Early on April 29th, I went out for a run. It was sort of a drizzling rain. I have been running all winter in the freezing cold, so I thought this really should be sort of nice and refreshing. One mile into my run, it started to snow. It wasn’t the cute, fluffy snow either. These were fierce pellets of leftover Polar Vortex that were drilling my forehead and causing an ice cream headache type of sensation.
We are now approaching the middle of May and true to Spring in Minnesota, our weather is still trying to figure itself out. It seems as though April showers, bring May showers and an arctic wind. If you have kids or grandkids in outdoor sports, you understand the need to always carry umbrellas, winter coats, blankets and sunscreen with you to games. Always better to overdress and be warm than to underdress and be miserable…in the middle of an open field…with a cold, biting wind. But, come rain, sleet or snow, we are not going to miss a game, right?
You may have noticed that I slipped sunscreen into my list of necessary items to bring to outdoor spring sports. Last spring, I was at my son’s baseball game on a Saturday morning in snow pants, a winter coat and gloves. By Sunday at noon, the sun had popped out and temperatures were in the 80’s. We not only walked away with a win, but many of us also walked away with the first sunburn of the season.
Lesson learned. In fact, not only do I pack umbrellas, coats, blankets and sunscreen, but I also pack sandals. It has been a long winter. Toes everywhere are ready to break free. Last Friday night was very cold and windy at the ball park. Saturday morning, sunny and beautiful with sandals on my feet and a great big smile on my face. So, while the cold spring days seem gloomy and somewhat miserable when you are underdressed, they sure make the sunny days that more glorious. And soon enough, the warm days will outweigh the cold ones because summer is just around the corner. Are you sandal ready?
