Spring is here! And so is winter...

First, let me apologize for the absence. For whatever reason, I couldn't log on to the blog. Then I just became lazy.

Next, let me say I've continued to run, changing routes as much as possible to stay interested while my body resists movement. I've recently started running at Wyandotte County Lake Park, a great park, most of which was built during the WPA. It reminds me a great deal of Kensington but with more hills. And when I say hills, I'm really describing inclines that remind one very quickly about the physics of gravity. WyCo, as the local runners call it, has some great trails also. That's what really interested me in the park.

And therein lies the reference to spring. Two weeks ago, when the boys and I were on break, I spent a couple days running through the woods at WyCo, and the green, fresh smell of chives wafted through the air. Always a cause of redemptive hope, the sight of those shoots punching through dry, dead leaves means only one thing--hyacinths aren't far behind. Nor are crocuses and daffodils. Yes, spring is here, with 70 degree weather.

Unless you're living on the edge of the great plains. Then, in the course of two days, it can go from 78 degrees to a major winter storm, with freezing rain and snow. I did manage to get out Saturday night for a quick two-mile run, all that I could manage in the post-storm winds. The cool thing about that was the sound of the ice-covered branches clicking against each other and the sight of the delicate tree blossoms encased in the same ice with a dollop of snow balanced on each. That was lovely. By noon the next day, all the snow but the snowmen was melted, and today at 4:00 it was back up to 70 degrees.

So come to Missouri to run. But bring every piece of running gear you have. You just never know what season you'll get.