Cold Weather

The view from my apartment, Herbert Place, winter 84-85

Ran into work yesterday, 8 miles. The temperature was around freezing when I started, and according to the scrolling banner atop the PECO Building, 34 degrees when I hit Center City. I wore a pair of Injinji socks with my huaraches to help protect my feet from the cold. They helped, but were not enough. My toes were numb for much of the way. Not a good thing, considering how important it is to receive feedback through your feet when running barefoot or with minimalist footwear. Either my feet will have to toughen up to the cold, or I will have to come up with an other solution.

I've been reading in the news, and in Facebook postings from friends in Ireland, about how bad the weather has been this past week. Lots of snow and ice.

Cold ducks, St. Stephen's Green

And so I have been remembering another patch of icy, cold weather in Dublin -- late December, early January 1984-85. I awoke one morning to heavy snow coming down, trimming the roofs and chimney pots outside my apartment window. I grabbed my camera and made for St. Stephen's Green, where I snapped this photo of the ducks floating in the snow lined pond. All of the color had been bleached out of the day, rendering everything in black and white and gray. Somewhere I have a photo of the Fusilier's Arch at the top of Grafton Street, faded out in the swirling snow. When I find it, I will post it.