spring training

Happy Spring from Nova Scotia, Canada! 

It’s officially adieu to winter.  Snow can still be found in my area, mostly in the woods, at higher elevation, or in dirty parking lot piles.  Like last winter, my mental health therapy was getting outside for frequent short hikes—my friend Leonie and I walked together 4-5 days a week and joined our hiking groups once they restarted.  My first bike ride of the year was on the equinox, but I suspect spring still has some snow in store for us.

Last week marked the second anniversary of the first known case of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.  After being hunkered down due to Omicron for January and February and with our highest death counts of the entire pandemic, most restrictions (including masking in public places other than schools) have ended as of yesterday  Here goes.

I have procrastinated with writing anything for the past four weeks because … the world.  Some days I read too much news and other days I’m mindful to limit it.  Any long-term planning seems impossible for me right now but I’ve latched on to the idea of focusing on a season to keep me motivated.  I can work with three months.  So what does this mean?  Spring Training and Spring Cleaning of course! 

Spring Training is getting out for longer hikes and starting to bike regularly again plus being disciplined with the physiotherapy that will help my complainy shoulders, shins, and feet with those longer hikes and bikes rides.  In prep, the bike got a Spring Tune Up.  In prep, I placed a large order with MEC that includes missing pieces of my 10 Essentials and restocking my first aid kit.  I laughed when I went through the handy Adventure Medical Kit I’d always carried in my daypack out west and read that everything with an expiry date had expired by 2015.

And Spring Cleaning?  Even a one-bedroom apartment (especially one with a cat) needs a deep cleaning after winter and a good decluttering of all the drawers and shelves.  I started that yesterday, even cleaning windows so I have a better view of the trees when they start turning green sometime next month. I have noticed different birdsong outside those windows lately.  I saw crocus flowers last week. Friends and I are planning shared veggie gardening.  I have an appointment to swap little car’s winter treads for my “summer” tires.  All sure signs of spring.

While driving last week, I heard Pink Floyd’s 1975 song Wish You Were Here on the radio and it has been playing in my head each day ever since.  It’s a reminder to me of the Buddhist exercise to try to be here now, to live in the moment.  I don’t want to look back in five years at 2022 and regret I hadn’t allowed myself to be happier.  And so, spending $ on new gear that will bring joy to my spring and summer outdoor adventures is high priority … and worrying about whether it will fit into my monthly budget or long-term retirement savings is not.

References and related links:

• MEC: Mountain Equipment Co-op.
• The 10 Essentials for Hiking and Camping (SOURCE: MEC)
• panniversary (post #158)
• spring equinox at least (post (134)
• spring 2019 (post 112)