Good morning, Monday

Monday, February 27th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:15am

Good morning, Monday!  I'm still not feeling 100% but I am much better today than I was last week.  The Park has been absolutely glorious these past couple days I've been there.  There are tons more people out - everyone is chatting and walking together with their dogs.  It's such a stark contrast to the middle of, say, January when there was literally no one out except for the die-hard few.  It was nice then but now the mornings are just filled with the anticipations of Spring.  I know that sounds kind of cheesy, but the daffodils are just barely starting to bloom (on the sunny side of the walk), and are budding and tall everywhere else.  They are cropping up everywhere!  It's going to be gorgeous when they all finally bloom.  The ducks are back in the Conservatory Pond.  The Boathouse snackbar is bustling with people having breakfast with each other and with dogs running around.  There are runners and bikers about.  The buds on the tree limbs are starting to unfurl.  I think amongst all this change, though, the most different is the sound of the Park.  The birds are back and they are LOUD. 

I've been sort of fantasizing about when it will be warm again and I won't have to put on all my winter gear.  I'm so looking forward to the movies in the Park all summer long and being able to take a blanket and dinner and the 2 (hopefully) doggies and go hang in the Park with Brian.  It's been a long winter, folks! 

Aside from all the wonders of Springtime, we met a bunch of our doggie friends.  Logan, the flat-coated retriever, licked Sofie's face for about 15 minutes before his lady had to drag him away on his leash - he is hopeless with Sofie - i.e. he never listens and never leaves her.  We also were dive-bombed by Lena - the mutt.  Lena is a mid-size mutt and her man and lady walk around in the Park drinking coffee most mornings.  They are pretty early so I don't always see them, but when I do, I usually miss Lena.  I always know she's hiding somewhere nearby, though.  At some point, she comes sprinting out of the bushes somewhere (her hiding place), and just dive-bombs Sofie.  She usually knocks Sofie over and Sof always rolls on to her back to be submissive, but then realizes it's all in good fun and they strike up a game of chase.  Lena is a good stalker. 

I'm happy to be back to Monday and hopefully back to my old routine (aka not the "sick" routine - that one sucks).  Happy Monday to you, too!