End of 2015

       I have had cause to consider my feelings about the winter season.   Last year it just didn't arrive in our neck of the woods.   We needed it, but it didn't come.  In the spring we were rescued by sufficient rainfall to keep our waterways flowing and filling our reservoirs.   Still, we had missed those winter months.
         Winter isn't an easy season in terms of  daily life.  There is the shoveling,  the coping with the cold, the added dangers of driving on slick, icy roads.   Indoors or outdoors there is extra demands.  If indoors, in our case we need to keep our wood fire going in order to heat the home.  That brings in bits of wood to clean up,  ashes to be cleaned out,  messes on the freshly scrubbed floors.  If outdoors a person needs to consider how best to stay warm with extra wraps, adequate gloves, hats and footwear.  One walks carefully on icy surfaces, the likelihood of falling down increases.  Just breathing can be challenging as that cold dry air hits the respiratory system.
         Driving takes more concentration, a few different skills.  There is always the possibility of becoming stuck in the snow, as well as whirling out of control on the ice.  Personally, I always pack some material in the trunk of my vehicle that can help me get added traction if I need it.  I was raised in snow country and trained to  travel with some snack items, just in case I should get stranded, and have a blanket, another just in case.
         Still, even in my advancing years, I like winter.  The outdoor beauty, the sparkle of snowy hillsides, the intense blue of the sky against the white environment.   The loveliness of a moonlit night during the winter never fails to trigger my asthetic senses.
          Different types of birds arrive and are active around our home during the winter months.  These are survival birds, tough enough to stay despite the cold.  The aquatic varieties  are beautiful skimming across the top of our leaden colored pond, surrounded by mounds of snow on the banks.  The wildlife stop in regularly, even when unwelcome, mostly looking for a snack of some type.  I see deer walking down the road  as they go about their nightly inspection routine, checking out our haystacks first and eventually when all seems calm, venturing into our orchard for any reachable fruit left on our trees, or perhaps something left out for our cat that didn't get consumed.
           Even as a house keeper there are some advantages to my winter.   My refrigerator space expands greatly because I can use the garage and front porch to keep food cool every bit as well as the electrical appliance.  I don't need to add ice to any water based beverage.  Ice water comes straight from our faucet.
            I love the sounds of children playing in the snow.  Sledding, skating, making snowmen, just rolling around in it.  They giggle, they shout, and they wear themselves out.  Even snowball fights are better than sand being tossed in the air.  The damp duds they wear for play dries out and  a warm cup of cocoa puts everything right in short order.
           Lastly, I enjoy having the end of the day arrive when darkness descends along with the dropping temperatures.  I feel like I can be at rest a little earlier, not concerned so much about the required tasks of the day.    I can read, or write, or ....whatever my fancy is at the particular hour.  Yes, winter has an appeal all its own for me.