Day 18: Tentative Efforts...

I am still insisting on my 90 day challenge, even if it has been broken up by illness.  As mentioned already, I've had pneumonia once. I am not doing it again, if I can help it.

So today I took some first tentative steps (like a baby toddling along), returning to my walking every day.  I am definitely a victim of my own competitiveness: it is one of the things that gets me into trouble physically more often than not.  If I'm going to walk, a mere ten or fifteen minutes will not do.  No, I must tramp for hours through snow and ice and negative temperatures!

The snow and ice is such a draw, though, for a photographer.  Today the frost particles looked as though it started snowing, started raining, the wind came down, and then everything froze in place.  There were what look like frost hairs lining everything - the trees, the bushes, the frozen red berries, even the metal fences had such a strange lining of frost!  I stood and stared for a few minutes, breathing through my scarf, amazed at what is possible with these weather changes; amazed at the Creator's beauty in small things.  

Everyone is still walking; the post office and airport hours are on constant change; my friend dropped by the other day and it took several people to push the car up the icy slope.  (It was kind of funny, watching from the kitchen window.)  Friends are dropping by with Christmas presents; my store of peppermint tea is diminishing rapidly, and I'm starting on the mulled wine; I'm listening to carols as I work away from home; and everywhere is goodwill.  Ah, I love Christmas!

Day 2: Fool Me Once

Classic schoolgirl error, as one of my friends would put it.  I looked out the window at snow softly falling, and as it slowed down I thought, 'Beautiful time for a walk!'  I layered up, suited up, booted up (wellied up?), and launched forth.  I even took my camera bag with me in case I saw some beautiful scenery on my walk.

The first minute and a half were lovely.  The sun shone through on a tree with red berries, and I stopped to take a photo.  The sky was blue.  There is almost a foot of snow on the ground.  My wellies made that muffled crunching sound that is peculiar to snow.  Ah, walking in all weathers.  This isn't so bad!

Five minutes later, it had begun to snow lightly.  Still lovely; still a nice morning walk. I passed a shop with laughter floating out as everyone discussed the unusual weather for Airdrie in November.  An old woman passed me on the bridge and we smiled and said 'Good morning', and wasn't it a lovely day?  I could see the sun rising against the mountains and snow-covered trees everywhere.  The fresh air made me feel alive, brisk, alert.
  
Ten minutes after that I had my head down, snow pellets attacking me from all round, and not a beautiful scenic photo in sight.  I took refuge underneath an old bridge, gave thanks for my Lowepro Slingshot camera bag (which has a handy little weather-jacket to pull up and around the bag to protect it in all weathers), pulled my hat down and my scarf up, and tramped on.  Now I was passing the effects of difficult weather.  A man with a flat tyre, pumping a jack in the driving snow. A man carrying a small child, being pelted not only by snow but by the interminable "why's" of a three year old.  Cars who were driving more slowly than I was walking.  Countless cars stuck in snow and ice and muck, and drivers still attempting to dig themselves out.  (Obviously heading for places or events of critical importance).

I took a 40-minute walk today, not because I intended to, but because that's how long a 15 minute walk took today!   Fool me once, weather, shame on you....

The snow is still coming down, in huge flakes now instead of pellets.  I'm warm and comfortable and very thankful that I took my walk at the start of the day - because the snow is a foot high, and more is still falling!

Excelsior, indeed!