wild stuff

On the road trip, we generally dealt with near- or below-freezing temperatures. In fact, in Illinois I managed to get in my first snow sledding for many, many years.

Back in D.C., the last few days have required a bit of a mental adjustment. I've thrown on a jacket before leaving the house, only to find myself far too warm. It's been near 70 degrees here, which has given the air an odd feel, like the city can't quite decide which season it's in.

I decided to take advantage of the balminess yesterday and headed off for a run through the park, my first in far too long - the last time I went running, there were still leaves on the trees.

This summer, one of my favorite features of our location was the park. The forested trails were cut off from the city, a quick escape into a different kind of world. With the leaves gone, so was the illusion. Houses jutted out just a few yards away, no longer hidden away. The belt of parkland was revealed to be much narrower than my mind had assumed those months ago when I repeatedly found myself lost as I was still trying to figure out the D.C. streets.