The temperatures have been erratic in the midwest.  Last Saturday the high was in the upper 60s, today the temperature was 21 degrees.  There was joy to be found in both temperatures.

Last weekend was full of the excitement of a false spring.  Families, couples, and kids were everywhere.  The air filled with the noise of happy excitement.

With a 40 degree drop in temperature the outside is quiet again. People are indoors, protected by brick and mortar. A perfect time for me to explore the world.

Julie agreed to go on a walk and we both bundled up as if we were going on an arctic expedition.  Down jackets, stocking hats, gloves, and good strong shoes.

We drove the short distance to the Blackwell Forest Preserve and parked next to a lone vehicle in an empty parking lot.  Initially, the cold air bit at my face and I zipped my jacket up as far as it would go.  However, as we entered the woods the winds died down and the air became brisk instead of painful.

It was as if we had the woods to ourselves.  The trails almost empty.  The former muddy paths now frozen into a comfortable hardness.  Past trees, past fields, past ponds, we marched forward.  At our feet were the frozen impressions of dog’s paws, horse’s hooves and human’s feet.  Artifacts from those who went before us on a warmer, muddier day.

The clearness that only cold air can bring sharpened our vision.  Our ears greeted with the silence of isolation.

After walking for about an hour we climbed back into our car welcomed by the warmth that electrically heated seats can give.  Then home to the rest of the day.

Today my goal is to remember that warm and cold day can both bring new adventure and excitement to my life.  How my day is perceived depends on how I choose to view it.