A Little Bit 'O Honey

This has been a hard winter, especially out in the country. We've had more ice this year and, like so many places, the powers that be are not salting or plowing as much. Still, I love living in a place with distinct seasons, each with its own beauty. This is the view today looking east from our house.

The new snowfall gave me a reason to get out into the elements and get some much-needed exercise--shoveling. It was bitter cold--wind chill not much above zero--but the love of nature is in my DNA, and I enjoyed being outside.

As I dressed to go out, My Constant Companion (Samantha) insisted that she come along. She loves it when we go out together. So, I bundled her up in her fleece Illini jacket, and out we went. In less than ten minutes, she wanted back in the house where she would join her sister, basking in the sun in front of the bedroom windows, leaving me to shovel on my own.

Life is a lot harder these days than it used to be--for me and for many others. We struggle to keep the power bill paid, despite keeping the house way too cold. The checking account is always empty and the cupboard is nearly bare well before the next paycheck comes in. But life's simplest pleasures--the beauty of nature, the warmth of the sun shining through a window, a little outdoor exercise--have remained constant. For that, of course, I am most grateful.