Do You Prefer a Sunrise or a Sunset?

Sunrise over the Springbrook Prairie Forest PreserveThis morning I have to admit I was a little selfish, at least when it came to Milo getting a walk. It was a gorgeous morning and knowing Milo wouldn’t be up for about a 6 mile walk, I decided it was going to be a walk for me. So I let Milo sleep in, headed to the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve in Naperville, and found out they officially open one hour after sunrise. Crap! Lucky for me the golf course is right across from the entrance so I risked getting towed and/or arrested by the park ranger, and hoofed it over to the trail. I hadn’t been to the trail in a few years, and I doubt things would have changed much, and on this I was correct. However, I had never gone for a walk there first thing in the morning, as the sun was rising, the dew was still on the prairie grass and hanging on the spider webs, complete with a light blanket of fog creating a sometimes eerie feeling to the trail, and risking getting trampled by a bunch of runners from the local high school.

It was nice.

So I took a few pictures, had my music blasting in my headphones, and surprised myself by making the five and a half mile loop in about an hour and a half (I could have beaten the hour and a half mark had I not taken some pictures, but that’s alright – next time!), which was probably about an hour and a half quicker than I could have made the loop about five years ago. I know, because I did it the loop about five years ago, and I guess losing the forty or fifty pounds since then really helped because I was actually tempted to go for loop #2. Alas, it was time to head back home as I figured shooting for about a half-marathon walk might not be the best of ideas, yet, and maybe in the short term the goal will be to get walk under the hour and a half mark.

As I was walking, though, it occurred to me that I think I’m now more of a sunrise person. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good sunset every now and then, but like the Augustana song “Boston”, I think I need a sunrise, I’m tired of the sunset. And so I plight: Do you prefer a sunrise or a sunset?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!