Winter solstice is approaching, and the official first day of winter, and it will be ushered in by the cold and snow that has preceded it, making some of us believe it is already, truly winter. Last night another foot of snow on top of the 2-3 feet we already got this week. Every morning shoveling new fallen drifts from the walks and drive.
Last week I woke to temperatures in the single digits - above freezing, mind you - but with wind chills well below. It's not been enough, however, to keep me inside before dawn lights the skies. Scrappy and I have been out each morning, snow or no snow, wind or no wind, running our usual morning route of about 2 miles. The one morning we got two feet of snow and the plows hadn't been around yet, I did cut it short - maybe a mile. It seemed it was much harder for me to run through it than for him - born with natural four-wheel drive. While I normally make him run beside me at a heel, I have begun to let him run ahead. Given the waist-attached, hands-off leash system I devised, it allows him to give me a little assistance when he pulls a bit, helping me to keep my forward momentum through the drifts. I know it may seem crazy, this running in ankle-deep drifts, but after the first block, I get so warmed up that every time, by the end of the run, regardless of temperature or wind chill, I'm sweating. What would I do without Scrappy? Okay, well, I'm sure I'd be curled up under the covers every morning, happily sleeping until at least 7:30. But, honestly, I'm so grateful to have him as my motivation to get up and work out every day. Even if we don't run, we at least walk one mile. And then again at night, after dinner, we go out and walk another mile.
The other night, we got to walking through the neighborhoods well after dark (all of about 8pm here). It wasn't too cold, may 17 degrees, and no wind. The traffic had died down, and the streets seemed so quiet and peaceful. We began by walking our usual route, then, seeing a side street with pretty Christmas lights adorning several houses, I took a turn and headed that way. I was childishly thrilled at the sight of multicolored lights and electronic set of bells that chimed Christmas carols. We continued our walk, and I pressed on in my serendipitous journey, simply choosing my turns and route by whichever direction I saw the beacons of the season and followed them.
I turned and twisted down streets I knew well in the summer, but now didn't recognize as well without their foliage. I saw houses that I had only known as hedges before, yards now seemingly as wide as open fields without all their summer accoutrements of picnic tables, above-ground pools and patio furniture. I was mesmerized by this new winter world, and followed the lights, followed the lights, followed the lights. White lights woven through pine swags, windows decorated with figurines to resemble turn-of-the-century towns at Christmas, giant Santas and polar bears filled with air and lights bouncing gently on front lawns, and white light reindeer that would raise and lower their heads.
I crossed one street after another, and thought I knew where I was, when suddenly I found myself completely turned around. I had somehow gotten lost in my own neighborhood, had crossed my path and gone several blocks past where I thought I was. It was an oddly disorienting feeling, but at the same time, not the least bit unnerving. In fact, it was even somewhat exciting to know I had misplaced myself on this little adventure, but knew I would eventually find my way back. I was in no hurry. I wasn't cold. The dog seemed happy to keep walking. And so we did, our silhouettes passing among the terrace trees and leafless hedges, shuffling through the drifts of snow, stopping from time to time to admire the glow of holiday cheer.
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