Signs of Spring and Renewal

Running last week I finally witnessed some sure signs that Spring and a time of renewal are here:

- A formerly quiet street is now buzzing with cicadas. They have awoken! I had forgotten how loud they are and hadn't realized how quiet it had been without them.

- I smelled flowers! Sure, I had already seen flowers, but to smell them? Amazing! This city is not known for its fresh air, and to have but 200 meters of freshness in the air was enough to energize the 2nd half of my run.

- My head touched the tree branches! A few possibilities went through my scraped head with this one:

      1. I've grown - not likely. Haven't done that since middle school.
      2. The trees have grown lower branches. Also not likely as it would've had to occur in a week's time.
      3. The new sidewalk has put me up higher. Of course! All the sidewalks in the neighborhood have been
          getting a make-over, but instead of ripping up the old tile and replacing it, new bricks have been put
          on top. This has made our sidewalks (and curbs to car owners' dismay) about 8 inches taller. Hence,
          the head-branch collision.

And this week, entering our holiday weekend (kind of a "Spring Break"), a final sign that it is Spring - a cold snap.

Oh well, still wearing sandals...