My Winter Walks

I should get outside for a while.

Oh, but I have to put on all those clothes!

Okay. I'm dressed in a coverall and boots with two hats and enormous mittens that open up so I can use my fingers. I can barely move, but I'm ready.

Oh, but I have to get into my snowshoes!

Okay. Got the snowshoes on and tightened up the toe strap, the arch strap, the heel strap and whatever that fourth one is for.

Oh, but how do I get down the porch steps in these things?

Okay. Went down the ramp--easy-peasy. Off I go, walking a little like a duck with a hernia.

Oh, but when I leave the first wood and come out into the field, that wind bites!

Okay. Back in the woods again. Quiet, peaceful. (Well, except for me panting with exertion.) Here's where I'm likely to see animals, often deer and always squirrels. My path circles the woods, crossing a small, seasonal stream on a log bridge that's a bit of a challenge on snowshoes. Trees overhead squeak as they're forced together by the wind.

I love this place, and I'm going to walk it every single day all winter.

Oh, but I have to cross that windy, cold field again to get home. Then I have to peel off all these clothes and hang them up to dry. Is it worth all this effort?

Okay. I'll admit that it is.