Breathing Outdoors

For several weeks the landscape has been too difficult to negotiate on foot. Strata of ice lay obscured in and atop the foot or two of snow; some drifts higher. As the driveway has reappeared with sunshine thawing during the past few days the snow depth has slowly diminished. Today each step crunches. When it does it is a good sign that the step is not onto slick ice. A blue sky and outdoor air  beckoned. I broke a walking stick off a fallen branch from the maple tree by the side door; then, set out to resume my walks around the perimeter of the property. I can't remember what week it was I stopped because of the depth of the snow and the slick ice.

The 18 degrees surprise me when I look at my smart phone. I am comfortable in my outerwear; a vest and a light jacket, scarf, hat and gloves. No longer do I need the extra warm jacket for the 'teens. I wonder as I walk along if summer's heat will be more difficult after acclimating to this cold. 

My tracks become part of the story.

Winter really isn't barren at all. Every shade and texture of white and brown surround us.  The early and late daylight is amazing just like everywhere else on earth. This season is hard on heating bills for Wendy and John, and certainly it's a challenge getting three vehicles in and out of the one-way driveway, but that will change. Everything takes longer to do starting with what I wear. 

Appaloosa colors.

Melted and refrozen.

Deer tracks

Ice where melt flowed out of the woods into the pasture.

The deer again.

Critter tracks. 

Aidan tracks from a week or so ago.

Aidan and I take a break from his packet of homework that we do together most Thursday evenings. He gets his binoculars, and I get my new ones. We go out past the barn, but the back gates are still immovable from snow and ice. Toby follows; then, the dogs who were with the goats and Wendy at the barn. We give up on the gates and the sun sets. Just as it does we hear honking and first one V formation flies close overhead; then, another three times as many. We can see them well with our binoculars.

Toby and Sebastian deciding whether or not it is playtime.

Hey, come back to the porch and feed me.

The sun sank and the air rapidly chilled. We warmed up in the dining room while Aidan completed his homework.

I'm breathing differently.