balloons are also part of the scenery near my home :)

The Sean said...

Rattlesnake, Alligator, Black Bear, Coral Snake... Head lamp Reflecting Spiders which looked like a ground full of stars at night. I will just have to post:)

Iris said...

Love your blog and this question. Most interesting, exciting and somewhat scary was the mountain lion that landed right on the trail in front of me. My friend and I must have been loud enough though because he turned around and bolted away.

Psyche said...

Baby bears sliding down a tree, headlights hitting deer eyes in the dark making me think small aliens were hiding in the bushes, a possum that stared me down, and a black cat that gave chase. Good post!

ajh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Johann said...

This is a lovely question. I have a few that I'll post on my blog.

Sherri said...

I linked to your blog from Johann...love your blog and super excited to follow you!

Anonymous said...

Interesting question! I'm boring and run in boring places so I've never seen anything interesting but I love hearing what other people have to say! A rattlesnake? Yeah I'd definitely die. Hot air balloons sounds awesome though! I've always had a fascination with them, they're so gorgeous but I've never seen one before.

Anonymous said...

When I go trail running, I usually come across my 'girls' ( a herd of cows) or my 'boys' ( a rafter of wild turkeys), with the occasional white-tailed rabbit, or coyote. But the most interesting spectacle was the red-tailed hawk snatching a pigeon in midflight. Simply amazing..