Winter warmth

It's been a long, cold winter. I've been trying to keep quiet, but I've really loved this winter. It's the sort of winter I've always wanted with lots of lovely snow. I feel a little guilty enjoying it. I don't like that the cold makes for so much discomfort, even suffering. I worry about the deer, the bunnies and other animals trying to make it through till spring. But I have loved the snug feeling of being tucked away in our little hollar with my family. I've delighted in watching the snowflakes dance and tumble and race down the mountains. I've even thrilled when we had actual blizzard conditions, once Gary was home safe and sound. I love seeing each branch and fenceline furred with snow. The woods are so lovely and lacey. It's pure pleasure to me to look out and see the contours of the land -all the hills and valleys show forth so clearly when there is snow on the ground. And my favorite time of day - sunset glowing into twilight - is exquisite when the colors of the setting sun are pierced with silhouettes of bare trees!

But it's time for the season to change again, and this year, much to my astonishment, I find myself looking forward to Spring, or as I call it, Mud Season. I'm actually ready for some warmer temperatures, and feeling a little eager to see grass and leaves again! I'm not even dreading, much, the hassle of dealing with the mud. As I've gotten older, I've tried to appreciate each season for what it is, instead of anticipating the next so much I forget to enjoy the present. I'm tempted now to daydream of flowers and leaves and warm, sunny afternoons. It's not quite time for that!

But the thought I am clinging to these days is the mystery of being deeply grounded. I look at all the snow heaped up into large drifts, and think how long it's going to take to melt. All that lovely water will slowly soak into the earth. I imagine all the seeds and bulbs and hibernating things underground, being watered and warmed as the sun begins to shine more intensely. Those seeds will swell and finally burst as new life reaches up towards the light. It's going to be a gorgeous Spring this year.

Being a lifelong late bloomer, I like the thought that I too am waiting in the darkness, for the good soaking warmth to reach me, when I will reach towards the light and break out in a blaze of color! I just wonder, what will I be?

Tis a good time of year to ponder that....