Well Maybe Just a Little More Pretty - Remembering How to Enjoy the Cold

It's still winter in Wisconsin - it's still cold - it's still snowing. I think we have another four plus inches on the ground and expect more below zero temps this week. It's so cold that the snow is powder - it's lightweight stuff. Coating the trees, covering the sidewalks (again), blowing across the roads….but not good packing for snow balls or snowmen.

We spent the past few days with good friends who live outside of Madison. Planned to stay one night but sort of got "snowed in" so stayed two - and it was fun. Our friends introduced us to snow shoe-ing - a lovely way to get outside and DO something in spite of the cold. The woods behind their home are lovely in the snow - grey/brown/white…..quiet. A different kind of beauty than you see in the warmer months - but the beauty is out there…if you take the time to look.

The fresh show glistened, birds swarmed the backyard feeders, animal tracks dotted off every-which-way into the trees. There was very little noise as we shoe-ed through the snow. Cheeks got cold, but the exercise felt good - a reminder of some of the outdoor things we used to enjoy during the winter.

I went out by myself on Sunday morning before leaving to drive back home. On my own I was surrounded by silence - except for the crunching noise my snow shoes made as I walked along the track from yesterday. Today's sky was blue so there was a new beauty to enjoy.  We had a terrific few days with good friends - conversation, laughter, reading, napping, eating, dominoes, a movie on TV. And we re-discovered a nicer winter….one we'd almost forgotten. Yes, today Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow - so six more weeks until spring. No real surprise there. And I can't say I really welcome more cold and more snow, but I think tomorrow's plans will include a trip to a sporting goods store. Might as well enjoy it.