No sooner did I chip away the ice along one side of the driveway than it starts snowing. A deep freeze last night turned it into an ice skating lane again. Sun is out this morning so there is some hope it may partially melt away by the end of the day, but the office building next door casts most of the driveway in shadow. Oh well!
I went to get my laptop charger cable, having forgotten it at the office. There were quite a few runners out, but most were opting for the road and not the sidewalks, as they were pretty slippery affairs. This is one reason I quit running in winter, as I had taken too many falls and at my age the last thing I need is a hip replacement. Unfortunately, Vilnius didn't put all its new municipal heating lines under the sidewalks, like other countries have done in their northern cities.
Somehow it feels like this will be a short winter, as it came early. Chirping sparrows moving to the outer branches of the hedges, soaking in the sun today. We had a colder than usual December, and typically the coldest part of winter only last two months. Chalk it up to the maritime climate. Despite being 54.6 degrees North, the temperatures in Vilnius are a lot like that in Boston. The Baltic is a relatively warm sea, fed by the Atlantic, and so the temperatures fluctuate a lot in winter. We do occasionally get bitter cold temps around -30 C, but that has been pretty rare the last few winters. Coldest it got this year was -16.
I've become a bit of an amateur meteorologist, something I inherited from my mother. She would assiduously follow the hurricanes in the Atlantic, hoping they didn't cross over into the Gulf of Mexico, when we lived in the Florida panhandle. No hurricanes to worry about here, but I do keep track of the snowfall, as I'm out there shoveling snow and chipping ice every winter, and have kept track of the patterns. This year has been pretty good. Cold with quite a bit of snow, which means the Neris has filled back up with water. It had been running low the last few years. Hydrologists were worried it would become silted up and reeds take over at key junctures.
There are times I wish I was back in Florida, but I've gotten used to it for the most part. Still, my skin and sinuses dry out and it is a constant battle to keep hydrated, but that's mostly due to the dry heat in the house. We hang little ceramic pots of water from the radiators, which helps a little, but still the itching persists, especially with a layer of merino wool next to the skin. I've long wanted us to move into a smaller house or flat, as the temperature varies quite a bit from one part of this house to the next. We take saunas each weekend, which also helps the skin and brings back memories of the warm beaches. I call it the "Florida room."
Need to get myself back in shape so that I can start running as soon as the ice melts away. I haven't run much during the pandemic. I would get started then laziness would take over. I want to make another stab at the Vilnius marathon. I had no problem with the half marathon, but when I got to the 30 km. mark fatigue and cramps set in and I could barely move. It's been five years since I last tried it, so will push myself this Spring and Summer to get up to that level in September. Friends of mine have done it, so there is no reason I can't do it.
My biggest problem with the pandemic is that it has made me lazy spending so much time at home. I keep busy with one domestic task or another, looking after the animals, taking walks with the dog, but it is not the same. I need to push myself, clear the phlegm out of my lungs and feel whole again. I have always enjoyed running as it is such an easy way to stay fit and gives me a moment of reflection.
I tried to get Daina into running, but her shins started to bother her and it became too painful. We tried several different pairs of running shoes, but none made it an easier on her shins. She does like taking walks though but not in this weather. She would dearly love to take advantage of the ice skating rink they erected by the river this year, but skating is not my thing. Bad memories of some of the nasty falls I took on roller skates. Tried ice skating once and spent the whole time hugging the rails. No thanks.
A friend of mine once drug me out on a frozen lake to try my hand at ice fishing. That was miserable. It was -20 and I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers after a while from threading all those hooks. Not that we caught anything of value either, despite his fancy sonar which he used to track the fish below. We ended up splitting a bottle of vodka on the lake. I don't think he even bothers anymore, although we haven't seen each other in a long while.
For the most part, we ride out winter. Never got into skiing either, although I've long been tempted to try cross-country skiing. Figure the long skis would be easier to keep my balance. Sadly, winter just isn't my thing.
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