Listening... On The Canal

The weather is too nice to be in a gym right now, and I've been lazy about going there lately, anyway. The canal is not too far from home, so there is no excuse for not running or walking. Well, there are lots of excuses, but none that are big enough to get me out of exercising, so off to the canal I went. Jess came along for the fun, and we met a friend there. The more the merrier. We all jog at different paces, but it's nice to have company in the vicinity. Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my IPod, so there was no music to distract me today. Instead, I listened to the sounds of the canal. At first, all I could hear was the slapping rhythm of my running shoes hitting the asphalt bike path. I tried not to focus too much on the wheezing of my breathing. (I'm not exactly in prime shape.) After a while, I

started to notice other sounds around me. The wind, blowing the leaves in the trees along both sides of the canal, similar to the sound of water flowing over a waterfall. The little song birds chirping to each other in the trees. The occasional splash of fish striking the surface of the water, trying to catch that tasty bug for breakfast. The distant bark of a dog. The soft cha-ching of a bicycle bell as someone approached from behind, letting me know that they wanted to pass. A friendly nod and "Morga'" (Mornin') from a local as they ride by. A crane whooping Good Morning, as well. I didn't hear the corn, but I am almost positive I heard Bessie, the cow, whispering to me as I went by. "What are you doing?" she said. "You don't see me running. I happen to love my big butt. Come on over to the shade and relax a bit. I won't tell anyone." Next time, Bessie. I just might take you up on that. I jogged on, hypnotized by the quiet swishing sound the fabric of my pants was making as my thighs rubbed together. I'm not completely positive, but I think I heard Bessie giggling.

Phineas, Ferb, and Bessie

Am I the only one that noticed the resemblance? I think not. I'm digging the new do, Bessie. Just like Phineas, Ferb, and Bessie, we are preparing for summer. School will be out very quickly, and we are more than ready. It won't be long before we, too, are saying "Hey, Ferb. I know what we are going to do today..."

It's a Beautiful Day In Belgium

Ahhhhhhh. It truly is Spring in beautiful Belgium. Today, the sun was shining, the skies were blue, and the temp got up to a balmy 67 degrees. Well, not exactly balmy, but warm enough for me. Winter is over. It's enough to make you open the windows wide, take in a deep cleaning breath and ...... oh, dear. It's Spring in Belgium. You might want to hold off on that cleansing breath. Just remember that when you want to make a sweet, delicious cake, you need to add a little salt. In Belgium, to have all of those fresh, delicious veggies, you need to add a little, um, fertilizer. All the bovines in the country have have been putting a lot of effort into providing fresh fertilizer for the farmers to plow into the soil. This is the time of the year that all of that aromatic fertilizer (that Bessie has lovingly provided) is dumped out into the fields. Did I mention that Belgium is mostly farm country? There are fields of corn and other crops just about everywhere. I'm not kidding. In residential neighborhoods, if there is one little plot of land between houses that is not being used, they will plow it up and put corn on it. Right now, there just isn't any escaping the smell of...well...cow poop. It's OK, though. Cow poop means Spring. And Spring makes me smile. It's like someone turned on a switch here. Bicycles are everywhere. You see more tractors on the roads than cars right now. Everyone wants to be out, enjoying the beautiful sunshine. At restaurants and pubs, all of the outdoor tables and chairs that were stored for the winter have been drug back outside again. People sit, eating lunch and laughing, waving at friends walking by. And there are flowers. In each town, there is a florist, and they are spreading their blossoming bounty out for everyone to enjoy. Just enough to tempt you. It's still a little too chilly at night to really start planting, but any day now...the time will be right. Until then, you can pick up a dozen roses for about 5 euro. It's a bargain you can't resist. Oh, and the best part of Spring? Leonidas cranked up their soft serve ice cream machine. There is nothing better than walking around town, nibbling on a fresh waffle cone filled with creamy goodness from Leonidas. THAT is how you know the warm weather is here to stay. Leonidas wouldn't lie. So, in short, I am wishing you Happy Spring. Get outside and enjoy it. And if you happen to see Bessie, thank her for her contribution. Thanks to her, the flowers bloom brighter and the veggies are plumper. Bessie rocks.