Halloween-Inspired Exercise

Since I pinched a nerve in my back on Friday at the gym, I thought it wise to take a couple of days off from heavy exercise this weekend. This morning, I was itching to get out of the house (it was beautiful outdoors), and my furry Char-Char was following me around like a shadow. So, a walk was in order. But, I didn't want to use a leash, and have my 80-pound pooch pull my back out of whack.

So, I took her and Saxon to a place some might call creepy - a cemetery. 

And while I know that you might be wondering why on earth we would walk through a haven of death, I do have some valid reasons. First - in Edgewater it is illegal to walk dogs in any park or on school property. Forget about any place off-leash. So, when I discovered this secluded cemetery, that is virtually unnoticeable from the road, I mischievously thought, "I might be able to let Charlotte run free in there." Second - who is going to be in an old cemetery? No one. So, it's a great place to let my dog have a few laps of freedom, without someone giving me the evil eye (no pun intended).

So, we donned our old sneakers, jackets, and silver crosses (kidding) and snuck into the cemetery. It was a beautiful little old place, overgrown with grass, bushes and perennials planted long ago. I unleashed Charlotte and like a race-horse at the bell, she took off running. It was a wonderful sight to see my girl dash here and there, even jumping through the air over tombstones! 

While the dog discovered this new uncharted territory, Saxon and I walked around looking at the many headstones. And I'll be honest, it was a little bit on the freaky side. It was early and very quiet, with casts of sunshine peeking down through a thick canopy of tree branches and leaves. So, some of the marble stones were shining brilliantly, while others were masked in cool shade. Some were so worn from years of weather that I couldn't read them. Another clearly memorialized the loss of a 2-year old little girl. Whole families were buried together here. And most were born in the late 1800's, and died in the early 1900's.

 

Saxon wasn't phased a bit by our surroundings. He loved watching Charlotte sprint around, and he was intrigued by these little iron gates that enclosed family plots, but looked like they belonged outside a kid's playhouse. I explained that we were in a place where people rested when they went to Heaven. He didn't question that, and I am sure at his age, it really didn't matter.

I might have enjoyed the solitude of the place a bit more, if the grass and surroundings had been better maintained. It was very overgrown. I worried Saxon might fall, or that we all might pick up ticks. And the breaking point for me, that sent me packing, was when Charlotte found "something" on the ground, and proceeded to roll all over it. She smelled rotten. So, we went home and Charlotte got a bath. I'm sure this wasn't her idea of a way to end a good morning. Or mine either.

So, while I had to give one more family member a bath today than I had intended, it was still an interesting way to spend an October morning approaching Halloween. I bet the aura of the place would have been much cooler around 6 pm, when dusk approaches and Edgewater's population of stray black cats lurk about. I don't dare find out though. Like I said before, walking in a cemetery is good exercise - RUNNING out of a cemetery is something else entirely!