On Winter

Winter is halfway over. More than half way actually. There is light in the sky now as we awaken each morning. Makes it a little easier to start the day. And as we eat dinner in the evening, the sky isn't quite as dark as it was just the day before. The season of darkness is almost finished.
I have never dreaded winter. As I have said before, I am a winter person. I quite like the chill of the air on my face, being able to see my breath in the air. The sound of crunching snow beneath my feet. The ever familiar winter song "Chick-a-dee-dee-dee". And here in Saskatchewan, the Land of the Living Skies, the sky is almost always blue. The sun shines brightly, even though it may be 40 degrees below zero and sun dogs are a familiar sight. The shadows are long and the snow twinkles like sun on glass.

I welcome the spring. The warm air. The fresh scents. The return of the songbirds. And new growth. But I cherish these last weeks of winter. Days when cheeks are reddened by the cold. Days when a warm stew simmering on the stove brings anticipation. Days when we gather by the fire and read for hours on end like we did this past weekend.(two chapter books in one weekend aloud to Athena! Oh my poor voice.) Days when we plan and dream and enjoy the warmth and just watch the flames dance above the burning logs.

These are the good times. Not many people feel this way, but I suspect I always will.