February's Last Call
Come on, February, you're killing me. Just be done already!
I feel like that kid waiting for the last day of the school year. Or Christmas day. Or the day for going on that much-awaited trip to Disney World.
I'm just really excited about daylight happening around 6 am and staying until 6 pm. Winter is on the downhill, which is fine by me. All the snow is gone, though we're supposed to get some this weekend. All the ice has melted, thank goodness. I ended up falling once while walking Ado, mostly because I'd forgotten about one particular ice patch, wasn't paying attention, and the new snow cover made it even more slippery than it was when not covered in snow. Ado kind of looked at me with the expression of hoomin, wut ar yu dooin? Having a hold of his leash actually helped me go down with a bit of control, dare I say even with some grace?
With the ease in temperatures, I've been able to walk to Uptown to catch the bus to work. Then I walk home from Uptown. I'm thinking the bike will come out soon. Even Angel Baby commented the other day that it'll be nice to get back on the bike to ride to work. That was music to my ears! We do use the Jeep on occasion, mostly for me to take him to work early in the morning, when it's still quite cold and the wind is blowing. Mostly, though, we walk and use the bus.
I find it very interesting how making a change and sticking with it eventually leads to rewiring the brain to prefer the new way. When I first started living carfree, there were days I really wished I had a car to get to where I wanted to go. Even though I could get there easily by walking, riding my bike, or using the bus, my brain was telling me driving a car was better. The more I walked, the more I rode my bike, and the more I took the bus (especially learning the different routes), the more I found myself preferring one of these over driving. Now I don't feel any urge to drive. It's automatic to go to walking, cycling, or taking public transit. There's just one thing I still need to do: ride my bike then put it on the rack of the bus and take the bus somewhere. I've never combined the two, which would open up another option for moving around the city.
When I took Ado out for our morning walk the other day, it dawned on me I'd not heard the mourning dove in quite some time. Months, actually. This morning, as soon as we rounded the corner in front of the apartment, I heard it. I never knew the mourning dove is a migratory bird. While some do stick around for the snow and cold, mostly males, the rest head south. Hence not hearing the mourning dove all winter. Perhaps the call I heard this morning is the female back from her southern adventure. Perhaps she is the sign winter is nearly over and spring is on its way.
I feel like that kid waiting for the last day of the school year. Or Christmas day. Or the day for going on that much-awaited trip to Disney World.
I'm just really excited about daylight happening around 6 am and staying until 6 pm. Winter is on the downhill, which is fine by me. All the snow is gone, though we're supposed to get some this weekend. All the ice has melted, thank goodness. I ended up falling once while walking Ado, mostly because I'd forgotten about one particular ice patch, wasn't paying attention, and the new snow cover made it even more slippery than it was when not covered in snow. Ado kind of looked at me with the expression of hoomin, wut ar yu dooin? Having a hold of his leash actually helped me go down with a bit of control, dare I say even with some grace?
With the ease in temperatures, I've been able to walk to Uptown to catch the bus to work. Then I walk home from Uptown. I'm thinking the bike will come out soon. Even Angel Baby commented the other day that it'll be nice to get back on the bike to ride to work. That was music to my ears! We do use the Jeep on occasion, mostly for me to take him to work early in the morning, when it's still quite cold and the wind is blowing. Mostly, though, we walk and use the bus.
I find it very interesting how making a change and sticking with it eventually leads to rewiring the brain to prefer the new way. When I first started living carfree, there were days I really wished I had a car to get to where I wanted to go. Even though I could get there easily by walking, riding my bike, or using the bus, my brain was telling me driving a car was better. The more I walked, the more I rode my bike, and the more I took the bus (especially learning the different routes), the more I found myself preferring one of these over driving. Now I don't feel any urge to drive. It's automatic to go to walking, cycling, or taking public transit. There's just one thing I still need to do: ride my bike then put it on the rack of the bus and take the bus somewhere. I've never combined the two, which would open up another option for moving around the city.
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| A dove on nest. I took this photo during the Northern Tier ride, summer 2016, at the campground in Napoleon, ND. |
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