Turning Winter's Blues into Diamonds

Took la perrita to the new Shoreline Trail about an hour and a half before sunset.

Lightly falling snow from before we arrived had dusted the path like confectioner's sugar on a christmas cookie.

Not a breath of wind on the water. Paul and Otto, two old-timers were down the end of the pier, fishing for small herring, and that was about it for human company. 

This was magical, like when I grew up, winter afternoons spent playing along the trails by the gravel pit lakes.

Serenity and intrigue.

View across Hempstead Harbor into the Glen Head gloamin'

For a gloomy day, it was an unexpected surprise to be transported back in time, when cold and snow were irrelevant, all that mattered was the last hours and minutes of daylight that we kids had to play in, before dinner.

This day needed a little salvaging. MTB plans were canceled for various reasons, and folk were grumping around the house. 

Dog's delight ... even if we went for a 'walk'
running was inevitable.

New trail, fresh tracks.

For all intents and purposes, it was as gloomy a day as you could conjure up without rain, so to turn it into a new trail exploration/run with dog, was like striking a vein of diamonds in a day that was an ideal candidate to induce seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) in even the jolliest winter aficionado. 

What I did not expect was the peace and quite here. The soft but crisp air and light snow cover conspired to hush almost all activity. The waters here are seldom this placid, as there's always some kind of breeze, if not outright gale force wind this time of year.

Even though close to the main shore road, the loudest sound seemed only to belong to a flock of birds about to migrate. beyond that nothing but serenity this evening. Even serenity while running, and we did careen down a few roller coaster sections.

If I'd been PO'd that a few too many obligations and distractions had made the MTB plans untimely, this seemed a far better outcome. 




  

An enormous flock of birds decided winter or spring had
 finally arrived — who knows which? —
and prepared themselves for the next trip.

A break in the running agenda.

"Dogs Are Welcome"