Reminiscing about Warmer Days

I do enjoy the New England winters.  I love to snowshoe and Nordic ski.  And this year I took up winter hiking.  With good planning (and a healthy dose of respect and restraint) the White Mountains in NH are a spectacular winter hiking destination.  But this winter has tested even the hardiest souls with some extremely cold temperatures and incredible winds.  I'm good for maybe one more snowstorm then Id like it all to melt away.  Slowly, so as not to overload the drainage systems.

Clouds Building   3 x 7" watercolor sketch from sketchbook   2014

So on this day I am remembering a warm and slightly humid day in Germany last summer.  I watched the clouds build throughout the day, to end with rain that night and the following day.  I remember the mountains of Austria, Germany and Switzerland all around me.  A lake heavily populated with sailboats carrying people on holiday.  Clouds, blue sky, warm green grass and a gentle breeze.  Absolutely lovely.  Reminiscing is good for the mind.  Just what I need to get through the coming weeks of March.  Some Cardinals in my neighborhood have been singing for three weeks, the chickadees have chimed in with their spring song, and I hear that Red-winged Black Birds have been spotted, too.  Soon the winter ducks will depart for northern breeding grounds.  The loons, who have spent the winter on the ocean, will travel inland to the lakes of New England.  I'll turn my attention to memorizing bird sounds and all the wonderful migratory birds that come through during New England's warm months.  And I'll find myself reminiscing about all the fun and cold air that winter offers.  So it goes...