Summer? Winter? Both?! It must be Spring!

Yesterday - southeast Colorado.................................................................Today - our backyard

Yesterday we were in southeast Colorado, camping in high desert, listening to nothing but wind and birds, gazing out over canyons and prairie, stepping over fossil-filled rocks, gazing at pictographs etched in canyon walls, and hiking and running along cactus-studded trails. A wonderful break from the daily routine.

Today we awoke to a bit of snow, and more snow, and more snow yet. Running through the almost knee-high white stuff was quite fun, actually, since we haven't had much of it in Boulder this year...and there was so much on the ground and filling the air that traffic was almost non-existent. (Both the Boulder public schools and the University are closed for spring break this week so the town was quiet to begin with; closing the highway leading into town and shutting down city offices due to the blizzard conditions further contributed to the sleepiness of our burg.) My run was confined to quiet neighborhoods near my house to further reduce car/ped confrontations so I zigged and zagged, occasionally running along car tracks, occasionally breaking trail. By the time I returned home, I could barely see the tracks I had left when I first started out on my run. And, boy, was it fun to dash in the house and give my husband a great big frosty hug!

Yesterday, cacti. Today, snow drifts. Weather sure does liven things up!

The First Day of Spring

I must confess, I am quite fond of the first day of spring. Rejuvenation abounds. And...it's my birthday!

Each year I thank my mom for giving me such a glorious birthday day. Even the blizzardy years. Or the gray years. Or, like today, the years when spring fills the air.




The first day of spring of 2009 has been mighty fine.
Not only has the day been filled with running, and yummy eating, and driveway basketball with my son, and flowers blooming, and vultures hovering overhead (o.k., that was a bit odd) - but also...bonus!
Kendall's school had a concert today to celebrate the completion of their readathon. Paul and I meandered over to listen in - and, I gotta tell ya', put my husband up on a stage and hand him a microphone and he can really belt out a tune! The guy is a rock star! Now that is one fine way to celebrate a birthday!

A fine way to spend an almost spring day

Blue sky, sunshine, hill drills done, exercise class complete, editing finished, now home with the spring break college boy and a basketball. It just doesn't get much better than this!

Fun in the mountains

The view from our cabins

We spent the weekend at a YMCA camp in Estes Park, just outside Rocky Mountain National Park, helping a friend celebrate his 60th birthday. Lots of friends, family, fidos, fresh air, fantastic views, foraging elk...a whole lot of festive fun all the way around. It made me realize just how refreshing a change of scenery and laid-back time with friends can be. Barely 24 hours away from home, and only 30 miles from Boulder, yet the cobwebs are clear and the energy stores are rejuvenated. I definitely must get out of town and away from the daily humdrum more often!

How the elk spend their Sunday mornings

Bicycle cake that I made for the birthday boy - and bicycle cake all lit up with 60 candles!

Revving up

Joe, AndyE and cow families under the moon at Teller Farms

Another grand day of running here. Blue sky, almost full moon, frisky calves - plenty to keep our minds off the way chilly temperature - tho' it didn't stop the whining ;-)

During the run, AndyE, Joe and I concocted a semblance of a training plan for the spring. It was astoundingly difficult to find two weekday time slots where we three retirees are all available for a bit of quality running. What's up with that, eh? In any case, we now have got a Tuesday afternoon slot for tempo running and a Thursday morning time for hill repeats. We'll whip ourselves into shape yet!

Daylight Savings Time Distractions

Full moon over darkened Flatirons

I've been grumbling a bit this week about the switch to daylight savings time, having become happily accustomed to light and warmth on my early morning runs. Since the switch

• Monday morning I ran by AndyE's house, met up with him (although I didn't even see him until he was right at my shoulder it was so darned dark), and we had a very non-chatty run together to my volunteer job...undoubtedly at a loss for words cuz our bodies were in shock from the cold and dark.
• Tuesday morning, after a night of light snow, the streets were so icy that running was darned near impossible. So I delayed my run until the sun had a chance to do its magic. The streets did, indeed, clear - but the wind picked up as well so it was hill repeats accompanied by, yes, sunshine, but also 40+ mph gusts.
• This morning I started out once again in the dark...but no grumbling nope! nope! A bright full moon guided my way as it slowly dropped behind the mountains, vanishing just as the eastern horizon began to lighten. And as I wound my way east and north I heard the hoot of an owl. Just ahead of me high in a tree was the owl sitting watchful as a distant hoot carried through the air towards us. I stopped and listened as the hoots drifted back and forth while the sunrise continued to brighten the sky. A lovely morning run...and all because of that bothersome daylight savings time!

A hint of spring

Signs of impending spring abound:

• Crocuses are popping out all over
• Students in my CU class are chatty and happily restless
• Shorts are out of storage and on my bod as I run to my volunteer job at 6 a.m.
• Geese are pairing up
• Skateboards abound
• Gardens are being dug
• The TA for my class was sporting a sunburned neck today
• Frisbees are flying
• Everybody is smiling as they strut out of doors
• ...and, personally, energy levels - and miles run - are up!

It's definitely time to wrap up the indoor work and move operations outside. WEEEHAWWW!