Walks and Weather

Alright, here I am continuing with the alliteration.  You know, it ain't a half bad way to title a post.  ;o)

I just came back from a walk out in the cold, wet, *nearly* spring world.  I had on my trusty black rain boots which I purchased from Practical Goods (a treasure trove of hand-picked items from estate sales and the like in a storefront) and so with this and some English, Irish and Scottish coursing through my blood, nothing phased me.  I came alive in the plodding about up and down the hilly neighborhood.  I feel so blessed to live in neighborhood with it's own charm of older houses, some well-kept, some not so much (but nothing falling apart), many interesting Victorian inspired designs and divergent roads that go zig-zag on the hill.  I even found a little slushy path that went down through the wooded hillside with blackened brambles set against the white snow.

I realized as I was walking about that I may be one of the only ones to voluntarily (without dog, without child) go on a walk "just because."  I guess I have developed this habit because I like weather.  I was thinking of quoting one of C.S. Lewis' characters in "That Hideous Strength" but I think I'll quote the whole passage because it makes more sense that way:

"Don't you like a rather foggy day in a wood in autumn? You'll find we shall be perfectly warm sitting in the car."
Jane said she'd never heard of anyone liking fogs before but she didn't mind trying. All three got in.
"That's why Camilla and I got married, "said Denniston as they drove off. "We both like Weather. Not this or that kind of weather, but just Weather. It's a useful taste if one lives in England."
"How ever did you learn to do that, Mr. Denniston?" said Jane. "I don't think I should ever learn to like rain and snow."
"It's the other way round," said Denniston. "Everyone begins as a child by liking Weather. You learn the art of disliking it as you grow up. Noticed it on a snowy day? The grown-ups are all going about with long faces, but look at the children - and the dogs? They know what snow's made for."
"I'm sure I hated wet days as a child," said Jane.
"That's because the grown-ups kept you in," said Camilla. "Any child loves rain if it's allowed to go out and paddle about in it.” 
― C.S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength