It's Getting Close

     This morning I came to a most stunning realization.  My snow boots are not water proof beyond a certain depth.

     The great Mid West has seen just about every form of weather possible in the last week.  From blizzard like conditions last Friday to thunder storms, rain and 50 plus degrees today.

     With all the snow we already had on the ground and now rain, it makes for lots of water with no place to go.  

     I checked my radar app this morning before heading out and figured I could get my paper route done before the next big storm moved into the area.  Out the door I went, leaving my rain poncho lying on the counter, still wrapped neatly in its little carrying bag.

     One should always trust their gut instinct and not rely entirely on technology.  By the time I got to the second house, it was absolutely pouring.  The lightening lit up the streets like a giant strobe light and I began to ponder if leaving my metal ice grippers on the bottom of my snow boots was a wise choice.  Those little gadgets rank right up there with sliced bread when it comes to being handy.  If I did get struck by lightening and survived, hopefully I would recover and be brilliant at math.  

     By the third house I was pretty well soaked but the temperature was in the 40's so it felt like a heat wave.  About half way through was when I had to navigate my first water crossing and learned that the quilting on my boots was meant purely for snow.  Now my socks were wet.  I will have to get my tall rubber boots out and use them until the water recedes.  They are in the shed at the back of the yard, which is still covered in snow.  When I retrieve those boots,  I'll have to do the happy spider dance on them before ever even thinking about sticking my feet in their darky depths.  I don't know why a spider would stay in a tall rubber boot, there's nothing to eat in there, but I'm taking no chances.  

     I finished in under 45 minutes this morning, it helps that most of the packed snow and ice on the streets is gone.  I can zip along, take the corners on the inside and not worry about sliding past my intended stopping point.  I don't wear my seat belt so I feel like a criminal, making my getaway in the cover of darkness.  I wore it the first day and it didn't take me long to figure out that just wasn't going to work, finding the belt plus the door handle in the dark took too much time.  I'm an early morning speed demon, good thing no one else is out at that time.

     Next weeks forecast is calling for more single digit nighttime temps.  But this morning, with the rain, thunder and much warmer air, I could feel it......Spring......it's getting closer.