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| Driving snow early one morning last week. |
For the record, I am not a big fan of winter. I don't mind a gentle coating of snow for the holidays, but after that I can live without the cold and snow. This is largely due to the fact that I do not have a winter activity. Sledding down a local hill with my young daughter several years ago was probably the last time I enjoyed a day in the cold and snow. When I was about my daughter's age I enjoyed sledding and ice skating at a MLK Park, not far from my childhood home in South Minneapolis. My mother even made a small ice rink in our backyard so that I could skate in circles without leaving home. I could skate into the night, illuminated by a gas light in our backyard and street lights in alley. Now days the cold and snow only get in the way of staying active outdoors. I love long walks around any number of local lakes, but that is all but impossible in temperatures below 20 degrees. Part of the fun of walking is seeing nature's small creatures, but they are nowhere to be seen in the dead of winter. And sure, I could wrap myself in layer after layer of sweaters, scarfs, etc. but that is just not the same. After this winter's roller coaster temperatures and biting cold winds, I am ready for spring.
