As I sit here watching the snow fall--again--I am amazed at this year's winter weather. Normally, January is our driest month, but not this year. In fact, it has been reported that this has been the wettest, snowiest January in the Scottsbluff area in all of recorded history. That’s 130 years! The ground has not been totally snow-free since early December. And the streets! Let's just say that the city appears to have already used up most of its snow removal budget for this winter.
Out of town trips have been treacherous, requiring much advance planning and weather watching. Roads have often been closed. Even when the highways are passable, black ice and ground blizzards have made travel a challenge this winter. Last week, when I rode with a friend to an appointment in Cheyenne, we were grateful to have picked the best travel day of the week, with only one sketchy stretch of road.
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| Headed home from Cheyenne, through the Wildcat Hills. |
Here in the Nebraska Panhandle, it seems like most of our snow normally falls in October and March, with very little snow in December or January. I wonder if this year's unusual snowfall is signaling a wetter spring that usual. If so, we won't complain too loudly, because we are all anxious for our severe drought to be over.
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| It's been a hard winter for ranchers, who have to provide extra feed for their cattle. |
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| Even tractors that usually spend most of the winter in the shed have been called out to move snow. |
Levi has been doing a good job of keeping our sidewalks and driveway clear of snow, sometimes shoveling two or three times a day to keep up. Some mornings, he has been getting up early to work out with Bill, but I am convinced that his snow removal is what's really keeping Levi physically fit right now.
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| The snow makes our winter landscape even more beautiful. |
When we lived in Michigan, more than 40 years ago, we were surprised to find that winter lasted from the first of November until sometime in May. Blizzards were rare, but the ground was totally snow-covered for months, and the snow plows worked every day to keep the roads clear. There, we never checked the winter weather forecasts, because the temperature never varied. It was always 20-some degrees with a chance of snow. So we learned to embrace winter activities. We went sledding. We took up cross country skiing. We gathered with friends to play cards and eat good food. We roasted hot dogs over a giant bonfire. We made a point of watching the sled dogs pull their sleds, and the ice boats skim across Grand Traverse Bay.
The sledding hill at Gering's Northfield Park has been busy this year. I even spotted some ski tracks through the park this week. Maybe I need to have Bill pull my cross country skis down from the garage rafters tomorrow, so I can see if we have the right kind of snow for skiing.
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As I've been suffering through my inevitable winter aches and pains, made worse by this year's unusual snow and high humidity, I've been musing a little bit about winter's end, and about the end of life here on Earth. I've noticed that some people my age are referring to themselves as "old," and perhaps they are, but I am not!
My mom and Bill's dad are certainly in the winter of their lives, as their living situations have had to change to accommodate their decreasing abilities to care for themselves. But me--I'm definitely in the middle of autumn, struggling a bit with some inconvenient "equipment" malfunction, grateful for doctors who can handle the mechanics of improving my quality of life, and not ready to throw in the towel for quite some time.
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| I'm not stuck in the middle of winter yet! |
I've been blessed to have some excellent role models, older women who continue to serve God even as their bodies are failing and they need extra care at home or even in nursing homes. Their good examples have led me to believe that age is mostly just a state of mind. Just as we can choose to embrace winter with all of its fierce beauty and unique opportunities for outdoor fun, we can also choose to embrace the interesting and sometimes unique opportunities that lie ahead of us. For me, that means finishing another kid's book, recording some music, getting ready for Victoria's wedding, planning the next women's retreat, spending lots of time with my kids and grandkids, and trusting God to go with me every step of the way.
I don't have time to think about getting old!
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches,
which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
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