Winter Breaks, for Now

And let's appreciate all of the gifts that flow to us...

The weather broke yesterday, finally warming up, and Violet the Dog and I headed for the timber. I had to be in Des Moines all day at a conference, and when I left the conference mid-afternoon for home, I was thinking about working on our old house, which we are remodeling to rent out. When I told Annie that, she said something like, “No, you should take Violet to the timber because you are both going crazy.”

I’m not going to argue with her, because she was right. Violet the Dog and I had been stymied from going on our walk because of the cold weather, remodeling, and more.

To make matters worse, during the coldest weather recently, the motor on the furnace at our house in Knoxville broke. We were without heat from Sunday through Thursday. That meant that we had to babysit several space heaters 24/7, which cramped Violet the Dog’s and my style.

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Cedar Creek yesterday.

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The creek meanders.

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This is as high as I have ever seen the creek frozen.

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No matter how cold it is, different fungi and moss always have their engines running.

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Ice was breaking up on the pond yesterday.

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During a warm spell a couple of weeks ago, this algae was in the creek.

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We saw this sunrise.

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One cold morning, we saw these ice crystals.

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Hello in there!

Every year, I see ice forming around holes in the steps near the creek. I always wonder what conditions make this phenomenon happen, but suspect I will never know the answer. And that’s OK. When I was younger, taking biology and anthropology classes, I thought I needed to know everything. Not so much anymore. I just appreciate the beauty around me.

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Yesterday, we saw this man walking toward us, carrying his son. They were on a hunt for deer antlers. They didn’t have any luck, but my God, if I had the chance again to carry one of our babies through the timber and prairie again, I’d know, surely know, that I was the luckiest man in the world.

I hope this young man and his boy know that wandering nature together is as good as it gets, and to appreciate the wonder of it all! Even if you don’t know everything…

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Thanks for reading! Here are four of my favorite nature Substacks: My friend Larry Stone’s “Listening to the Land,” Diane Porter’s My Gaia, Al Batt’s Al’s Substack, and Jaron’s Curious Adventures. Please consider subscribing. All four will entertain, educate, and soothe your soul.

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