Although freezing temperatures are not out of the picture here in Maryland, every day brings us closer to Spring. With the daylight hours lengthening and a few days of 60 degree temperatures, I have started gearing up for the warm weather I love so much. With my knee injury my plans and priorities have changed. To keep focused on my 2011 Resolutions, I have been taking advantage of every warm day and ever additional minute of daylight.
In preparing for having a garden this year I have started doing the necessary yard work. I have turned all outdoor chores into exercises and soaked up all the sun I can. The change in my energy and mood is astounding! I feel supercharged after getting a decent amount of sun. The dogs do too. While I am out raking leaves they are chewing bones. After a day of that the dogs are far calmer and sleep far better. It bugs me that so many days are spent working in a cubicle while the dogs are crated. Weekends leave me craving for more.
As I type this the sun is setting and f.lux has started to transition my computer screen. Truthfully I am getting tired... and it is only 6pm! The one thing I tried this past winter was to follow camping rules, going to bed shortly after the sun sets and get up when the sun rises. While I have not religiously stuck to this, as my social life would crumble, I have done this enough to no longer need an alarm and sleep better than ever. Although I've come to appreciate the long hours of slumber, I am looking forward to the longer days and shorter nights of summer.
In preparation of my plans to take the dogs for a 3 week backcountry camping and hiking trip I have been working with the dogs. I have started getting them used to walking in their packs and have even started adding some weight. I have also started working on Cyprus' off-leash training, which is bound to have its entertaining moments. She loves running and on most off-leash moments she runs at least 20 times to what I walk. Other than a few instances of disobedience, things go incredibly well. One kink I've seen in my plan is that my time off with my knee may eat all my vacation time. Either way, I will be far better prepared to take the dogs camping whenever and wherever.
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| Enjoying the sun despite the cold weather |
