Enjoying Winter

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It happens for me. I've taken long walks in our neighborhood nearly every day this month, including this morning. Enough daylight now exists at 7:30 a.m. Wool socks, flannel-lined jeans, wool sweater, wool scarf, wool coat, snow boots, good gloves, etc. No big deal. Good gear. I don't notice the below zero temps.

Humorous Jan 28, 2014 Toledo Blade story

Ivan Rachinsky, 24, said only wimps would skip school in his native town of Raduzhny in Siberia for below-zero temperatures.

I enjoy the cold and snowy weather. I like the way the lightweight, fluffy snow feels when trudging through it. On clear mornings, I like the way the snow cover looks with a mix of the yellowish, low-angle sunlight and the blue shadows from trees and homes. In the sunlight, the snow sparkles like millions of tiny diamonds. When it's really cold, I like to hear the squeaky, crunchy sound the snow makes when walking on it. The lightweight snow and the strong winds create fascinating drift patterns of curves, humps, striations, and sharp edges. And for some reason, I've always enjoyed the sight of snow falling at dusk with the combination of street lights and the last remaining blueish light of the day. It's an artistic landscape. I cannot imagine not liking it and not wanting to be out in it.

Even in January, signs of "spring" exist in Toledo. The local nesting birds are singing now, including the Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch, and this morning, I heard a Hairy Woodpecker drumming. The local birds are establishing their territories. And all this month, I've seen robins in our neighborhood, feeding in small berry shrubs/trees.

I think the best way to get through winter is to embrace it with some kind of outdoor activity. I assume that the cross country skiers have had a decent time this month at our local parks. And don't ice skaters have one or two outdoor places to go skate? I recommend at least taking a walk at one of the metroparks on the weekend, except not this Saturday, since it could be a ruined mess.

#todo