The sun was nice, as always in winter though, it tends to last a day before plunging one back into the murkey depths of clouds and cold. While the temperature said 41 degrees, I tended to disagree as I stepped outside with my running gear on. No sunglasses today sadly.
The breeze was once again from the south, however, unlike the past it was not warm, it was not humid. It was dry, cold, it was a reminder of death if nothing else.
It was obvious very quickly that the temperatures had stayed above freezing for the majority of the night. Within the first three steps my shoes were already soaked of some slush, water, ice mixture with a hint of dirt and salt added to the combination.
My muscles ached from yesterday, while we celebrate the first day of the year that one can run outside, we dread the second. Knowing that it is going to hurt, everything will be stiff, and the junk you enjoyed over the winter months know resides in your pores and your stomach.
By "downtown" my feet ached and cramped, by the end of town I wanted to puke. At deadman's corner (I say this not because of bad auto accidents but because of the fact that at this 90 degree corner lies a cemetary, go figure), I headed up the cemetary, which meant...snow...by the time I hit the top the snow had covered my feet to my shins, working its diseased way up to my knees.
It was time to head back...
While my earbuds actually wanted to stay in my ears for a change, I started my decent back home. The road flattens and straightens as it pulls into town, seemingly set as the finishing leg of the great marathon, the last race, the final sprint, or in my case...the road back home.
Up and down, wind here, turn there, socks compeletly soaked. I know it said it was warmer today than yesterday, however, I refuse to believe.
Sweat pours from my brow as I enter into the final leg, the street to the house, slow down, catch my breath, relax, turn off the music, take off the earbuds, stagger through the house, miss a step, kick a cat by accident, wonder to my back room, slip into the chair and realize...
Yesterday: 5k
Today: 5k
Tomorrow: God only knows...
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Way of Kaw
The cool mid-winter breeze brushed my cheeks today, it was a warm one...40 degrees. Starting at third street, working my way down through the post office, "downtown", city hall, and south on DD I began my journey.
The sun shine as bright as the stars of a crystal night, the wind blew along my entire journey. However, unlike many winter winds this one was of the southern decent, it was cool, but at the same time warm, a warm wet wind. Much humidity was found in the rushing air. Keeping my lungs hot, and my face sweating I left city limits.
I began my decent into the fields, the fields of corn, the fields of beans, all gone for the season. While passing by I imagined the origin of this area, what it was before the town, before the farmer, before the current life.
Tall decidious trees sprout in the forested area, the plains and prairies just sitting over the riverway to the west. The rolling hill barely noted as the trees tend to cover everything in their paths with a sea of greens through the seasons. The snow wouldn't be as thick for the covering of the trees would prevent the large drifts that I now found myself dodging with each step I took down the two lane blacktop.
With the wind still blowing as I turned a 90 degree corner along the road I thought back to the people of the area, the Osage, Quivira, Shawnee, and the Kaw. The people of the plains, the prarie, the ghost of the past of our Midwest. How they hunted alongside the coyote, horseback, knowing of all the land and its detail as if inheritely related to it. How many instances I'm sure, the people would be riding horseback through the praire, or running through the woods, and could feel this exact warm breeze brush their face.
If you know anything about this area of land, you will know that the southern warm wind, is indeed unique, it is unlike anything you'll witness because it always means good weather is yet to come (hence being outside in mid January running down the road), and the enjoyment if brings your senses as if you're sensing what lies beyond the southern horizon.
The first of this wind in 2010, how exciting, I thought while heading back into town. As I turned at city hall, past the "downtown", and post office I thought of the people, the Kaw, whose name also is derived as "Kanza" or more commonly known "Kansas" which in its literal sense means, "People of the Southwind".
Stepping up to the front porch, trying not to slip in the melting snow, I knew today that I was part of Kaw.
The sun shine as bright as the stars of a crystal night, the wind blew along my entire journey. However, unlike many winter winds this one was of the southern decent, it was cool, but at the same time warm, a warm wet wind. Much humidity was found in the rushing air. Keeping my lungs hot, and my face sweating I left city limits.
I began my decent into the fields, the fields of corn, the fields of beans, all gone for the season. While passing by I imagined the origin of this area, what it was before the town, before the farmer, before the current life.
Tall decidious trees sprout in the forested area, the plains and prairies just sitting over the riverway to the west. The rolling hill barely noted as the trees tend to cover everything in their paths with a sea of greens through the seasons. The snow wouldn't be as thick for the covering of the trees would prevent the large drifts that I now found myself dodging with each step I took down the two lane blacktop.
With the wind still blowing as I turned a 90 degree corner along the road I thought back to the people of the area, the Osage, Quivira, Shawnee, and the Kaw. The people of the plains, the prarie, the ghost of the past of our Midwest. How they hunted alongside the coyote, horseback, knowing of all the land and its detail as if inheritely related to it. How many instances I'm sure, the people would be riding horseback through the praire, or running through the woods, and could feel this exact warm breeze brush their face.
If you know anything about this area of land, you will know that the southern warm wind, is indeed unique, it is unlike anything you'll witness because it always means good weather is yet to come (hence being outside in mid January running down the road), and the enjoyment if brings your senses as if you're sensing what lies beyond the southern horizon.
The first of this wind in 2010, how exciting, I thought while heading back into town. As I turned at city hall, past the "downtown", and post office I thought of the people, the Kaw, whose name also is derived as "Kanza" or more commonly known "Kansas" which in its literal sense means, "People of the Southwind".
Stepping up to the front porch, trying not to slip in the melting snow, I knew today that I was part of Kaw.
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