Walking the cat

Walking a cat is a lot like window shopping.

One of my cats, Meepers, is willing to accept a harness and leash in order to go outside. This was our third visit to the backyard, since we've been taking this slowly.

First, she decided to just lay down on the sun-warmed sidewalk and roll. Then it was a leisurely stroll around the lawn, stopping to smell, and look, and roll some more. Sometimes it was just good to stretch out in the bright green grass of spring and listen to the mama robin chirp her alarm call, "Kitty in the neighborhood, Kitty in the neighborhood."

It's definitely a reminder that we don't have to operate at full throttle every moment of our day.

12-Hours of Daylight

Here in western Pennsylvania, the joke is that we receive less than 60 days of sunshine a year. That's why it feels so good to hear that yesterday (March 16) we finally saw 12 hours of daylight. The temperature is still a crisp 40 degrees or so, and they were calling for snow today. Instead, we had bright sunshine! What a treat for St. Patrick's day.

This evening there is a beautiful sunset of soft pink swirled with clouds that look like lilac gauze. With each passing minute it changes, with the pink becoming lighter and softer and the lilac becoming a deeper shade.

Snow Walk

It's that odd time of year when you know the seasons are changing. The longer days that herald warmer weather are juxtaposed against a light dusting of snow. The air, though cold, has a different smell.

Today I walked to the local library to pick up a book that I requested on inter-library loan. The sidewalks looked like they had been dusted with a flour sifter, that's how fine the snow was. The air was brisk but wasn't that biting cold that we had in January.

Even though the ground hog predicted six more weeks of winter, you can tell that spring is just waiting to--spring loose!

Something new

Like many people, I make a regular vow to begin some sort of physical activity each spring in the hopes of losing a few pounds in time for summer. My usual activity is walking in the neighborhoods around my home.

I live in a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania that is extremely walkable with sidewalks, variable terrain, and interesting scenery.

Often, while taking these walks, I would find myself returning to my home thinking, "I would like to write about what I just saw or thought during my walk today."

This blog will become the place where I will post those musings, observations, and carefree thoughts.