on a clear day

It's not the warmest day of the year so far, but it's definitely the clearest. It was one of those mornings when the Olympic Mountain range west of the city and on the other side of the sound, looks a lot closer than it really is.

So needless to say the sun is out, and I celebrated with an early walk around Green Lake commencing about 9:15. It was a chilly hike, even with long johns and the sunshine notwithstanding, so much so that I started off unsure whether to complete the circuit, or just walk a few minutes and then turn back.

But in the end I made it all the way around, three miles and change, in exactly an hour. That's moving pretty slowly, and I think the only person I passed during the whole circuit was an old lady with a cane. That's OK, I'm grateful just to still have the ability to walk with a firm and regular step, to easily lift my feet off the ground, and to amble along without any sign yet of compromised balance.

I couldn't see the Olympics from the lakeshore, because the lake is set down in its own little natural basin with trees all around, but I saw plenty of ducks, dogs, kids, and healthy young joggers of both genders. It's the kind of day that makes you hope for "more like this," so I checked the Farmers' Almanac, which forecasts normal temperatures for next month with drier than normal conditions, and then normal precipitation for April and May (which means "wet," especially in April) but warmer than usual conditions.

Sounds like spring is nearly here.