Bear Foot Gardens Animal Sanctuary

Over the weekend I set out to accomplish running a marathon out of training. With mind reaching for that extra five miles stretching to a 50k I mounted my two wheeled steed and began scouting the route. Almost immediately as I began, moving slowly with feet still on an ever so slight decline, I meet eyes with a beautiful pit bull slowly moving towards the roadway departing a driveway. As I move into the lead it begins to chase and vocalise a vicious tune moving close to my continuing still ankles that are moving forward down the hill. The wide collar wearing canine performs a L shaped manoeuvre into a neighbouring driveway moving my attention from my intended direction to their’s. I continue on my way as it moves towards me once more with a deep throated rumble as I lower my head moving to a speed it no longer wishes to pursue. All the energy of this one, the sounds that it sang, and the energy it shared held with me the entire ride.

Waking up the next day and moving down the same route on foot with a pack full of lemon salt water and bananas I am found in solitude passing by the place we last met. Somewhat discouraged feeling the weight of external fuel, the pain of unrested legs, the mind of untested overly salty water near twenty miles into the cloudy day run, I hear a jingle moving towards me from behind. Greeting this one with my voice before making eye contact the Labradoodle with freshly manicured fur moves in front of me making visual contact before jumping off the road to mark a bush with it’s urine. Following on along behind me a few paces more we part ways soon enough. With this energetic kindness I’m able to move my knees higher and lift my spirit further through the pain, fatigue, and struggle I’d carried for nearly three hours.

Finishing the twenty six miles in a state of relief, accomplishment, and blissful joy at the relaxation of my muscles after a cold shower now breathing in the hammock I find myself searching to accomplish more before sunset. Thirteen miles into the run I remedied my over salted water bottles with water found at a community gathering location. As I entered this place another one is admiring some shared plants on the ground beneath the blessing box with food inside it above. Working with this motion to Feed the Earth I descend from the hammock mounting the cycle again with pack on back and pumpkin plant inside to deliver where I was blessed with clean water hours earlier. On my return ride down a less busy road I hear multiple dogs approaching with vocal sounds of small lungs. I felt I was in the center of a triangle here with one chihuahua making it’s way out front and at least one other staying behind me. I’m not peddling on a slight down hill grade this lead moved a head of me for a hundred feet or so before turning ninety degrees and stopping in my path forcing me to brake or collide with it. We part ways at this meeting of eyes leaving me with the feeling of companionship amongst a pack moving in a fashion much similar to I.