After a week off I back to one of the classics. Hot one out today, but some great encounters. The water level was down and I could get around to the back side where the creek is. I saw what looked like wild apples on a log. I wonder who or what critter might have put them there. Took a break and had a snack overlooking the spillway. Got in a good run up the dam hill. Damn hill! I though I would see the vultures again at the place above the cave, but when I got there I was greeted by a racoon. I followed him and stumbled onto a racoon party. They were not too interested in me. Easy distance run back to the dam and horse trails.

Past and Present

Thinking about how this lake was named after Louis McNeely—the Louisville Times sports editor and avid outdoorsman back before the dam went up in the 1950s—it’s wild how much history sits along this branch of Floyds Fork. Jogging past the thick beds of water willow in the shallows, my mind bounced between local roots and the past week's news cycle. While global political headlines and ongoing international conflicts got their usual passing glance on the newsfeeds, science took a massive leap with NASA's launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to map the dark universe. Spotting a redear sunfish flash in the water while keeping up with new AI developments and local Louisville Metro Council funding decisions made the distance between high-tech headlines and Kentucky dirt feel surprisingly small.

Looping back toward the horse trails near the park’s Korean War Memorial, the late August breeze cooled things off just enough to appreciate how well this place has held up since Louis's widow, Alice Bostic, cast the first line at the 1955 opening. With technology advancing so rapidly and the world in constant flux, there’s a real comfort in the quiet, steady rhythm of the woods and water. Finished up the run feeling strong, deeply grateful for these everyday natural retreats, and optimistic about whatever good things are waiting around the next bend.