I was on the Parkway path at 10:16 this morning. Most of the path is without trees, but there are places where there are Russian Olive trees, and I was out early enough that the trees gave significant shade. I enjoyed the shade, a relief from the hot sun of previous weeks. I completed my rest run of 60 minutes. Because I ran a little faster than I originally planned when I changed from distance to time, I had to run a little extra distance to finish the last 1 1/2 minutes of my goal.
I felt fine during the run/walk. I drank 3 bottles of water (1 per mile), and did sweat some due to the sun temperature of close to 100 (F) and the shade temperature of the high 80s. I passed a few other people, but the path was relatively empty of people. Many of the people who use the path do so during their noon lunch break (they work in nearby businesses), and I was finished by the time they would have left their offices.
I saw one quail on the path and swarms of English sparrows. I began to wonder how the quail survive the winter. Do they migrate? Hibernate like bears? Or, just find nesting sites in thick bushes in which the cold wind won't penetrate. Their bodies are covered with feathers, of course, and that gives them some protection. The quail might be active in the winter, I don't know. I've never seen quail in the winter.
English sparrows are considered "junk" birds because they have no color in the bodies. They were imported from the UK and quickly adapted to their new home. I like them, though, because they are living animals, and I value life.
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