Day 14 Chilly, but not bad

Not playing hockey was weird - stayed up too late because I didn't have to be up early.  Didn't sleep in too much, but then headed out in the weather.  Not too bad - it was about -12 when I got going.  Shoveled the driveway and relished the cold.  I like being outside in this temperature if I'm prepared for it.  I had a nice sweater on - something I can only do when it is cold out.  That and moving a little bit of fluff around and the whole thing is quite pleasant.  I can remember actually being cold when I was a kid.  That was usually after 1 or 2 hours of building snow forts and some-such, and my gloves (or mits) had doubled in weight.  When the sweat from underneath meets the snowmelt soaking inwards, that's when its really cold.  That or when I'm standing around while the my kids are doing that.  The standing around is always what gets you.

I'm going to have to find an excuse to hang around at night at my parent's house some clear night in this cold.  It is the most special time to be outside - bright moon, blue-black sky, gleaming snow blanket criss-crossed with the ever-thining branches.  The air precise and the silence sharp.  Moving around makes that bright squeak, but that seems like an insult to the night.  Got to remember to breath - but not too deep or else the air stabs at the lungs.

I think I could do better to describe a meditation, but that's something.  What I wonder is what would happen if I'm standing outside in the bright-dark and the deer start wandering by...  They keep looking for acorns and the remains of the garden produce, so it could happen.  Maybe I need to find myself a sturdy deer-whomping, er walking, stick.  I think my dad still has that one I cut a 15 or 20 years back - a nice young hardwood (beech? ash?)  about 5cm in diameter.  I think it must still be in a garage somewhere - hard as all get out, and never cut so it keeps all the strongest aspects of being a tree.  I thought I saw it a few months back, but it would be an excellent walking, er deer-whomping, stick.  That is something I have to go looking for - definitely.