Spring Is Here!!!

The past few days have been so sunny and beautiful. It's getting a bit warmer every day so I'm sure that spring is here now. In faith, I'm going to put away my winter coat. :) The gloves and hat I still need for night time bike travels home. But it's so good to be biking again. I have missed the exercise with a purpose. To me it's like sunbathing, it's so pointless to me to just lay in the sun and do nothing. I can justify it if I'm reading a good book. So I like to feel my muscles burn after getting some kind of task done. Sunday Lindsey had a picnic after church by a lake near Uppsala. She had rented a car and driven a lot of people back and forth but the guys and I decided to bike there and back. It was great! The legs got a work out. I measured that we biked 16 1/2 miles (or 26 1/2 km)!

It's so nice out even this morning. I got to sit outside in the sun reading and drinking some Stash Raspberry White tea. (Thanks, Mandy!) It's so funny how hot it can get in the sun but in the shade it's really chilly. So clouds are a bit of a problem. But as long as it doesn't rain, I don't mind. 

Yesterday, I sat by the river with one of my Swedish friends Pia eating ice cream and sharing stories of life. It is amazing to see so many people down there. They must think spring is officially here, too. You can also tell by the bike parking. A few months ago, you could find a spot almost any where in town to park your bike in a rack but now almost all the racks are full and you have to make the most of your kick stand and part of the curb. And then there's all the dogs. I have never seen so many people walking their dogs and dog walkers with 3 or 4 dogs pulling them along. It makes me wonder how the dogs lived through the winter. So many people live in small apartments. I'm trying to picture the number of people who have been shut up all winter with their German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, or other large breed of dog. Although, Checkers doesn't mind if he doesn't leave the house for a while but then we're back to he is a 30 lb. Beagle who is greatly effected by his daily dose of Benedryl.

We hear that spring officially arrives on May 1st: Valborg. It's basically a big day of drinking, partying and boating so we'll see if it's any more spring like after that.