Green Grass

I am back on the bike, cycling to town and back every day. A healthy total of 12kms. I loath it. Hate getting on the bike every morning more than not eating lunch. last couple of weeks I have been thinking a lot about how did it came to this? I remember, back in Glasgow how much I loved it. I enjoyed the ride in the morning, good 8 miles (converts to more than 12km) across the almost empty city and when coming home, in the rush hour having to slice through road traffic and pedestrians alike. 'Course I had a different job back then, different city. I got a good adrenalin level in the afternoons unnerving myself trying to survive the ride home competing my best time which is about 43 minutes for the 8.3 miles up the hill and down and up and down all the way and the traffic lights plus cars ( I know, could be better but let me have a bit of fame!). Getting home making dinner to do something actually relaxing because the job wasn't but I am getting way off tack here.

Back to the point. I loved cycling in Glasgow, now I am not much into it. Couldn't put my finger on it till now but I know why. But I had a coupe of insights.

First of all cycling for the past five months was mostly a variation of cycling on ice, snow, icy snow, ice, sludge, ice, icy snow, grit, snow, grit iced over, ice, grit and occasionally on ice. Yes, all these are life risking and energy consuming. The ice is gone now and the grit has been cleared off the roads. Once again it feels like cycling. And the bes bit is that when having a German shepherd size and weighing dragon sitting on the back, singing and swinging left and right one can still manage the controls easily. And when the sun is out, which is pretty much a permanent now regardless the time of the day it starts getting lovely actually!

Although this morning we nearly fell off anyway. We were darting through Tuira and Tobi suddenly stopped singing while increasing his side swings dramatically; it was starting to get a bit difficult. I was just about to complain to him when I heard this inhuman, animalistic, terrible and painful to the ears scream from behind me. I guess it's best described to say the screech a dragon would let of when in great surprise and pleasure! It may have woken many of the inhabitants of Tuira at an early hour and this was the point when I lost control of the bike for Tobi has leaned to the right beyond possible safe. He has seen a GREEN grass. A single blade in the morning breeze standing there against all odds and elements. We stopped to take a closer look and it was wonderful. Tears in the eyes and everything.

On the way home we have seen many more. it seems that a day of sunshine and warmth can work wonders on the grass that has been under snow for more less 5 months. We could point out a couple of small, sorry looking green blades of glass on every square foot in the park. People around us have not understood why were we smiling so ... lost for words... so much like mad with joy while tears running down cheeks in streams. Well, I may be exaggerating about it but I don't want to show off Tobi too much.

I think I must put things in a bit of contrast... I know of someone, friend of a friend, sort of who is 'tired of rain' in Scotland. They had their first winter in Central Scotland. I can tell you it can rain there. A year and a bit ago we had the Classic rain for 40 days and 40 nights there. True! Ark was not needed only wellies, sandbags for doors in some places and 'brollies for all (umbrellas for those of you who don't know). Rain, even if not such I have been dreaming off for some time. Months. For a couple of years we lived in a small house in the outskirts of Glasgow where we had a garden. In the winter we couldn't do anything with the grass because it was too wet not too cold. It was THE Fun Time for the grass however and it/they became a jungle overgrowing the entire country! (I make up stories here). The point I am trying to make is that for once the saying 'The grass is always greener on the other side' is truely true. Consider the other side as in the other side of the Baltic Sea, Scandinavia, Denmark and the North Sea. About 2000 miles. Haven't checked.

All the above is an insight my problem with cycling. Putting it down on paper of a sort is very helpful and therapeutic. I will sleep much better now. Tobi is already asleep on the Top of the fridge, nothing will bother his dream so don't worry for him. Lili is outsnowring him. I am about to. It is all well!
I do miss my old bike though