Dreaming About Spring and Summer

Daydreaming about Lake Nokomis in full color

The current temperature here in partly cloudy Minneapolis is -1°F (-18°C). The windchill is -15°F (-26°C). These last couple of days have been a chilling reminder of how hard it is to live in the extreme North of the U.S. When winter days are frigidly cold like they are now it's so easy to become mildly depressed. There's something hollow and cruel about a -1°F day. The Sun offers no warmth and only 8 hours of light. Exposure to air is cold poison to the skin and lungs. The bleak view from my kitchen window is snow that has hardened into ice and I'm tempted to wrap a scarf around the lifeless leaf-less tree in my front yard. Life outdoors is completely still.

Daydreaming comes in handy on days like today. Although the first day of spring is still 56 days away, even the first signs of spring excite me. Spring and summer in Minneapolis are my two favorite times of year. There is a fresh buzz everywhere. I love how the leaves on the trees clap on warm breezy days. There's also that noticeable mood shift when Minnesotans can relax their shoulders and actually feel the Sun's warmth. When spring and summer hit, I try my hardest not to take a day for granted and look forward to storing memories for winter survival.

Here's what I'm daydreaming about today all of which signify the coming of spring:

1. When the snow melts!
2. Washburn High School Track.
3. The Jeff Galloway Minneapolis Training Group Kickoff.
4. Registering for the Get in Gear 5k and Half Marathons.
5. The very first smell of spring!
6. Wet grass.
7. When the Sun is warm again.
8. The first green sprouts on the trees.
9. Longer daylight.
10. My kids playing in the backyard.
11. Painting my toe nails a dazzling springtime color.
12. Reading outside.
13. Blowing bubbles with my kids on the front steps.
14. Enjoying a day with the windows open.
15. Driving with the windows down.
16. The return of birds and butterflies.
17. Running with one layer of clothing and shorts.
18. The melting and greening of Lake Nokomis.
19. First backyard burger of the grilling season.
20. Enjoying a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy outside.
21. The smell of freshly mowed grass.
22. Saying hello to my neighbors from the backyard.
23. Enjoying a day outside in a summer dress and sandals.

If you're like me daydreaming about warmer days, what are you most looking forward to?