Earlier this week

Earlier this week a friend, now resident in Colorado, sent me a picture of her house covered in snow. It had been snowing for 3 days straight. She seemed happy, the schools were closed, the kids excited, and the the ski season seemed to be extending through April.

I had a somewhat more curmudgeonly response:

"I don't know whether to be happy for you - or not, I guess it depends on whether you view it as an opportunity to extend the ski season and have a day or two off or...

I was out running in the hills on last Sunday and the snow was gone from all but the sheltered sections that were shaded. I was in shorts and loving running on rock and dirt. 

I got up Monday and it was snowing. At it's deepest we had about 6-8 inches which is not a lot by your standards but huge here, where the snow usually comes in small amounts of dry powder. A lot has gone but the hills are white again and daytime temps have dropped back way below freezing having been as high as +10c. Enough already! I want to hit the hills with a light back pack holding food and water - not a day sack full of extra clothing in case the weather changes.

I survived the winter relatively sane - I was expecting it - I prepared for it- the cold did not bother me that much, but I'm really really ready for Spring - this is beginning to piss me off. Time for nature to turn green, for the trails to open up and for me to show more than just my nose to the sun when I run. 

Clearly I am in need of a little arctic explorer dna and need to restructure my expectations and reactions

Back to Sir Ranulf.

"My dear,

Weather is neutral. It’s neither good nor bad. It just is. What’s bad about it is how prepared you are for it.

The snow isn’t bad if you have a warm jacket or house and a cup of hot cocoa. The scorching heat isn't bad if you have an air conditioned house and a cooler filled with ice cold beer.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

Same goes for fortune.

There is no such thing as bad fortune. Only inappropriate expectations and reactions.

Falsely yours,
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes

Simon (who is happy for you snow bunnies but pissed off at the latest refreeze just when he was beginning to see the light at the end of winter.) "

So I took Sir Ranulf's advice re-evaluated my expectations and rethought my reactions. 

 I went back up the hill today with Sarah and a few others, it was still snowy, it was a little treacherous in places but I took a quality camera instead of my phone, and enjoyed myself immensely.

"Perspective - use it or lose it!"

Thanks Katy thanks Ranulf