Bitter Cold, Warm Friends
the best combination
With a weak sun in the sky and a bitterly cold wind in the air, the bleak days of deep winter are trying to decide if they want to stay or head back to the far north from whence they came. Most people are squirreled away tightly into their comfortable abodes, afraid or too weak to face the raw face of nature, missing out, I say. Yet, it’s a fine time to take to the bare woods, with a friend or two, and see what critters are out and about, and what they are up to in the dog days of winter.
We had an Arctic blast recently, here, deep in the Midwest. That means only one thing.
Pack up the Jeep, call a few close friends and family, and head for the hills. It’s the perfect time to explore small midwestern towns, winding your way through hill and dale, up and down river valleys speckled with grain elevators, lonesome farms, and the odd small town.
When the bitter cold comes, the mindless masses head for the comfort of the couch, while we, the brave few, do the opposite.
The woods surely do seem different when the high temperature is sitting around -15 degrees Fahrenheit. Heck, even the snow has a special crunch to it, and the sound of your feet echoes down the wooden corridors, announcing your coming to the few woodland creatures brave enough to be wandering about.
There’s always life.
In more ways than one, there is always life and laughter if you know where to look for it, both human and otherwise. Some part of me can’t imagine a person going through the mundane routine of life year after year, without the friendship and camaraderie found in relationships with other wander creatures we run into.
It’s sad to think some folk go their own lifes not knowing what it’s like to sit in a warm cabin, with bitter cold outside, next to a few friends and close family, in a strange sort of bond that is hard to put into words.
Food, talk, coffee, hikes, more talks … what a wonderful way to remind oneself of the important things in life, escape that 9-5 and other things that this strange world is full of, vying for your attention and time.
Truth be told, most of life is much like a river valley; it winds and wanders a weary path, up and down hills, steep or shallow, sometimes empty and sometimes full. It’s best to keep plodding forward, taking time to appreciate the journey itself and the people you find yourself beside.
We, humans, are strange creatures, pulled inevitably into a digital world to live our lives, yet surrounded by the most amazing and beautiful world, and people, that are flesh and blood, no bits and bytes needed. It’s hard to live with your feet planted firmly in both places. I find that usually a person is pulled to one side or the other.
I find the woods and water a good place to reflect on the blessings of being alive for another spin around the ball of fire in the sky. Life is not something that we will always have, or that lasts forever; a fact that seems to be lost upon those living too deeply in the digital side of life.
A healthy and realistic view of how the world actually works, but putting your feet deep into the snow of some forgotten valley, maybe even pulling a fiesty trout or two from some boiling water, is a great way to keep grounded and thankful in a world gone wrong.
Ah, truly, nothing is better than bitter cold and warm friends.
There will certainly come a day when, as someone important once said …
“… when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
With that in mind, best you consider carefully what you might do this weekend, where and who you will spend your time with. Don’t get sucked too hard into the glowing screen; look out the window at the trees, clouds, and birds. You never know what you will find out there, maybe even a friend.
Truth be told!