But it's nice out.
The sun is shining, there's little wind, and the slush has faded from this past weekend's (relative) warmth. Conditions are perfect (flight of the conchords anyone?).
I need my play time, and my playground's waiting. So on go the shoes, on slide the gloves, and up zips the jacket. I didn't really have enough layers on-nothing underneath my khakis except the usual goods, but this didn't occur to me until i was gone-gone from being sick and tired, and gone into the open air.
It definitely had been some time since i'd been out to move; i felt a little silly (yep definitely been awhile; usually pride never stops me) sprinting down my street to slide on the ice strips that marked the dry pavement, starting small, but growing in my daring as i even chanced a smile. Maybe my neighbors didn't see me.
After walking on some rails, scurrying up a small rise, and crossing a short parking lot, i had arrived. Arneson Acres was there before me, stretched out like a vast welcome wagon-i hadn't been back since early fall. Suddenly a giddiness just bubbled up inside of me and i took off down the snow covered slopes leading into the double-dipping "valley", smiling and laughing as i picked up speed.
After i came to a stop, being careful to avoid the countless divots in the frozen snow, i came to an interesting tree that i had climbed a bit before, but this time i noticed that one of the major branches (can't really call it a trunk) was completely bent, arcing down to the ground, making a little archway. I then dropped to all fours, shuffling, crawling, and rolling through this little passageway, making believe that i was a commando, an orc, a traceur, maybe even a minotaur whynot. At times i would pause and laugh at where my imagination was taking me.
It wasn't long before i had moved onto other trees that i had never even considered climbing; now that their foliage had fallen i could see paths that weren't previously visible. About 10 feet up in one particular tree i was relaxing, taking in the 5 degree weather, when i turned and found myself a couple inches from a large cove of frozen sap on the underside of a thick branch. I was a little disappointed to find that it was relatively tasteless (no more inhibitions here though i suppose i could have been naked, but..eh).
After coming down from this tree i raced through the woods, dodging and weaving through the snow and in between pines, until i came to my most-frequented tree: a 50-55 ft pine(?) that looked the exact same on this cold winter day as it did in the summer. A quick hustle to around the 40 ft point, and i decided it was time to head back.
On the walk home, i felt much better; a lightness had come and complemented some of the fatigue from my play, and a daytime moon was hovering over my street. My legs were cold, my face was getting numb, but it was worth it-i'd had my fun and played; not trained, but played. And it felt great.
