Snow Day
Stepped outside this morning to feed the cats, and the cold air greeted me like a rapacious animal, anxious to steal every ounce of my warmth. Icy fingers slipped beneath my jacket, inched up my pants legs, and tweaked my ears. Foolishly, I’d gone out in slippers and pajamas, wearing a thin house jacket. Luckily, the cat houses are on the southern porch and close to the door. I dropped off the food and scurried back inside.
A windblown mass of cold air, in the dark of night, has slipped out of the arctic and come south for the winter. It’s an icy blast for sure, and eighteen is not a temperature we see very often in these parts. Neither is snow or sleet, but we have accumulations this morning, and they’ll stick around because we’re forecast to stay below freezing today. If I were a kid, I might go out in it to play. But I’m old, and I’ve slipped on ice before and the fall to earth is not fun.
Snow and ice for me these days is mostly for looking. I never skied, but I did sled. We have hills, but again, I think it wiser to stay put and be satisfied with my memories. I’ve had lots of snow days around the country from the deserts of California to the streets of Virginia and the Mountains of New Mexico. So, I’m good with simply looking and remembering, while being grateful for a well-built house and a working power grid designed to help me keep it warm. Blessings for sure.