South by Southwest

Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, AZ

    It's all about strategy: the conferences offered to physicians in the winter tend to feature one of two things - very warm, sunny climates and summer-vacation inspired locations, or skiiing. While the Colorado or California mountains looked inviting, I have not skied (downhill) in years and we did have our fair share of wintry weather already! So as I perused the options for CME the search was on for a balmier destination. 

   That had to line up with own travel strategy, however, which has been to combine any trip with visiting friends and relatives as well. Thanks to Mayo Clinic Phoenix, it all lined up in Arizona!

  The first few minutes were vaguely like arriving in Vermont - suddenly transported to a refreshingly different scenery, mountains in the distance. As soon as we hit the highway, the red crags and distinctive road names were all Southwestern!

   Spring is in full bloom here! The sunny yellow everywhere is the Paleo Verde tree (the state tree).

We enjoyed staying part time with Jeff's uncle and aunt, and a few nights at the Kierland Resort. 

Greenery and rocks of all types not found in central Illinois...

 The mountains from our balcony, high above the non-native but very naturalized palm trees all over Phoenix.

The very native, blooming prickly pear cactus!

Never ending fascination, this Southwest.

First of Spring

Sunrise is still within my work hours... And that's a lovely thing. This morning was a quintessentially early spring morning: frosty, clearing skies, birds everywhere in full chorus.

While Waiting

Not a moment too soon...

  I keep reminding myself that the robins are not early, and spring is not late. In fact, by the calendar, things are progressing just as they ought to go.

Streams started running again two weeks ago - at least for a few days!

  Since moving here seven years ago, I have observed the Illinois is remarkably timely when it comes to seasons. We always have a solid 12-15 weeks of winter after it sinks below 30 degrees in early December; and though this year has been colder and snowier, there is no reason to believe it can't hit 70 later this month. It has done just that before. In fact, every time I turn around another living thing has come out of hiding looking perkier than ever. Moping tendencies be gone! There's things to do and places to go while you wait.

Stashing breakfast, before he takes off stashing everything else he can find for his nest behind my office.

In fact, as we hovered at 30 degrees today and the happy sound of dripping reentered the world intermittently over the last two weeks, I found myself driving a detours to capture some interesting aspects of central Illinois wintry landscape before it disappears.  

Dunlap, IL, March 4

 

Culverts and Corn-rows, Feb 23

About three weeks ago -when we had not come close to thawing in weeks, things looked a little more frigid.

February 11

   There's a square mile of farmland at the end of our road. It's my favorite place to run in warm weather, and still a good walk (or drive) in the winter... a bit of peace and quiet. As I've watched the land go through the cycle of seasons, it actually makes me more patient. 

If you are in too much of a hurry, you miss too much. It is better to take the road more slowly.

The evergreen garland finally came down when we got above 20 degrees  - I could cut it without freezing!

 If you don't throw all the Christmas greens in the trash at New Years, and you keep clipping and unwinding the wires when you want to stop - you have more firewood and kindling, smelling delicious still (though more faintly!). And if you put on more layers, heavier boots and tramp through all the snow, one foot very deliberately in front of the other - you make a new trail and have more fun. Especially if Augie is with you. 

   You see things on the same old walk, but not like you saw them before. You wait for the sun to hit just right...

    Lent comes with tomorrow's snowfall. The seemingly long winter is sort of like patience in tangible form. It is waiting on the little things in life that reminds me of how good it is to wait on the big things. 

Because there is not a moment to lose.