Not Going Anywhere

Obviously we're not going anywhere at the moment! That's our car and our driveway. Snow continues to fall, and driving conditions are treacherous here on the island and throughout the Seattle area as well. But we are cozy, warm, and well-fed. We have videos to watch, art projects to work on, crossword puzzles to puzzle over, books to read, doggies to get us outside, plenty of food, our computers, our phones, our sense of humor. Best of all, we have the continuous black and white nature show, huge puffy snowflakes falling continuously, every twig and limb blanketed in deep whiteness, roads free of traffic, and only a few bunny tracks in the virginal snow. There are huge flocks of Canada geese feeding on the meadow near the lake, and then making periodic flights into the lake where they float on the silvery sheen of the water. Their loud squawks punctuate the vast silence of this snow-covered land. The horses in the pasture next door are blanketed but lively, and we see them running and rolling in the snow.

This is another world, a world of immense peacefulness, where time has slowed to a crawl. It is hard to take it in that this is the pre-Christmas week. Out there, away from this snow, life is going on. People are shopping, decorating, wrapping gifts, and participating in various festivities. Vehicles are moving somewhere in the world. My brother in Florida tells me that it is 78 degrees there. But for us the drama of the day lies in deciding whether to walk to the end of the street, or venture across the highway for a slightly longer loop; whether to heat up some soup or just make popcorn for dinner; whether to do a little hand-washing, or just wear our dirty clothes for another day! So far we are opting for dirty clothes, and popcorn has always been one of our favorite dinner options, so long as there is a good movie to go along with it. Last night we watched a Danish film called "The Inheritance" that was very good indeed.
The dogs are always ready to go outside and take walks. We're setting out again now for the third walk of the day, and it's only 11 am! Who needs sun??!!