Not too hot, but not pain-free, either

As predicted, hotter and stickier weather is moving back into the Mid South.  But it's still not as bad as it can be here in August.  Daytime Fahrenheit highs are in the low 90s rather than the high 90s or 100s, and there's been just enough breeze to ease the discomfort.

Right now we've got another interesting phenomenon going on: the skies are hazy.  That in itself is not particularly unusual, but apparently this haze is smoke from the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest.  Several nights ago the TV weatherman showed a map of the air currents that are currently running directly here from that part of the country.  So if I'm having wistful memories of my trip out to Oregon and Washington this summer, I suppose I should be savoring that region's polluted air.

Anyway, that's been the meteorological backdrop for this weekend's paddling.  Yesterday I warmed up and did three 8-stroke sprints in the harbor, and then headed out onto the Mississippi to surf some towboat wakes.  There was a barge rig coming upstream and one headed downstream, and while I was able to get only a handful of brief rides, it was a good workout with a lot of hard short sprints.  There were moments when I had to stop and brace, but more often I felt confident in my balance and control.

Today there was no barge traffic in the area, so after warming up and doing another three 8-stroke sprints, I just paddled a quickish tempo out on the river for the rest of the hour.

I've been delightfully injury-free for most of this year, but this weekend I find myself feeling a little beat-up.  I've been working on floors at my rental properties, and as a result my lower back has been aching for the last couple of days.  And I'm back to having foot pain: after suffering from plantar fasciitis for a couple of years, I'd seemed to have gotten it under control with the help of a chiropractor; but now, suddenly, it's back with a vengeance.  My chiropractor visits had dropped to just one a month, but I'm going to have to call the office tomorrow and see if I can get back in there right away.