Last Thursday I thought to
myself, “has spring finally
sprung?”
For those of you that somehow
don’t know, last
Thursday was absolutely
beautiful. It was warm, there
was a slight breeze, and there
wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
I love days like that, just
being outside in weather like
that feels great, even though I
was at the Centurion for most
of the day doing this. And
after the dark, cold and
gloomy winter we’ve had, the
sun on your skin feels like a
sweet tasting medicine for
your soul.
I hope it stays like this for a
while and even though I try
to think positively I can’t help
but have the feeling that winter
is playing a trick on me.
As much as I want to think
spring is finally here I wonder
if old man winter is just
letting me get my hopes up so
my fall will be that much
harder.
Every year it happens, and
every year I fall for it.
I get these little purple wild
flowers in my front yard
when it’s not warm but not
freezing, about 40 or 50
degrees outside.
And when I come home
from work or school and
notice those little patches of
color and I think, “Finally, it
will be warm soon.”
Those flowers come up at
the beginning of March, and I
know full well that winter
will still be here for at least
another month, but I tell
myself and others, “Soon,
give it another week.”
Over the years that’s how it
has been. We’ll have a really
nice day, downright gorgeous,
and then followed by
cold miserable weather.
I could watch the weather
on the news, but all they do is
stick their head out the window
and guess; I can do that
but without having to watch
the 6 o’clock body count.
Whenever I’m presented
with a day like this, I just try
to not think about the cold,
depressing days still remaining
and put it in the back of
my head, but it’s always back
there.
I wouldn’t trade these lone,
lovely days for anything; they
get me thinking about the
days only a few weeks away.
Bonfires and barbeques at
night; football, paintball or
hiking during the day.
The hiking is probably the
best. Nothing beats going to
Tyler or Five Mile Woods
with a few of my buddies and
just walking around being
outrageous without having to
worry that someone you’re
trying to impress is watching
you act like an idiot.
Wondering around, someone
would spot a deer, and
then another one, and another,
and another.
Sometimes it would seem
like we stumbled right into
the middle of a herd.
Skipping stones on the
creek, knocking over a dead
tree, changing the signs
around so people get lost.
I’ve had some great times.
A place called Quaker Penn
Park near Tullytown is good
if you’re not so much into
hiking and would just like to
screw around in a nice, peaceful
shaded area.
A word to the wise, the
metal trash-can lids around
the park look just like giant
Frisbees. and share the
same aero-dynamics.
So if you find yourself
bored the next sunny day try
heading to a park, you’d be
surprised how much fun you
can have.