Tuesday

Two loops?
Okay.

Two loops around the county park hill on skis, two kittens now back on the porch, two people at the kitchen table for breakfast. (Not necessarily in that order.)


















The motivation to go out and be active sags right about now -- in the middle of February. In another couple of weeks, the California poppies will begin their wild display of orange. And you don't have to wait until then for west coast wildflowers to start their thunderous blooming season. Desert marigold, desert lily, sand verbena, desert sunflower, apricot mallow -- they're on now! You'll say -- that's an unfair comparison. You're listing desert flowers! Fine. But on the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, lupine and poppies and paintbrush and yellow coreopsis are also on full display.  How heavenly is that!

So you get a tiny bit wistful, even on pretty days like today, when the sun shines down on your wintry landscape and your windshield is covered with frosty designs.






But, we push ourselves out and as always, we're happy as winter clams to be on the now groomed snow trails in our local park.






The kids, at play, in the afternoon:
















In the evening, I'm out again, this time for a dinner with former colleagues. This is the month when you never feel like going out, but when you do so, you're always glad you did.