Same old, same old

Monday was Memorial Day, but it really didn't feel like a holiday, because all the days are the same now.

Of course, I have continued my own running routine. But I have also been taking my youngest nephew, Nathaniel, on evening hikes. My nephews' lives really revolve around video games. If they decline to participate in an activity, it's because it conflicts with their gaming schedule. If they do something that isn't video games, it's often so they can earn more game time. Nathaniel has more energy than his brothers, and he also seems to actually enjoy these hikes (but part of that is also so he can earn more game time), so he's eager for me to take him. Right now really is a spectacular time of year in the foothills, with lots of wildflowers, tall grasses, and green everything.

On Tuesday, my family went on a social-distancing outing at Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. My parents bought a grandparents pass for Thanksgiving Point in December, so it was a fun outing, though I don't think it would be worth the cost if you didn't have a pass. It's interesting to walk through these lush gardens and then see the natural desert on the other side of the fence.

That night, I took Nathaniel on a five-mile hike. It was a simply glorious evening.

 I was so happy that the Palmer's penstemon was finally fragrant! There was a full field of it, and Nathaniel said it was like cat hair, since each hair is a little different length and a little different color.

 I have run past this tree dozens, maybe even hundreds, of times, but this was the first time I ever noticed it in bloom!

After that late five-mile hike, I wasn't ready for a morning run on Wednesday. But that evening, I went on an 11.3-mile run in North Canyon. That might well be the farthest I have ever run in that canyon! It also marked the very first time I ever tripped and fell in six years of trail running, but I was fine.

 The next day, I still had enough energy to run the six miles in Mueller Park. I have been avoiding that trail for social distancing, but that day the shade and the ease made it the only one that sounded enjoyable.

But on Friday I was back to North Canyon. It was hot, which made it hard; I just did the typical seven miles. But four years ago, those seven miles were a big deal to me; now they're a medium difficulty to recover from longer runs in the week.

Sticky geranium

On Friday I had to make a Target run for the exclusive version of Lady Gaga's newest album, Chromatica. The last time I did that for one of her CDs was back in 2014, when there was a Target-exclusive version of her Tony Bennett collaboration (and CDs were still released on Tuesday). What is truly remarkable about Chromatica is that it is completely clean—not a bad word or explicit label in sight! Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to spawn any songs of the summer. "Babylon" is a fun song, but it sounds too much like Madonna's "Vogue."

This week I also made myself some new pillowcases for Independence Day and Pioneer Day.

In November, I'm planning to vote for Joe Biden and (fingers crossed) Spencer Cox.

I had nephew hikes again on Thursday (when Preston, the oldest, also joined us) and Friday evenings.

Saturday, my family went to a social-distance gathering with my dad's family in Millard County. We went up a canyon outside of Kanosh; I had never been through Meadow or Kanosh before. It was either hot or rainy, but it was an enjoyable outing.

For some reason, there were lots of grasshopper shells on the rocks in this stream.

But as we went to that outing, and as I went to a small birthday gathering earlier in the week, I realized that social distancing is really impossible in social settings. Not everyone respects the six-feet rule, not everyone wears a mask, and even the best intentions end up with mistakes. So I'm glad that Kaysville-turned-Tooele concert has been cancelled. It's also good that various fireworks and parades have been cancelled. People cry, "Why can't we still do it with social distancing?" We can't because social distancing is easier said than done.