I don't know about you, but I'm not a "winter person". I dread the cold. I loathe tiptoeing out to start my car in the frigid first hours of daylight, stuffing myself and my kids in layers of fluff to be buckled into the car seats where we will soon sweat instead of shiver. I detest the icy, snowy conditions of the NEPA roads on my morning commute and the way the salt and sludge of the treated roads seems to envelope my car with each passing truck. I would prefer sipping hot chocolate by a warm fire over any outdoor activity. I'm sorry Anna, but no, I don't wanna build a snowman. Call me a horrible mother if you must, I can take it. That's what I get for being honest and truth be told when push comes to shove I will go out and build snowmen and even sled down a hill or two, and I'll even smile while doing so, but I will probably whine at least a little and in my head notions of being swaddled in a warm dry goose down filled blanket will be carrying me through.
There does come a point in the season where even I just want to get outside. Being confined by all these walls, all these hours of darkness, clouded by overcast sunless days makes anyone want to run away. I find myself daydreaming about hikes in the sun near glimmering waterfalls, lounging on sandy beaches by the lake, sipping my morning coffee on the deck outside just as the world starts to awaken to a new day. In reality, all I need is a temperature over 30° and a little free time and I'm going.
I'm reminded of a day last year around this time. We'd had quite a showing of snow last winter and I was beginning to tire of the indoor monotony when we had one glorious day of sun that we couldn't resist but to take full advantage of! My older two children and I and my friend and her dog piled into the car and drove to Francis Walter Dam to catch a glimpse of what winter had produced. Looking out over the icy dam and finding the day's conditions to be altogether delightful, we decided to take a walk. We set out down the hill to get closer to the ice. It was well thick enough to walk upon and there were several ice fisherman set up in shelters farther out. We inspected and toiled over the cracks we had found and then proceeded on the snow covered path back up and around the other side of the hill. The giant rocks that fill the hilly sides of the dam were so filled in with snow that we even took to climbing them for fun. Realizing later, that meant finding our way back down, a feat that required some of us landing on our rear ends and skidding awkwardly until we found out footing!
Once we found our way back to solid ground, we proceeded to walk the rest of the whitened road that would lead us back around the park and eventually, after a few miles, we'd be back at our car. Not without first experiencing some breathtaking views and some mesmerizing frozen waterfall formations tinted with color from the minerals in the water. We sat in front of them for photo ops.
By the time we reached the car we had spent some of our pent up energy. We had gotten wet and chilled from playing in the snow, but somehow remained comfortable having kept moving. The sun was beginning to hide behind incoming clouds. It was time to head home feeling a sense of hope for more days in the fresh air that would soon follow.
As I sit here writing, huddled by my heater, freezing on yet another unseasonably cold February day, I can't help but feel it coming... the break, the day that brings me out of these four walls and into the fresh air and sun to remind me that spring is on its way and with it, endless possibilities for adventure!
There does come a point in the season where even I just want to get outside. Being confined by all these walls, all these hours of darkness, clouded by overcast sunless days makes anyone want to run away. I find myself daydreaming about hikes in the sun near glimmering waterfalls, lounging on sandy beaches by the lake, sipping my morning coffee on the deck outside just as the world starts to awaken to a new day. In reality, all I need is a temperature over 30° and a little free time and I'm going.
I'm reminded of a day last year around this time. We'd had quite a showing of snow last winter and I was beginning to tire of the indoor monotony when we had one glorious day of sun that we couldn't resist but to take full advantage of! My older two children and I and my friend and her dog piled into the car and drove to Francis Walter Dam to catch a glimpse of what winter had produced. Looking out over the icy dam and finding the day's conditions to be altogether delightful, we decided to take a walk. We set out down the hill to get closer to the ice. It was well thick enough to walk upon and there were several ice fisherman set up in shelters farther out. We inspected and toiled over the cracks we had found and then proceeded on the snow covered path back up and around the other side of the hill. The giant rocks that fill the hilly sides of the dam were so filled in with snow that we even took to climbing them for fun. Realizing later, that meant finding our way back down, a feat that required some of us landing on our rear ends and skidding awkwardly until we found out footing!
Once we found our way back to solid ground, we proceeded to walk the rest of the whitened road that would lead us back around the park and eventually, after a few miles, we'd be back at our car. Not without first experiencing some breathtaking views and some mesmerizing frozen waterfall formations tinted with color from the minerals in the water. We sat in front of them for photo ops.
By the time we reached the car we had spent some of our pent up energy. We had gotten wet and chilled from playing in the snow, but somehow remained comfortable having kept moving. The sun was beginning to hide behind incoming clouds. It was time to head home feeling a sense of hope for more days in the fresh air that would soon follow.
As I sit here writing, huddled by my heater, freezing on yet another unseasonably cold February day, I can't help but feel it coming... the break, the day that brings me out of these four walls and into the fresh air and sun to remind me that spring is on its way and with it, endless possibilities for adventure!