I am being reminded that winter weather is fun, fun, fun.
When I was a child I wondered why folks went south for the deep winter months. Why would they want to miss all this wonderful snow and cold weather? I was serious.
I enjoyed the crunch of new snow under foot, the flock of snow geese overhead, the tracks of rabbits over the snow drifts. I looked forward to shadowed evenings in the barns bedding the animals deep with new straw. I found pleasure in lighting a cowboy stock tank heater full of cobs and wood scraps with a little kerosene while pumping water by hand. The cattle were so appreciative with their frosty beards and eyebrows.
It was pure joy to fill the truck full of square bales and run out over the hills of new snow stringing out those bales on that clean stark white table to the following hungry cows. As we stopped to watch and count the herd, a couple of broken-in-half ears of corn went to last years 4-H heifer, still a pet, almost a nuisance.
Supper tasted good, what ever it was, after being out in the evening air taking care of God’s creatures. Double gloves, coveralls, wool hats with ear-flappers, and five buckle-overshoes with bread sacks for liners were standard equipment. So was a heart open to the wonder of God’s creation all around us.
Yes, even now surrounded by melting parking lots and slippery streets I am reminded that this winter weather can be fun if I take the time to see the beauty.
