Water, I Have Missed You!

Oh, the weather has been so horrible this winter.  There has been so much snow, it has been so cold, and every time I want to travel anywhere there is a blizzard, freezing rain, blowing and drifting, or all three at once.  There has been a reprieve, because in Bis it has been in the 40's the last few days...yes, 45 degrees above zero! 

I have always been fascinated with the way that temperatures feel so different depending on the context.  In October 40 degrees feels freezing cold and is accompanied by people getting out winter coats, warming up their vehicles before driving, and sending little kids to school with full winter outfits including boots and hats.  After a few months of snow, single digit and negative temperatures and blizzards 40 degrees feels so good!  Good enough to go to the Y with a sweatshirt instead of a coat and good enough to sit on the front stoop for a few minutes and enjoy the sun beating down on the warm bricks. 

Also, the sound of running water from melting snow is so invigorating, as is the sight and smell of exposed grass and pavement.  It is hard not to be in a good mood when snow is melting!

I took this photo of the little pool of runoff in our backyard on Friday.  It is much larger now.  I was going to take some more photos but I didn't want people seeing me taking closeup pictures of puddles of water and snowbanks.  It must look really strange!

I see some rocks showing through!  This was on Friday and they can really be seen now.

When we moved here, one thing I looked forward to was less snow and more moderate winters.  In my experience prior to moving here, Central and Western ND always had much better weather and warmer temps thand Eastern ND.  When my family would head to Montana to ski every year, usually in March or at the end of February, Bismarck was already snow free while at home the snow was still in place and it was still frigid and miserable.  Since we moved here this hasn't been the case and there as been record amounds of snow for the last few years.  I have been kind of dissapointed!

As you can see, there is still alot of melting to be done.  I have to mention that the snowbank in the front yard is kind of decieving.  Our lots are so narrow that it all has to be piled in a small area so there are massive piles of snow in everyone's yards from snow cleared from the driveways.

I wish it Spring was here!  However, I know better.  All I have to do is remember the April blizzard that made my junior prom a miserable cold evening that required me to wear a winter coat over my dress and suffer with freezing feet on the way to the dance.  Oh, and there was the time I graduated from law school on May 10 and woke up to a fresh dusting of snow on the ground.  Or my college graduation in May where the temp hovered near freezing and Roommate and I ran from the parking lot to the ceremony with our robes wrapped around us like coats because we both were wearing summery sun dresses and hadn't wanted to deal with keeping track of a coat. And who could forget the many Easter Sundays that were too cold to wear spring dresses and sandals and caused me to go to church in boring old dress pants and a sweater (and, most likely, some chunky and unflattering doc marten sandals with socks.  Shudder).  And there were the spring track meets and baseball games in high school where everyone wore winter coats and gloves. Oh, yeah, we have alot of cold left before spring really comes. 

Also with springtime comes the approach of the Lent season.  I never gave anything up although my friends always tried and often faltered to give up fast food, beer (but not hard alcohol) snacking, and most commonly soda.  I can't believe I am saying this, but I am thinking about cutting WAY back on my soda consumption, and not because of Lent approaching.  I saw on the news about a study that indicated that people who drank diet soda had a 61% greater chance of having vascular issues like a stroke.  Yikes.  I usually completely blow of any study that says that using or consuming something fun (cell phones, alcohol) or delicious (fried food, salt) shows some small percentage of an increase in cancer, strokes, heart disease, etc.  But usually the percentage is pretty small and 61% is not a small percentange.  It has really got me thinking about if I really need to drink so much Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper.  I think both are delicious but do I really need a can each day?  Do I need a 20 oz. bottle every time I am on a car trip?  I don't know...this is tough...I love pop!  So I thought I would not give it up completely but just see how it felt to go a day or two without.  I had none yesterday and I haven't had any today...yet...wish me luck!

Allan says he hopes everyone has a good weekend.