Spring Lake...

...in winter. I offer this picture of Spring Lake with a particularly handsome redwood tree in honor of Joe Tree who conceived the idea of publishing a journal with a single picture every day. A simple idea, but what a wonderful community grew out of it.

We were granted a day of sunshine today, paid for with a thick coating of frost on everything early this morning. Our thermometer said 28F/-2.2c. Sunset is now at just after 6pm and in two weeks, that will change to a few minutes after 7 with the coming of daylight savings time. I always have mixed feelings about this time change because of course we pay for it with an extra hour of darkness in the morning. The reasons for this time change are lost in the mists of time...something to do with the farmers or the war, I think....Given the choice, I think I would opt to keep things the same, but despite arguments pro and con coming up every year, I think it is unlikely to change.

I drove very carefully down the driveway on my way to Pilates as it looked like a good candidate for black ice. In class everybody was happy to see the sun again despite the fact we were working  hard to warm up and stay warm. I never took my sweatshirt off which must be a first. There was much discussion about a new VIP plan with unlimited classes, but one would have to take five classes a week to make it worthwhile. I don't think my abs could take it.  

Although it had warmed up considerably, there was still quite a cold wind blowing when we took Spike out for his walk to the meadow.. We were compensated for the chill by the sparkling trees and what I think was a bald eagle soaring overhead taking advantage of the thermals. After all the effort in class, it was inspiring to watch the seemingly effortless ease of this big bird staying aloft with only the occasional small wing adjustment. Would that we could all ride the thermals of life with such ease....