9/27/2014
Cue the playlist. Today the sounds of the desert symphony provided the soundtrack for the movie that is this adventure. Chirping crickets, whistling winds, and various rattles kept my rhythm. Occasionally the screeching metal of the metallic training broke in for an interlude. Marsh Station Road rolled and climbed in elevation. What surprised me was that the road had plenty of people biking. They veered off on various trails. It looked scenic in all directions. Around 10 miles into the run I took a break for breakfast. It happened that we stopped on Papa Greene’s property. Not only did they call him papa, He had just won an inaugural 5k for his age group. What a crazy coincidence. He told us that had we not eaten he would have invited us to his home down the way and cooked. Arizona has just so many nice people.
The scenery shifted very subtly. The saguaro cacti were replaced by mesquite trees. These trees have long supplied desert dwellers with building materials, fuel, food for livestock and shredded bark for making baskets. Their beans are ground into a meal and bees make an excellent honey from their flowers. I passed an area with a gang of them on both sides of the road. They looked like they had been slightly charred. It felt like sleepy hollow. The good thing was the brief shade and cool wet air in their area.
The second part of the day was not too fun. It was easy. I just detest running along the highway. Pedestrians are not supposed to run on the shoulder and it is very loud. I’m sure there is also an element of danger involved. The only other alternatives would have meant a lot more miles on my feet. The things that got me through were the exits every few miles and of course the support from the drivers. They honked and waved. Rest assured I would have known the difference between the support and angry honks with obscene gestures.
We arrived at the Days Inn in Benson rather early. Sahi the owner gave us a warm welcome. We were eager to get ourselves washed and comfy.
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