Grab your summit pack, kids... we're going for the peak

It's blowing like crazy outside. When a big gust rattles our north facing windows (a brilliant addition to the house, I think) Jasmine looks up at me nervously. I don't blame her. I asked my stepfather how hard the winds would have to be blowing for them to bust. He gave me an answer in terms of wind in knots which immediate turned off my brain, but I understood it be a pretty remote possibility. But still...

So, I haven't written much recently. My last blog was actually from someone else's life, but it was too damn funny to pass up. There haven't been too many funny things in my own life to write about. Well, Raelin is funny, but you have to be here. It's in the facial expressions and the unique toddler speak that cannot be duplicated for a distant laugh. But, you are welcome to come visit. In fact, please, do come visit. I'm done with winter, but winter is not done with me and so I need a good distraction.

yes, it's that time of year again when the long list of why I like winter has been edited to a rather short list and even the things on that list are losing their qualifications. For example, I always say that one of the best things about winter in Maine is that it is actually sunny a lot. We have these brilliant blue skies and bright sun that make you want to camp out all day on the lawn. But, there is no lawn - just snow blowing around in clouds like tumbleweeds in the desert. Kind of rules out a picnic. And I have written before that I love to be outside in the winter, snowshoeing and the like, but I'd rather do those things with my feet on the ground, not being blown across the golf course, you know? I mean, part of the point is for some exercise and it would be cheating if I allowed the wind to do it for me. Oh, and I have a toddler who I usually have to tote along on my back and that cuts the enticement factor of the whole business by about 98%. Of course, this is in February, manymanymanymanymanymany days into winter when the novelty has been scoured off by....oh yeah, wind.

But, on the bright side, we do get some nice sunshine through the non- North facing windows and that makes it pretty inside and gives Reggie some good places to nap, though it does leave him wide open for ambush by Raelin.

yeah, I don't know. This time of winter just wrings you out. You'll read the opposite in my husband's blog who is ga-ga over his new snowboard and wants winter to last as long as possible. Here's something funny that you moms in the audience will appreciate: why is it that when I have "free" time away from Raelin, I go grocery shopping or return the video, or maybe drag my butt to the Y to hammer out some laps at 8am. But when Kevin has time off, he goes snowboarding? or bike riding or surfing (depending on the season, of course)? Those who are about to argue that I could do that too can fuck off. Become a mother, and then tell me that. I don't want to hear it.

So, back to winter. It's like being at the bottom of a big ass hill. The end of February is being at the bottom of the hill. Climbing the hill (into a headwind) is March. April is just before you crest when you hit false peak after false peak. May is the top when you actually reach the glorious view and truly see spring and, wait, is that? could it be? Summer!!! unfolding in the distance. Its out there, it really is. The lawn is back and at least where we live, the wind which has now become our best friend, manages to keep the black flies and mosquitoes at bay. But, it doesn't matter because we are just so excited to be sweating from the simple exertion of breathing in summer heat.

The thing that kills me about all this is that honestly, I do like and appreciate winter. It's a like/hate thing with a healthy dose of respect and tolerance mixed in. Winter makes you dig. Not just out of your driveway, but dig in and deal- deal with the fact that you can't go picnic or walk on the beach (without a spacesuit) or snowshoe without the possibility of taking off. It makes me crabby, but it also gives me an edge, a bit of depth. Life was so easy and la-la when we lived in Santa Cruz. I never, and I do mean never, paid attention to the weather report because, how bad could it be? It was such a care-free life. And no offense to the Santa Cruzians who are reading this. I love that town and its weather, but I need to find some meaning in winter right now, if you get my drift.

yeah, winter is not for the feint of heart. Being that I'm not really backpacking or sumitting anything other than Beach Hill these days it gives me that adventurous feeling- you know, glad you're out there even though so many things suck and all you can think about is being back home? And, if nothing else, it gives me a reason to be melodramatic and feel good about myself when I finally crest the hill and look back and what i've been through. I made it! it sucked, but hey, we had fun and really, it wasn't all that bad. Spring has arrived and it's all down hill from here.