Transitions

The Rocky Mountain area puts forth a pot pourri of offerings this time of year. Snow storms and sunshine, iced sidewalks and blossoms, 80 degrees and 20 degrees, sunburns and parkas...sometimes all within a 24-hour period.
And so goes life.
I'm not the same person I was a year ago, but I'm a better person for all that transpired over the last year. I have jiggly bits where I used to have muscles...but when I tackle a hill or carry a load, my body still knows how to respond. My runs tend much more toward 30 minutes rather than 30 miles, but when I fatigue I know I can go further...and I do. Frustrations build...but the patience gained from the rhythmic days of meandering through the heartland bubbles up and overcomes. So, no, I may not be the lean mean running machine of last spring and summer, but there is a spring blossom in there that can still poke her head through the snow and brighten the day.

Spring break in Petoskey

Petoskey's breakwater and Little Traverse Bay, March 2008

I think there's a reason one does not see much advertising encouraging folks to come to northern Michigan for spring break! A snow storm greeted us upon our arrival in Petoskey (followed by two more during our stay), elementary schools were handing out sleds to their kiddos as they ran outside for recess, snow piles were taller than me as I ran about the streets, ice fishermen huddled out on the bay (the two barely visible dots in the picture above are ice shanties). Not exactly the tropics!

Another, more sobering, thing greeted us as we were about 10 miles outside of town - a call from Petoskey's finest informing me that my mom was being taken by ambulance to Northern Michigan Hospital in town. She is now recovering, but is proving that both of my parents filled my gene pool with a boatload of stubborn and determination (qualities I more often attribute to my pop - but ma continues to surprise). The upshot of the hospital stay was the removal of one very nasty gallbladder followed three days later with the replacement of a completely deteriorated left hip.

I was so very thankful we were in town when all this happened - and able to stay an extra week. As we headed back to Boulder, mom headed off to rehab. Plans for a party on the deck to welcome her home are already underway - with snow banished and an abundance of sunshine of course!

Party-ready deck - August 1, 2007 - PJ's Run grand finale