Turkey Vultures for the Win

Today was not supposed to be a run day. It was supposed to be a Bird Day - Big Day Birding with the Chico State Bird Club. But that group met up at 7:00am and I did not go to bed till 12:30am, so...that just didn't happen. So after sleeping in a bit, I decided to make today a longer run day, just to see if I could do it. Of course, I know that to many, a three-mile run doesn't qualify as a long run, but to this honest runner, it does. Looking back at my running log, I see that my last three-miler was on June 11, 2008 and that I had no special comments on it. As it turns out, that was my last run since I started running again this month.

Because I got started a little late, it was hot and it was quiet. My crow friends had already gotten their morning started hours before, though I did hear a lot of starlings and a few titmice as I started out. After those chipper fellows, however, all I heard were a few water pumps and diesel engines. Fortunately, there wasn't any almond harvesting going on, else it would have been tremendously dusty.

On my last quarter mile, I noticed a beautiful adult turkey vulture (pinkish red head!) fly over me, directly in line with the street, silently gliding. I assumed that he (she?) was scanning the road for roadkill. In my reverie I forgot to keep an eye on him, but on my cooldown walk I saw not one but two turkey vultures messing about with something dead way over on the side of the road. So the one vulture had landed right in front of my eyes, but I hadn't noticed!! Anyway, I walked over to the other side of the street so they wouldn't have to take off. They both hunched their wings, ready to alight, but I was happy that they actually stayed put to finish their gruesome Sunday brunch. A lovely way to end the run.

Distance: 3.00 miles
Time: 33:29
Avg Pace: 11:09 min / mile