When:  Late-afternoon, 1/25/2018
Weather: High 60’s with blue skies
Observations/Thoughts

Due to work issues, I was at work later than expected.  Then, I made a stop at Sprouts–our local farmers market.  All of this on the way to getting my daughter for her doctor appointment.  The day was so nice, I could not with a clear conscious NOT walk.  Remarkably, the last 1/2 mile of the walk was the most eventful.

• Crazy Old Man:  At the time I walked, it was very close to 5:00.  All of the work crews working on the parts of my path that were under construction had left for the day.  I decided I was brave enough to remove the little piece of wire that allowed the orange fencing to block my path.  The path was mostly okay.  There were just a few obstacles to easily overcome.  The rest of the walk was not a problem…or not until I returned to go the opposite direction on the path.  As I prepared to re-enter the construction zone, there was an older gentleman standing to my left.  He was anxious to meet me.  He had his hat on and was just staring at me.  As I came upon him, I stated, “They really messed things up, didn’t they?”  I waited for his response.  I then said, “Are you okay, sir?”  I just kept walking.  When I had walked past him, he turned and walked back toward his house.  (There was a fence between us.)  When I told my daughter about this, she commented, “If it were me, I would have been freaked out.  If I were you, it probably would not have bothered me either.”  I think he was trying to guilt me so much I would have turned around.  I am usually not a rule-breaker.  For some reason, this didn’t bother me at all.
• Russians Dog Walkers: I have seen these folks before.  It was a husband and a wife with their larger dog.  As our paths were near crossing, they were walking south on my side of the path.  They gradually migrated to the left side.  (Their right side.)  As I passed them, they were speaking a foreign language.  I am not sure, but I am pretty sure it had some of the sounds I associate with Russian.  With a mind having been the victim of too many spy books, I can’t help but imagine the couple taking a walk to do some spy related thing.  It is doubtful they were doing anything clandestine.  It sure is fun imagining it though.
• Drone:  The adult son of the family with a couple of the barkingest dogs along my path was flying his drone today.  He didn’t seem to be doing anything for a foreign government.  His sole purpose was, apparently, to fly the drone as high as possible.  A distant secondary purpose may have been spending some quality time with his attention-starved puppies.