Folks from around here know not to trust the weeks of warm sunshine and the big melts of March. A person could be forgiven for not believing that winter could return after the weather we had last week. But the locals are right. The high moorland crocuses and snowdrops are once again covered in another thin layer of snow and the sky is that slate grey that promises summer is a long way off. Sounds depressing but its not. I am one of those contrary people who like bad weather. The badder the better. I have to admit the relentless sunshine of our stint in California got me down sometimes. And besides, all this bucolic greenness comes at a price.

So because I like crap weather, and because alpine hiking season is approaching and I have to prepare for it, I thought it was a good time to re-introduce the lengthier “weekend wander.” Now, I walk all year long, but I have been off my half to whole day hikes for awhile. However, I am aging and can’t just get out there and expect to gracefully do a long hike in the mountains without some training beforehand. I figured that this was as good a weekend as any to start. So I bundled up and wandered out my door and up to the high lands for a bracing 3 hour ramble in the sleet. There was not a soul out there, except for a few farmers looking incredulously at me from the cabs of their trucks. And you know, it was GLORIOUS. Spring may not have properly arrived, but with a bit of will and good raingear, hiking season and the mandatory weekend long walk has. Oh, and incidentally, I may just have mustered up enough inspiration from the calm and beauty of this walk to actually START my next painting (yes, it has been weeks. Sigh. Procrastination).

Wherever you are, I hope you have a good week (and get out there for a good, life affirming walk). – HD