It’s been raining a lot here lately. We certainly need it after years of drought, but it seems to be coming all at once. I’m fortunate to be in Iowa, because my homestates of South Dakota and Minnesota are getting pummeled by the same system, though they’re receiving it in the form of enormous amounts of snow and freezing rain. My mother, who lives in Minnesota, posted this picture of her front yard:
She had to chip branches out of the driveway just so she could get to work without puncturing a tire.
I, on the other hand, don’t have freezing anything. I don’t have to shovel or chip the rain. It just soaks into the soil and flows to wherever it wants to end up. This, by the way, is my favorite weather. Cold and rainy. Don’t ask me why, but it makes me feel alive and invigorated. My body fights against the chill, and it just feels exciting. This is perfect for running.
I recently mentioned that I found a trail. I went running on it a couple of days ago.
Good god isn’t it just gorgeous? Hell, I even went running this morning, and this is what it looks like right outside my front door:
I know that most people prefer dry and sunny, to cold and rainy. I agree with them, if I’m on the beach (which, in Iowa, is not often).
This is supposed to be ‘hunker down and snuggle up’ weather. This is where you feel vulnerable outside and thankful you have a shelter. This is nature reaching out to me and daring me t0 run. I gladly accept.
UPDATE:
It snowed last night where mom lives. Here’s what her front yard looks like now:
Matthew's Blog 
I feel bad because every time I see these pictures and hear about the small tree limbs in the road I laugh. I remember people keeping saws in their trucks because where I grew up when a limb was in the road it was usually something at least as round as my arms, if not my waist, or bigger.
Sometimes the cows were harder to get out of the roads though.
At least we didn’t have the ridiculous winter temperatures!
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Also, cows usually fight back when you use a saw on them.
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