The Weather is Like a Box of Chocolates; You Never Know What You're Going to Get*

After being out of commission with back and hip pain, and then with heel pain, for a total of more than six months, I am FINALLY able to go for pain-free walks again, with some restrictions as to frequency and duration.

It is an incredible feeling to walk without pain or limping. I am being very good about respecting the limits and have had no setbacks.

On the other hand, I have been very bad about eating properly. It feels like the more I know I shouldn't eat sweets or salty treats, the more I want them. And there are still far too many goodies in the house from the holidays.

For now, I'm doing my best, and trusting that as I begin to exercise regularly the cravings will go away, replaced by feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction (as happened last spring when I began walking with camera in hand).

So, a few pictures from some of my recent walks.

The river is frozen now. Except for the days it isn't. Our weather is swinging wildly between freezing and mild.

This was taken a few days later. The ice was melting and breaking up.

Someone (not me) was bored and the ground was soft enough to draw this picture.

A couple of days later, the puddles were frozen solid and the wind was bitter.

And then it snowed! It was fiercely cold, too; here is a video so you can hear how crunchy cold the snow was. (Apologies for the fact that it sort of sounds like someone chewing, which is not all that appetizing, is it? You've been warned: feel free to skip the video. If you still choose to watch, it's only fifteen seconds long.)

Our Christmas tree, which had been placed outside for me to cut off its branches for covering some of the shrubs, tried with great determination to get up the steps and back into the house ...

Alas - or maybe, thankfully - it did not make it.

This last photo was taken from the comfort of my own house, not on a walk. We are reasonably sure it's a female pheasant, who somehow ended up in our back yard (chances are, she flew, of course, but it's unusual see them in such an urban setting). She walked the back line of our property with slow, cautious steps, stopping often to peck at the surface of the snow. I hope she finds her way back to wherever she came from.


Long shot:

She is just about in the center of this picture.

And zooming in for a close up:

This is a good sized bird - as big as one of our cats. Who were indoors. Because they're indoor cats. Probably best for all concerned.

May you have a weekend of comfortable temperatures, and completely lacking in birds as big as yourself.

Unless you are visiting a zoo, or you are a farmer of emus or ostriches.

Then it'd be okay.

* Apologies to Forrest Gump for mis-using his quote for my title today.