Crunchy ‘Nanas

Punxsutawney Phil says, “expect an early spring!”

Thanks, dude. Like we couldn’t figure that one out ourselves. Oh dear. Apparently, for $10 a year, you can join the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. For an additional two bucks, you can have February 2nd birthday or anniversary cards sent to your friends and family who share the special day. I shouldn’t laugh. You know if I lived in Punxsutawney, I’d have signed up long ago!

Self, when setting mouse traps, write down where you’ve placed them. And remember to check back once in a while.

While organizing cupboards in the laundry room, I came upon a surprise. It wasn’t pleasant. In fact, it made me squeal and slam the cupboard door. I am not sure how long ‘Mickey’ has been there. We probably set this trap 10 months ago. So, it could be hard to determine a death date without bringing in a forensic scientist. However, he’s not THAT decayed. And it doesn’t smell in there. Maybe the trap snapping was the sound we heard the other night.

We need a cat. At least when cats catch mice you can shoo them outside to play with the poor buggers for a while before they die. No messy clean up. And let’s be honest. I’d rather see the mouse streaking across the kitchen floor than lying dead on a slab of plywood. So if I can just sic the cat on the rodent, cheer him on and push him out the door when he’s got the wriggling beast firmly clamped between his gnashers, I am a happy camper. It’s always nice to be the proud owner, giving praise for a job well done. A pat on the head and a cantaloupe rind. I’ve got nothing to say to this trap beyond, ‘hey thanks, now can you get yourself into the wheelie bin? I don’t want to deal with you and the little guy you’ve got entombed in your wire jaws.’ Maybe I’ll let Crunchy husband do it. He he. Because I am nice like that.

Today’s ride

Doesn’t even deserve a mention due to mechanical difficulties, except to show that I tried to exercise. (My derailleur is very stubborn lately. I think it’s time for a tune-up. Luckily, I only had to walk about a 1/2 mile home. Up the hill. So there you go, today’s ‘workout’.)

The daffodils are coming! Already. Punxsutawney Phil hasn’t even popped his head up for a look at his shadow, and I am seeing tangible signs of spring. As I ran toward Monkton this morning, I saw them. Not simply the fresh shoots pushing up through the topsoil, but actual golden trumpets. They were in someone’s yard. I wonder if they bought them already in bloom. The shoots along the road are still green, waiting a bit to burst into color. I can’t wait!

Yet, as much as I yearn for spring flowers and the warmth of summer sunshine, this anticipation also harbors a bit of hesitation, as we live out our lives conscious of climate change and its possible effects. It’s hard not to ask oneself these days if what we are experiencing is just a mild winter or a deepening trend toward catastrophic rising world temperatures. I’d be okay with gray rain and icy cold a bit longer, if it meant the world was more in balance and harmony. I’m worried about the bears. I know what it’s like not to get enough sleep.

Today’s run

Distance: 3.7 miles
Time: 36:15
Pace: 9:47 min/mile