Oasis!

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Texas winters are more stressful than the evening weather reports suggest. They are not severe by most (any) standards. However, they do seem to drag on long after the novelty has worn off.

This year is no exception. The typical wintery day includes daylong gray skies. The wind blows from the north to add to our discomfort. Temperatures hover in the thirties at dawn and climb into the weak fifties in the afternoon. Occasional misty rain thickens the sense of gloom. It would lead one to believe the great outdoors had vanished, only to be replaced with a soggy, cold copy of Mordor.

The trees are in on it to. On a recent trip to the store for provisions, I noticed the line of trees standing along the roadside. Leafless, they appeared to be auditioning for a scary movie. Johnny Depp could play the lead…

So, when the sun burst upon a clear sky last Friday, it was Katy-bar-the-door to be the first one outdoors. I did not fully appreciate how haggard I had become over the weeks of gloom. A check in the mirror revealed a Sméagol Golem looking chap. Clearly, he was a tortured soul.

I was determined to rejoin the human race, at least while the sun shone and the air was warm. I called my daughter and we organized an afternoon in the park for four. My neighborhood park has dozens of playthings for swinging, climbing and running amok. My daughter and I joined in the g'children’s games, keeping watch in case they became stuck halfway up a tower or something. Later, we sat in the sun and chatted about our ordinary lives – still keeping watch over our charges.

It was the best day of 2011, so far.

Then Saturday showed up. It was yet another golden day. Warm air, sunny skies and light breezes, taken for granted by some, painted broad smiles on many faces, including mine.

Around noon, I collected my son's set of grandchildren and we were off once more. We hit the park, ate lunch at Mickey D's, played with trains, took a nap (my personal favorite) and still managed to return to their parents place just before bedtime.

I cannot recall a better night’s sleep.

Today is more of the same. Children and adults are outdoors reestablishing their grip on sanity even as I type. I would be out there, too, except I am trying to cut back.

Tomorrow, the forecast calls for the mild weather to end. We are looking at four or five days of colder, wetter weather. Again.

Nevertheless, I am extremely grateful for the three-day respite. The long journey through winter’s gloom passed through a great oasis, and just in time.

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