Hope springs, etc

Just last Monday we went hiking in Huanghuacheng. After we crossed the dam over to the trail to the Great Wall, I looked back over the river to see this. Behind the one brick building is a serious chunk of solid ice, like a mini-glacier. To the left, outside the frame of this picture would be another one. Early April and there is still ice!

Last year at this same time Myles had already been running around in shirtsleeves, getting soaking wet in a fountain. There's no way we could have done this at all this month. This week alone we had two nights where the overnight temperature got very close to freezing in the city, and did drop below that out in the countryside.

But even as the weather contradicts the calendar, spring, and the warmer weather that follows, are inevitable.

At Changping Park, the paddle boats are on the just-thawed lake, waiting for hourly rentals. All of the warmer weather entertainments are out,ready for customers if it ever gets warm enough. Of course, by this time last year Myles had already engaged in paddle-boat tag.

The surest sign, though, that spring just has to be waking from its winter slumber are from nature itself. A little later than expected, but still a welcome sight, scattered across the mountains north of Changping are what appear to be giant sheep grazing. A closer look, though, reveals that they are actually the earliest flowering trees.

Okay, Spring. We've had our empty tomb and Risen Lord. My neighbors have swept their ancestors' tombs. I think we're ready!