Dog Hair

I love my dog. All this dog hair though....it's driving me crazy! I sweep umpteen times a day and it still looks as though I haven't swept for a week. All of my clothes are covered in short black hair and I look as though my full time job is dog walking. This I have almost come to accept as some days, I feel like all I do is feed Ellie and walk Otis. But when I find dog hairs in my child's diaper, on her clothes or a small black hair clinging to her drooly chin............man, I can understand (sort of) why some pet lovers choose poodles.

The Five Tibetans

An Ashtanga yoga practise typically takes about 90 minutes to get through the primary series. Since Ellie arrived into this world, a 90 minute chunk of time to myself is an impossibility. As such, it may be a long while yet before I can return to a full yoga practise. The absence of this practise that once grounded me has left my mind scurrying, my breath shallow and my joints stiff. While it's unrealistic for me to do 90 minutes of yoga every day, it's still possible for me to get on my yoga mat every day. That is my goal. This week, I have started doing the Five Tibetan Rites as part of my yoga practise. They don't take that long and so I figure at minimum, I can fit these in. If I do more, great. If not, I'm not going to fret. I'm curious to discover the benefits that I might experience from a daily practise of these five exercises.

Stampedes along Spanish Banks

A great advantage to being on leave is that I get to enjoy the public parks and pathways during the day when most people are at work. Generally, there is ample space for a runner, dog and stroller. Not so on Sunday morning. It appeared that every runner in Vancouver chose the path along Jericho Beach to Spanish banks as their route to log some miles. It may have been the gorgeous sun that brought everyone out to the beach or it may have been the unfortunate closure of the Pacific Spirit park trails. Stampedes of runners - mostly in groups - made it that much more challenging to maneuver Otis and Ellie. Regardless, I was happy to be running, moving and feeling the wind at my face. Every day, some tragic news article reinforces the fragility of life - I think I have to stop reading the news. Every stride...every breath is truly a gift.

Eagle Inspiration

Running with the stroller is not easy. It's an extra twenty pounds of equipment and 17 pounds of baby to push. Running with the jogger and the dog is also not all that relaxing (Ellie gets to chill but Otis has to watch out for the stroller and I have to watch out for both baby and dog). I need to be on the alert for big bumps that could jostle the stroller or for squirrels that Otis might decide to chase. In past, my solo runs were an opportunity to let my mind run free but now my runs require total concentration.

So despite my sleep deprivation and my compromised mommy memory, I have actually grown more observant and aware on our little excursions. I notice the potholes in the path, the dog poop left behind by a negligent pet owner and the cyclists coming up from behind. I've noticed that people rarely look you in the eye and say hello unless of course you are the first to greet them with a friendly smile and say "hi" first. I've discovered that many people don't even bother to say hello despite me greeting them. Maybe they are just too engrossed in their own thoughts or perhaps they don't like dogs or jogging strollers. It seems that these days I am meeting a lot more friendly dogs than people. It makes me wonder what kind of world I am raising a child in...

Just when I'm starting to dwell on the apparent aloofness of Vancouverites, I look up to the sky and discover a bald eagle flying above. We've had the fortune of spotting a Bald Eagle on almost every one of our runs this week and every time I see one, I get goose bumps. Strangely, the eagle sparks a zest for life inside my weary bones. Witnessing this majestic bird motivates me to run a little faster and keep on pushing the jogger. And as I am joined by other people gazing upward, we the walkers and the runners witness the moment and this great part of nature together and the eagle restores my faith in people and community. In First Nations cultures, the eagle is a symbol of power and intelligence and because the eagle mates for life, it is also a symbol of friendship, loyalty and peace. How cool! How could a run not be great when you have an eagle flying over you...........